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> 1. Phantom Pinnacle
Phantom Pinnacle, Left
5.9 YDS 5c French 17 Ewbanks VI UIAA 17 ZA HVS 5a British
Avg: 3.1 from 13
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Routes in 1. Phantom Pinnacle
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Phantom Pinnacle, Left T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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| Type: | Trad, 500 ft (152 m), 3 pitches |
| FA: | Bill Dunmire, Bob Swift (Sept, 50) FFA: Rich Calderwood and Mike Borghoff (1957) |
| Page Views: | 2,359 total · 16/month |
| Shared By: | Bryan G on May 30, 2012 |
| Admins: | Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes |
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Details
Please visit climbingyosemite.com/ and nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/… for the latest information on visiting Yosemite, including permits, regulations, and closure information.
Yosemite National Park has yearly closures for Peregrine Falcon Protection March 1- July 15. Always check the NPS website at nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/… for the most current details and park alerts, and to learn more about the peregrine falcon, and how closures help it survive. This page also shares closures and warnings due to current fires, smoke, etc.
Yosemite National Park has yearly closures for Peregrine Falcon Protection March 1- July 15. Always check the NPS website at nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/… for the most current details and park alerts, and to learn more about the peregrine falcon, and how closures help it survive. This page also shares closures and warnings due to current fires, smoke, etc.
Description
The Left Side of Phantom Pinnacle is higher quality than the 5.9 "Regular Routes" on either of the Cathedral Spires and you're almost guaranteed to have the place to yourself. It can be done in somewhere between 3 to 5 pitches. I climbed it, and will describe it in 3.
Pitch 1: Climb a ramp up to a ledge (optional belay) and then climb steeper blocks and flakes in a corner past a tree to another ledge.
Pitch 2: A steep and wild pitch! Climb the right side of a large flake (in the corner) off the belay to reach a chimney. Chimney up unprotected and then climb into the featured corner. Different options exist here, but alternate between stemming, liebacking, face climbing, and jamming to get up the corner. I kept climbing past more ledges and trees and belayed all the way in the notch. There is a 2 piton anchor way back around the other side.
Pitch 3: Just when you thought 5.9 couldn't get any steeper! From the notch traverse up and left onto the north face of the spire. This leads to a thin crack with several pins in it. Lieback the flake to the left of the seam and then climb a corner with hollow plates of rock. (a #6 Camalot is useful here) Finish up an easy handcrack to the summit.
To descend, rappel the route. The first rap station is on the west side (towards the notch) of the spire and is a 3 bolt anchor (one is good). With two ropes we rapped from here to a tree on a ledge a ways below the notch. For the next rap, swing to the left out away from the spire to find a rap station consisting of a good bolt and crappy pin. From here rap to the ground.
There are probably enough trees and rap stations to rap with one rope but it would not be as nice.
Pitch 1: Climb a ramp up to a ledge (optional belay) and then climb steeper blocks and flakes in a corner past a tree to another ledge.
Pitch 2: A steep and wild pitch! Climb the right side of a large flake (in the corner) off the belay to reach a chimney. Chimney up unprotected and then climb into the featured corner. Different options exist here, but alternate between stemming, liebacking, face climbing, and jamming to get up the corner. I kept climbing past more ledges and trees and belayed all the way in the notch. There is a 2 piton anchor way back around the other side.
Pitch 3: Just when you thought 5.9 couldn't get any steeper! From the notch traverse up and left onto the north face of the spire. This leads to a thin crack with several pins in it. Lieback the flake to the left of the seam and then climb a corner with hollow plates of rock. (a #6 Camalot is useful here) Finish up an easy handcrack to the summit.
To descend, rappel the route. The first rap station is on the west side (towards the notch) of the spire and is a 3 bolt anchor (one is good). With two ropes we rapped from here to a tree on a ledge a ways below the notch. For the next rap, swing to the left out away from the spire to find a rap station consisting of a good bolt and crappy pin. From here rap to the ground.
There are probably enough trees and rap stations to rap with one rope but it would not be as nice.
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