A look at the 2nd pitch of 'Crack Kingdom', just l...
Description
An excellent route with cracks of all sizes. Most likely the best moderate on the Pinnacle, it tests every crack technique and features some great jamming on the 3rd pitch finger crack.
This route links the original routes 'Crack of No Hope', FA-Doug Robinson/Jay Jensen, and 'Wild Kingdom', FA-Dean Hobbs/Andy Selters. This combination is the recommended way to go...
Pitch 1: First pitch of 'West Face', almost... Climb the block at the base with finger cracks on both sides, to a ledge about 15 feet up. Continue up the fun cracks and corners to a big step right just before the bush (crux .10a), into the next finger crack. More climbing leads to the thin crack in the corner, to the big ledge. Here, break off 'West Face' and traverse left along the ledge, passing the rappel anchor and the obvious off-width and build a belay at the base of the next short arching crack on a nice little perch. You can also belay off the rappel anchor to decrease rope-drag, and have the follower continue past to the proper belay. (5.10a)
Pitch 2: Climb up the short right-arching crack, to a thin chimney on the right side of a large detached block. Next, tackle the short and straight off-width to a difficult exit sequence (crux .10b) into the easy, low-angle chimney. Take this to its top and belay on a ledge below the obvious left-facing corner. (5.10b)
Pitch 3: Up the nice corner to the steep finger crack that leads up and right out of the corner. Continue up the excellent finger crack over the lip (crux .10c) which curves out right deceivingly difficultly and thin, then back left to a short traverse around the arete to a nice thin-hands crack. Follow this up to a big ledge and belay at the base of the short, thin, right-facing flake. (5.10c)
Pitch 4: Up the short thin flake (crux .10b), then thru some 4th class scrambling to the big ledge below the true summit. (5.10b)
Descent: Rappel, downclimb, or lower 40 feet down and right to the first proper rappel station on the exposed block. (5.5) From here you have four 35 meter rappels (two 60m ropes/one 70m rope)
Location
North face of the Pinnacle. Find the 15 foot-high block at the base with finger cracks in both sides.
Got a left knee stuck in the off-width exit move on P-2. Never thought it would come out and had visions of that dude in Utah who cut off his arm. At first I thought it was a cool, no hands rest, only to discover the knee had cammed in there pretty good. Took about half hour to free and now my knee is the size of a small, seedless watermelon. Great route, though.
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