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Phantom Pinnacle Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

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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Elevation:	5,089 ft	1,551 m
GPS:	37.71238, -119.62755 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	5,143 total · 33/month
Shared By:	Bryan G on May 30, 2012
Admins:	Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes Page Updates (admin only)

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Access Issue: Latest updates on closures, permits, and regulations. 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.

Description

This is the long lost sister of the popular Cathedral Spires. Invisible from the road, it is tucked away in the large canyon to the east of the Spires. It's obscurity says nothing of it's quality however. It's both an impressive and shapely pinnacle and the climbing on it is excellent. There are two routes recorded in the Reid guide. The Left Side route (5.9) is a hidden gem that's on the radar of many Valley locals. The Outside Face (5.10d) takes an impressive and intimidating line up the east side of the pinnacle.

Getting There

If you are not familiar with the approach to the routes on the Lower Cathedral Spire, you should maybe climb that first to learn the area.

Basically, both the Higher and Lower Spires, along with Church Tower, lie on a ridge of rock. Routes on Higher Spire are approached from the gully to the west (Spires Gully), and routes on Lower Spire (such as Northeast Face and South by Southwest) are approached from an unnamed gully to the east. To find Phantom Pinnacle you will first begin up this eastern gully as you would for routes on Lower Cathedral Spire.

At a point shortly after passing Church Tower (and a ways before Lower Spire) you will see a large buttress of rock off to the left. Leave the gully at this point and traverse left around this buttress through an open area of pine forest. As you round the left side of the buttress you will encounter worse bushwhacking. Your goal is to follow the base of this cliff uphill for a couple hundred yards, at which point the Phantom Pinnacle will become apparent.