Joe Herbst starts the wide stemming section on Pit...
Description
Air temperatures rose well past 100 degrees on the day of the first ascent, but the chimney stayed cool -- hence the route's name. Offbeat and varied, moderate climbing. See Urioste guide for a photo showing the approximate location.
Begin in a deep chimney on the NE side of Mescalito. After two pitches of easy climbing, the chimney widens.Pitch 3 -- Stem the wide chimney to reach a jam crack on the right wall, pass a small roof and belay (5.9).Pitch 4 -- Face climbing leads up and left to a shelf. Belay below an offwidth crack (5.9). An old piton, predating the first ascent, used to exist on this pitch.Pitch 5 -- The offwidth crack.Easier climbing continues for hundreds of feet, eventually moving left into a long hand-sized crack. One final pitch achieves the summit of Mescalito.
Protection
No fixed anchors. The FA party took one set each of hexes and stoppers.
This is a really great route. Larry D'Angelo and I did this route a month or so ago and I have to hand it to Joe and Larry H. for the first ascent. This route is 'bold' in a great way. The piton is still there, looking rather mangy, but luckily, there's a nice cam placement next to it. Again, great route!
This is a neat and challenging route for those looking for a more challenging way to the summit of Mescalito. The 5.9 stemming chimney is very serious and the runout is a long one.
Bring gear to a #4 camalot, as I recall, and a couple of small to medium tricams for the odd pocket.
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