Brad, now that you have broken 900, well not quite but this is a given. You kind of have to go for 1,000. It is only 100 routes and 5 or so of those will happen quickly. You can take your time, but you kind of have to do this.
I'm done now with a fantastic 2015/2016 Pinnacles season. Although it apparently snowed here at our house for an hour and a half yesterday, none of it stuck to the ground. The days are getting longer and the Sierra is right here. I've got to stop for a while.
As the season has come to an end, I've realized that my skepticism about Mr Mud's comment (quoted above) might have been misplaced. Very misplaced. Lots of things could happen, but I now think it is likely that I will eventually reach a lifetime total of 1,000 Pinnacles routes done in good style. It's hard to believe.
In fact, Mud's comment that "5 of those will happen quickly" seems highly ironic at this point. I don't think any of us saw coming this new route "renaissance" we've been in. So many Pinnacles climbers have been putting up so many new routes (and having so much fun doing it)! And the combinations of climbers who've been working together! Very, very few of the first ascentionists who have been the most active in the last two years have not done an FA with each of the other first ascentionists who've been most active during that time. Many others haven't been highly active on first ascents, but have joined with more experienced climbers for a taste of the excitement and (ground up) adventure.
It's also interesting to me that, even with a large number of routes going up, the proportion of them that are of low, medium and high quality is about the same as the proportion in the 2007 guidebook. Discovery and exploration continue. Whole new formations and sub-areas now have routes. There are several climbers out there each of whom has a really "good eye for a line."
So with a touch of sadness that I won't be down there for a while but with anticipation of more seasons to come, here are my current statistics:
- I've done 952 Pinnacles routes in good style (defined as a redpoint or better lead unless the route only exists as a toprope);
- As of late yesterday (and thanks to J.C. for spending the day with me) I'm back into the status of having done every single route at Pinnaces that is easier than 5.10. I suspect that, with wet weather coming in, this status might last as long as two weeks this time
- The 2015/2016 season was the first Pinnacles season in 32 in which every Pinnacles route I climbed that was new to me was not in any guidebook!
I now hope to see all of you up here for some granite climbing soon (yes, even you berserk fanatics who climb at Pinnacles year round).
