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Pegleg

5.11d PG13, Trad, 200 ft (61 m),  Avg: 3.7 from 19 votes
FA: P. & S. Clark (July, 1977) FFA: Yaniro (1981)
California > Southern-Wester… > Southern Sierra… > Needles > Witch

Description

As Alex describes for Ankles Away, the first 50 feet to a bolted belay stance is a little cruxy. However, if you arrive at the bolted ledge and are still psyched to continue leading the route as one pitch then your are probably ready for the climbing above.

This golden corner of a route is an awesome adventure for solid 5.11+/5.12 leaders. I don't think it gets climbed much, as it was gritty and lichenous with cobwebs filling the thin crack in places when I did it on 10/19/08.

The crux is sustained and begins just off the ledge. Pro is limited and takes a cool head to place, but when you get it it's good. Falling 15 or 20 feet onto the ledge seemed to be a real possibility. Patience and endurance are the primary keys to safety on this one, I think.

I don't want to spoil the rest with detailed beta, as this one's value, for the time being, resides so much in its mystique, providing a reasonably safe head game at its finest. All I'll add is that, like Ankles Away, this route stays interesting all the way to the top.

Location

Left end of the Witch, same start as for Ankles Away.

Protection

About 2 sets of med/lg brass nuts; medium Stoppers; 2 Metolius 00 (silver) cams; 3-4 Metolius 0 (purple); doubles of cams up to Metolius 3 (orange); one .75 and/or #1 (green/red) Camalot could also be useful as a directional on top.

For doing this in one pitch, a 60-meter rope might work if you go left at the top of the corner, avoiding the easy topout up and right and the subsequent rappel. Might as well take a 70, though, since that's the handy length for the area anyway.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Pegleg, onsight
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Photo by Kedron
[Hide Photo] Pegleg, onsight Photo by Kedron
Witch - West Face Left - Pizazz, Pegleg, Ankles Away, Airy Interlude, Hairy Interlude, Igor Unchained, Vanishing Point, Shazam, The Entity, Spook Book
[Hide Photo] Witch - West Face Left - Pizazz, Pegleg, Ankles Away, Airy Interlude, Hairy Interlude, Igor Unchained, Vanishing Point, Shazam, The Entity, Spook Book
Sara on P1 of Pegleg.
[Hide Photo] Sara on P1 of Pegleg.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Scott Bennett
Western North America
  5.11c PG13
[Hide Comment] Killer route, 4 stars for the continuously awesome movement, minus 1 star for the sometimes gritty rock. Not as hard as Ankles Away, or the 11d pitch on Romantic Warrior, so maybe 11c. The pro is good enough, although placing it can seem kinda desperate.
Good luck,
Scott Jul 9, 2009
Derek F
Carbondale, CO
  5.11d
[Hide Comment] We're flip-flopped on our opinions of these routes, Scott. I felt that Ankles was definitely easier, with relatively good stances and pro the whole way. Still, I agree Ankles is a stiff 11c; I wouldn't argue with an 11d rating. Maybe Pegleg seemed harder to me because of the conditions at the time I did it and the fact that it was the last pitch of my third day. I tore a big hole in the rubber under my right toe on that pitch, and that's what my mind felt like, too, by the time I reached the top! Jul 28, 2010
Brian Prince
reno
 
[Hide Comment] I've only tr'd this one and it still feels wayy harder than AA and the rw 11d pitch. And, from the look of it, the gear is not there for a good bit... I guess it all depends on your stemming game.

Wow. this thing is seriously. flippin. crazy!! This and AA are perfect training for RW Dec 7, 2015
Erik Griffith
Sacramento
[Hide Comment] first pitch is heads up of the ledge. ball nuts could help. Aug 17, 2019
Thomas Claiborne
Flagstaff
 
[Hide Comment] Seems comparable to AA. It's definitely within a letter grade one way or the other. Probably more style and body dependent.

Pegleg has amazing movement. Full power stemming, fingerlocks, fun chimneying, and then easier corner climbing to top it out. If this was climbed a bit more the flakiness on the face would really clean up. Sep 3, 2019
Josef Maier
SLO, Ca
 
[Hide Comment] Incredible 2nd pitch, full value stemming and one of the better long pitches in the Main Notch. It seems to have cleaned up in recent years and doesn’t feel quite as flaky as others in the past have mentioned. You should get on it!

The pitch takes surprisingly good gear and felt relatively safe after being sewed up with a rack of DMM offset brass nuts and C3’s. Doubles of BD #.1X4-#.5C4, and maybe even a third #.4 C4 would give a good amount of options and set you up for success. Wouldn’t hurt to throw in a rack of Astro nuts or the smallest regular BD nuts either. Sep 16, 2019
Juan Vargas
Bakersfield, CA
  5.11d PG13
[Hide Comment] Another vote for Pegleg being harder than Ankles Away. A true Needles gem Aug 10, 2020