Seasonal raptor closure at Monument Area MORE INFO >>>
Rock climbing is not allowed 1/4 mile either side of the Monument due to a nesting pair of Golden Eagles. The birds are using Staender Ridge as a perch therefore it is also within the closure area. The trail which is on the backside of the Monument is open to through traffic, but hiking is not allowed around the cliff faces.
Lacing up the thin dihedral of Pack Animal Direct.
Description
Pack Animal Direct offers a harder option for Pack Animal pitch 1 (Pack Animal is a 2-pitch 5.8 trad line on the Four Horsemen). It is listed in the guidebook as a separate route.
Look for a 30-foot, right-facing dihedral capped by a small roof (it's on the face just right of Headless Horseman). Dihedral starts about 10 feet above ground.
Scramble up to base of dihedral (c. 5.7). Stem your way up the clean corner. There's an intermittent crack in corner (improves a bit higher up) but it's THIN (tips for most). At top, step left just below the roof to a bolted anchor atop pitch 1 of Pack Animal. The route felt hard for the grade.
Protection
Many small nuts. Small cams up to #0.75 Camalot (1 spot for this one).
This route feels hard for the grade to me too. A fun option is to continue to the top of Pack Animal in one long pitch.
By Andy Laakmann Site Landlord From: Jackson Hole, WY Oct 22, 2006 rating: 5.10b
Fun, technical stemming and fingering up a well protected (by small nuts) corner. Clip the bolt off right with a long sling if you don't want a bit of a run to the first piece. Like the description mentions above, it is pretty much all small nuts and one 0.75 Camalot. The second pitch was good fun 5.8 stemming as well. A 70m rope made it to the ground.
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