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Reed's Pinnacle Left
5.10a,
Trad, 240 ft (73 m), 2 pitches,
Avg: 2.8 from 17
votes
FA: Frank Sacherer, Wally Reed, Gary Colliver, 11/1962 FFA: Frank Sacherer, Dick Erb, Larry Marshik, 1964
California
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> Reed's Pinnacle
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Yosemite National Park has yearly closures for Peregrine Falcon Protection March 1- July 15. Always check the NPS website at nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/… for the most current details and park alerts, and to learn more about the peregrine falcon, and how closures help it survive. This page also shares closures and warnings due to current fires, smoke, etc.
Description
Pitch 1 takes the cavernous looking back and foot chimney to a stance at some slung chockstones. Pitch 2 follows the 5"-7" wide crack in the back of a left facing dihedral to a ledge where the tunnel thru on the Reed's regular route emerges. From here one may escape to easier ground by working right above the short hand crack, or stay left for full value and finish with a short bit of 5.9 OW to the top of Reed's Pinnacle.
Location
Route is located a short ways west of Reed's Direct route Descend by two rappels down the east side of Reed's Pinnacle the first one is short and the second one is long requiring two ropes.
[Hide Comment] p1. long about 120 ft. mostly small and medium gear , two pitons. chimney all the way, deeper is more secure, but harder. p2. about 80 feet lower and medium ow is relatively easy and protected with small gear one bolt and one piton. Upper ow is overhanging and hard and protected with #6 friends and #5 cam C4. If you climb left side in [easier] you'll find inside ow crux small crack/ edges/side-pull -which help tremendously
gear I used single from green alien to #5 cam C4. Two #6 friends
Mar 29, 2010
[Hide Comment] The p2 OW was much easier for me right side in. The hard part is only a few feet until you can reach out left and palm off of a large feature.
The final "5.9" OW at the end of the direct finish was the crux of the whole route for me. Very awkward irregular pod thing that I just couldn't figure out how to climb gracefully. And the whole time I was worried I was going knock my #6 out of place with all my flailing and deck on the ledge just below.
Jan 25, 2011
[Hide Comment] Just to the left of Reed's Pinnacle is a 90 ft tall flake and is listed in the Reid guide as "10b var". This isn't an alternate start to the Left Route as the topo implies, but it does make for a fun single pitch climb. There is a short 5.10- crux in the start where you wrestle with some chock-stones in the back of a steep offwidth. After that it's an easy chimney to the top of the pinnacle. The only gear you need is a #6 camalot to protect the start and then some hand and thin hand pieces to build a gear anchor at the top. Making your own anchor to bring up the second is much easier than trying to belay off the rap slings/ropes.
Jan 25, 2011
[Hide Comment] I definitely found right side in easier on P2! I got about 15 ft up off the little ledge left side in only to slide right back down. Also, beware of a loose block about 15 ft off the belay. Anyone know what the arching OW on the other side is? (Tunnel through to get to it.)
May 31, 2012
[Hide Comment] recently climbed it again. P1 5.8 is stout and do not take any big gear you need to use on p2. Leave it for the follower. One #5 and one #6 would be sufficient to protect crux p2. Nothing changed for "side in" preferences- it is still much easier for me left side in
Jan 2, 2014
[Hide Comment] Really fun route, but man I've gotta work on my wide technique. On P1, exiting the chimney early, on the left, around a bulging flake, gains a beautiful thin hands (#1 BD) crack before reentering the chimney. Has anyone else done this variation? If so, careful at the top of this crack as there are some well balanced death stones about 20-30' up the chimney. Fun, but dangerous.
Oct 10, 2017
[Hide Comment] One of my favorite OW pitches. I climbed this many times, always left side in. I always found that easier because you can use your right leg in a kneebar position of sorts - where your right foot is behind you on the main wall and your right knee is pushing against the beautiful wave formed by the side of the dihedral. Gorgeous rock and great climbing.
Apr 20, 2021
[Hide Comment] Next time I would take #8 Yellow for p1 chimney and #7 Red for p2 OW. This will make the route not exiting, but safe. Such a stellar route , especially on hot sunny day. It in the shade until 1:30pm, and than you have shade on p3 Reeds Direct
Apr 10, 2024
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San Jose
San Jose
p2. about 80 feet
lower and medium ow is relatively easy and protected with small gear one bolt and one piton. Upper ow is overhanging and hard and protected with
#6 friends and #5 cam C4. If you climb left side in [easier] you'll find inside ow crux small crack/ edges/side-pull -which help tremendously
gear I used single from green alien to #5 cam C4. Two #6 friends Mar 29, 2010
Tamarisk Clearing
June Lake, CA
The final "5.9" OW at the end of the direct finish was the crux of the whole route for me. Very awkward irregular pod thing that I just couldn't figure out how to climb gracefully. And the whole time I was worried I was going knock my #6 out of place with all my flailing and deck on the ledge just below. Jan 25, 2011
June Lake, CA
SLC, UT
Anyone know what the arching OW on the other side is? (Tunnel through to get to it.) May 31, 2012
San Jose
P1 5.8 is stout and do not take any big gear you need to use on p2. Leave it for the follower.
One #5 and one #6 would be sufficient to protect crux p2.
Nothing changed for "side in" preferences- it is still much easier for me left side in Jan 2, 2014
Red Rock, NV
San Jose