Hand Job (aka West Face)
5.9+ YDS 5c French 17 Ewbanks VI UIAA 17 ZA E1 5a British
Avg: 2.8 from 11 votes
Type: | Trad, 500 ft (152 m), 3 pitches, Grade II |
FA: | Trout and Baker? |
Page Views: | 9,621 total · 41/month |
Shared By: | slim on Jan 9, 2005 |
Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
Your To-Do List:
Add To-Do ·
Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
Access Issue: Seasonal Raptor Closure
Details
2023 info: jeffco.us/1531/Alerts-Closures
The Cathedral Spires area, including Block Tower, Cynical Pinnacle, Snake Buttress, the Dome, Hall of Mirrors, Sunshine Wall, and Poe Buttress, are closed annually starting March 1 for raptor nesting. After careful monitoring of nest sites, Jefferson County Open Space opens certain areas of Cathedral Spires and maintain spot closures for active nests through July 31st. Check back periodically during times of closure for updates: jeffco.us/open-space/parks/…
Note, JeffCo Open Space has notified us that access to The Bishop and Poop Point (along with all the Cathedral Spires Area) currently goes across JeffCo OS land. Despite information in some guidebooks (published or soon-to-be-published), the entire Cathedral Spires area is subject raptor nesting closures. Please be aware of the hefty fines associated with failure to observe these regulations.
The Cathedral Spires area, including Block Tower, Cynical Pinnacle, Snake Buttress, the Dome, Hall of Mirrors, Sunshine Wall, and Poe Buttress, are closed annually starting March 1 for raptor nesting. After careful monitoring of nest sites, Jefferson County Open Space opens certain areas of Cathedral Spires and maintain spot closures for active nests through July 31st. Check back periodically during times of closure for updates: jeffco.us/open-space/parks/…
Note, JeffCo Open Space has notified us that access to The Bishop and Poop Point (along with all the Cathedral Spires Area) currently goes across JeffCo OS land. Despite information in some guidebooks (published or soon-to-be-published), the entire Cathedral Spires area is subject raptor nesting closures. Please be aware of the hefty fines associated with failure to observe these regulations.
Description
An excellent route put up in the early '70's by two Platte warriors.
Hand job climbs the prominent crack system up the center of the west face of Cynical Pinnacle. It is steep, sustained, and high quality. An excellent benchmark for 5.9 climbing in the Platte.
Approach via "Hand Job Direct (5.9)", with directions for that route being given on this site. From the top of this pitch scramble up and slightly left until you are on a ledge of sorts, directly below the obvious wide crack system.
p1 (5.9R or approximately 11a, 150 feet?) The 9R standard pitch climbs up to a right leaning traversing hand rail with not much for gear. My partner chose to climb the thin crack to the right. The books list this as A1, but it was approximately 11a. Possibly harder for big fingers. possibly harder for cold fingers too. After about 30 feet, the crack widens into a series of big flakes and hand to fist cracks. We set the belay approximately 40 feet below the obvious OW crack through the roof. Excellent pitch, steep and sustained.
p2 (5.9, 190 feet) Straight up to the OW crack through the roof/overlap. Not as bad as it looks. Protects w/ #6 friend, technique can prevent thrashing (as always). straight up the widening crack (big bros or run it out) until you can slip inside it as a chimney. Continue on excellent chimneying into a huge cavern. go to the back of the cavern and chimney and stem up through a constriction. Continue to the top of the column and construct a belay below the bolt ladder of the final pitch of [Wunch's]. This is an outstanding pitch. Physical and really neat with the pseudo-spelunking.
p3 (5.hard or pull on gear) French the bolt ladder to easier slab climbing that tops out on the summit of Cynical Pinnacle. I probably should have included this in the route grading, but with the Frenching, it kind of doesn't really seem to matter.
Great route. If you like climbing in the Platte you owe it to yourself to do this route.
Hand job climbs the prominent crack system up the center of the west face of Cynical Pinnacle. It is steep, sustained, and high quality. An excellent benchmark for 5.9 climbing in the Platte.
Approach via "Hand Job Direct (5.9)", with directions for that route being given on this site. From the top of this pitch scramble up and slightly left until you are on a ledge of sorts, directly below the obvious wide crack system.
p1 (5.9R or approximately 11a, 150 feet?) The 9R standard pitch climbs up to a right leaning traversing hand rail with not much for gear. My partner chose to climb the thin crack to the right. The books list this as A1, but it was approximately 11a. Possibly harder for big fingers. possibly harder for cold fingers too. After about 30 feet, the crack widens into a series of big flakes and hand to fist cracks. We set the belay approximately 40 feet below the obvious OW crack through the roof. Excellent pitch, steep and sustained.
p2 (5.9, 190 feet) Straight up to the OW crack through the roof/overlap. Not as bad as it looks. Protects w/ #6 friend, technique can prevent thrashing (as always). straight up the widening crack (big bros or run it out) until you can slip inside it as a chimney. Continue on excellent chimneying into a huge cavern. go to the back of the cavern and chimney and stem up through a constriction. Continue to the top of the column and construct a belay below the bolt ladder of the final pitch of [Wunch's]. This is an outstanding pitch. Physical and really neat with the pseudo-spelunking.
p3 (5.hard or pull on gear) French the bolt ladder to easier slab climbing that tops out on the summit of Cynical Pinnacle. I probably should have included this in the route grading, but with the Frenching, it kind of doesn't really seem to matter.
Great route. If you like climbing in the Platte you owe it to yourself to do this route.
4 Comments