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East Face/4th Pinnacle

5.5 R, Trad, 2 pitches,  Avg: 1.7 from 7 votes
FA: unknown
Colorado > Boulder > Flatirons > North > Gregory Canyon… > Fourth Pinnacle
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Description

This route ascends the southern edge of the East face, just right of the Gully/Dihedral that splits the face.

P1. Start at on the low point of the rock and work up some easy but unprotected slabs for some 30 feet. From here traverse left towards a bulge and protect before moving left of the bulge and into a large gully. The gully's entrance is the crux and is water polished. Protection is available, but you need to be creative and look for it. Below and left of the entrance to the gully you will see at least a couple of bolts from an old aid line leading into the gully from the South. Climb up the gully on easier ground and belay when you run out the rope

P2. Exit the gully by overcoming a small roof with a 5 inch crack but great hand and footholds (5.2?). Work up and left and belay right of the small summit block (not pro at the summit).

Descent: downclimb a steep and exciting crack system to the west (5.0) for some 40 feet.

Protection

Standard rack.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Fourth Pinnacle.
[Hide Photo] Fourth Pinnacle.
[[East Face, 5.5 R]]105756085.<br>
[[Halls of Poison Ivy, 5.2]]105756088.
[Hide Photo] East Face, 5.5 R. Halls of Poison Ivy, 5.2.
A sweet #4 crack.
[Hide Photo] A sweet #4 crack.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

George Bell
Boulder, CO
[Hide Comment] This route can be led in one pitch with a 50m rope, although you have to be a little careful to keep rope drag down. Apr 21, 2002
[Hide Comment] George is right, you can lead the route in one pitch with a 50m rope, but your second will be required to simulclimb some 30 feet to allow you to reach the belay spot. Apr 22, 2002
Greg Speer
Fort Collins, CO
[Hide Comment] If one calls the downclimb a 5.0, then in my opinion this is a huge sandbag. "Exciting" is putting it mildly. I would venture to say that if one were to climb up the downclimb it would be 5.4, 5.3 at the least. There is serious fall risk (as in death) on this downclimb especially if one had to hurry due inclement weather or in darkness. It is a dangerous disservice to other, especially less experienced, climbers to indicate otherwise. It would be easy for the less experienced to find themselves in a fix after ascending one of the 5.2 routes not knowing what the downclimb is like. We did it belaying one another with a few pieces of protection a couple of days ago. My partner, who has been climbing for 35 years, agreed with my assessment. Apr 7, 2010
MAKB
Denver, CO.
 
[Hide Comment] I think you did the wrong downclimb Greg.... May 6, 2013