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V8 Crack
5.10+,
Trad, 80 ft (24 m),
Avg: 3.9 from 122
votes
FA: FA (Aid): Dean Hobbs, 1974. FFA: Mike Graber, Mike Farrell, Rick Wheeler, 1976.
California
> Eastern Sierra
> Bishop Area
> Cardinal Pinnacle
Description
An exceptional arching crack on beautiful orange granite. Steep and difficult for the grade, it requires endurance. The crux is about 15 feet of thin hands through a couple bulges/small roofs.
Location
The route is not on The Cardinal Pinnacle proper; it is on the small formation to the left. Rap the route or scramble off the backside. Lots of loose rock at the top so be careful while rappelling or belaying your second up.
[Hide Photo] V8 crack as seen from P1 anchor of West Face. Scramble up and belay from the ledge. Mussy hooks anchor set slightly back from the edge up top.
[Hide Photo] Final few moves before reaching topping out and clipping the anchor. I carried triples of .75, 1, and 3 and used them all. Plenty of backcleaning involved
[Hide Comment] New, bolted anchor w/ Mussy hooks installed today (9-15-10), and all chewed up tat removed. You can still reach the anchors from the top for TRing.
[Hide Comment] i thought this route was extremely easy for the grade also. i have a hard time believing dale would call it 10d. he would probably call it 10a or so. the crack is really user friendly and there are a lot of peripheral hold for the hands and feet. the difficulties are over really quickly, then it is just secure and fun.
i racked up after looking at it from the pinnacle, and thought it would be #1 camalot and smaller (should have brought up to a 3 or 3.5 camalot). needless to say i was kind of in trouble with gear early on and had to do some budgeting. luckily the climbing is really secure and you can spend some time horsing around with gear a bit.
Jul 12, 2011
[Hide Comment] Outstanding route! When you look around at the splitter #1 sized roof, your jaw may in fact hit your belayer - ten cuidado!
Stellar, stellar climb. When I was up there a month or two ago the crowds were too great for West Face or Crack Kingdom, yet this was so good I was pretty satisfied. Five stars!
Oct 2, 2013
[Hide Comment] Awesome climb and don't be afraid of the reported 10+ rating; the climb is more like 10a or sustained 5.9. The crux for me (and the other 2 people I climbed this with) was the first 10 feet off the ground on the flake traverse. Once established in the crack itself its fun and easy!
Jul 9, 2017
10d I think not. 10a, a bit of a sandbag. 5.10b or 5.10 even makes sense. Yes, the climbing is straightforward on a splitter like this, but it is pumpy.
Aug 3, 2021
[Hide Comment] I did not find the thin hands roof to be the crux, but the thinner vertical crack just before it. After I got passed the roof I was so incredibly pumped I had to shake out for almost 10mins. Maybe I did not climb this efficiently..but it felt like solid pumpy 5.10 climbing. After the roof the route eases off tremendously. I personally would recommend 3 x .75s for the lower crack before the roof.
Jul 30, 2024
[Hide Comment] Awesome line. I think calling it 5.9 or 5.10a is sandbagging. At least very sustained 5.10a, more like 5.10b/c feels fair and emphasis on it being sustained. If 0.75 and 1 size is rattly fingers/thin hands for you (it is for me), this is going to feel challenging. Take all the 0.75, 1, and #3 cams you've got or be prepared to backclean :)
Chain anchor w/mussy hooks at the top. Great climb to do while the west face conga line is in action.
Aug 25, 2024
Los Alamos, NM
Sacramento, CA
It is definately not 10b especially comparing it to other ratings at this crag. Sep 9, 2010
Bishop, CA
vic lawson Sep 14, 2010
NH
i racked up after looking at it from the pinnacle, and thought it would be #1 camalot and smaller (should have brought up to a 3 or 3.5 camalot). needless to say i was kind of in trouble with gear early on and had to do some budgeting. luckily the climbing is really secure and you can spend some time horsing around with gear a bit. Jul 12, 2011
Mammoth Lakes, CA
NEVADASTAN
Stellar, stellar climb. When I was up there a month or two ago the crowds were too great for West Face or Crack Kingdom, yet this was so good I was pretty satisfied. Five stars! Oct 2, 2013
California
SANTA CLARA CA
Small hands? Great. Big hands? Well that's great too, because it's still an awesome splitter.
I think the right exit through the final roof is the way to go, much better than going left up through some loose stuff. Jul 8, 2019
Flagstaff, AZ
10d I think not. 10a, a bit of a sandbag. 5.10b or 5.10 even makes sense. Yes, the climbing is straightforward on a splitter like this, but it is pumpy. Aug 3, 2021
Las Vegas, NV
California
Chain anchor w/mussy hooks at the top. Great climb to do while the west face conga line is in action. Aug 25, 2024