A stranger took this photo of me and my partner climbing the Third Pillar. You can just about see me sitting on top of the flake at the top of the third pitch. Glad we met them back at the car—incredible climb!!

All Locations > California > Eastern Sierra > Lee Vining Cany… > Dana Plateau > Third Pillar, Regular… (5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b)

A stranger took this photo of me and my partner climbing the Third Pillar. You can just about see me sitting on top of the flake at the top of the third pitch. Glad we met them back at the car—incredible climb!!

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Looking straight up the direct start.

Summit shot, topping out on 3rd Pillar of Dana. Photo by Ryan. Sun 4 Aug 2013.

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J E

Mar 11, 2025

“A stranger took this photo of me and my partner climbing the Third Pillar. You can just about see me sitting on top of the flake at the top of the third pitch. Glad we met them back at the car—incredible climb!!”

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Nearby Photos

Current (as of Sat 15 July 2017) conditions of the snow field traverse to get to the base of Third Pillar.

Alone on the Third Pillar of Dana photo by Drew Smith.

Evan looking down at Mono Lake from the Third Pillar of Dana

All smiles on the last pitch

Atop the huge, scary-looking-but-solid flake with great 10a fingers on pitch 4 (pitch 5 if you do the direct start like we did.)

Linda finishes up the last moves on the stellar final pitch of Third Pillar.<br>
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photo by danafelthauser.com

This is terrible!

Sunrise at the Third Pillar

The regular route as viewed form the approach. The red line closely follows the route.

3rd Pillar of Dana Descent.

Looking up at the route from the base. Most of the route is just to the right of the left skyline.

Not a bad view from the summit of the 3rd! -photo by Tim Klein

Third Pillar of Dana

Last pitch!

Roberto and Duke on the approach hike.

Top of first pitch

Summited!

The pillar from Lake Mono at sunset

Last Pitch on Third Pillar. <br>
<br>
**flake being climbed is kinda loose/scary. Finger crack to climber's right harder but safer.

Looking across the gully to the ledges that mark the normal start of the route, which is just below the large detached flake on the left ridge line.

Brian crossing the snow gully 7/22/2011.

Rita on the last pitch.<br>
<br>
Photo by S. Cox

Gettin' after it on pitch 5

Looking straight up the direct start.

A stranger took this photo of me and my partner climbing the Third Pillar. You can just about see me sitting on top of the flake at the top of the third pitch. Glad we met them back at the car—incredible climb!!

Summit shot, topping out on 3rd Pillar of Dana. Photo by Ryan. Sun 4 Aug 2013.

My recommendation is to taking the left route variation because it lands your belay on this sweet detached flake. Plus it's all-in-all better climbing.

Bill Geist following the upper section of the fourth pitch. Nice exposure!

Looking down the route from the top.

Third Pillar

Crossing the snow gully to reach the base.

Taking the stellar view in before the descent

Calvin Kilcrease leading above the 10a finger crack on P.4.

3rd Pillar

Topping out on the Third Pillar

Ginger on Third Pillar of Dana with the route unfolding below

BEAUTIFUL piece of rock

Heading down to the descent trail

Early morning light on the upper pitches of Third Pillar. The descent route is also lit up. Photo taken from Hwy 120.

3rd Pillar at Sunrise 7/30/22

Jeremy Freeman on the 1st pitch

Eric Burt leading just above the first crux on P.5.

Tristan on the final pitch

Eric Collins on 3rd Pillar, circa 1986

Up up and away!

Third Pillar.<br>
Photo by Blitzo.

Downclimbing to bypass the snowy gully. Up high is some exposed 4th class but it gets gets easier and more obvious lower down

Jeff past the crux section of pitch 2, getting into the wide 5.7 stretch.

Rob just finishing the 10b fingers section on the gorgeous last pitch.

Ginger on p1

Pitch 4 protection, for the section right after the layback flake. It is well protected...there is no ledge fall potential if you do the following:
<br>

<br>
1. Brass offset, small-ish
<br>
2. yellow/blue offset BD X4 cam or comparable
<br>
3. Blue 0.3 BD cam & sling

Looking up at P5. The first section looked unlikely so I skirted too far left and got into more difficult territory. Aim for a right facing corner with a mini roof to its right instead of doing what I did!

Vincent downclimbing the prow to the right of the gully to reach the base of the route.

Finishing the chimney on P3.

the traverse that starts P2

Found this towards the end of P4 after the crux. Not really needed as there were options for other placements. We ended up making an anchor here.

Kurt on top after leading the amazing final pitch.

Looking east from the plateau past the top of The Third Pillar. Mono Lake is in the distance and 5,000 ft down.

third pillar on the left. approach/downclimb on the right

Around the crux of P4

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