Back in April, there was a thread on the Rock Rendezvous mailing list that I subscribed to that started with a partner pledge for Pinnacles. I thought it was interesting to hear other people’s opinions about Pinnacles. I was too busy with work back then, but I just found the archive of the messages and thought I should share with the Masters of Mud on this forum. Much of the discussion might not be what you like to hear, but hey, the voices are out there!
p.s. I tried to keep names out. Not sure if this post violates anything.
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Climber 1:
Pinnacles this weekend
Assuming the weather holds, I'm going to Pinnacles this Fri-Sun. We're
going to do mostly easier (5.5-5.7) trad routes, focusing on refining our
gear placement skills. If anyone is interested in joining us, drop me a
line.
Climber 2:
Pinnacles is a lousy place to learn how to place gear. The "rock" there is like no other and the gear is crap even if you know what you are doing. If you don't know what you are doing it would be dangerous to climb there.
Climber 3:
.. i have to agree with Climber 2 .. the rock is a bit chossy at pinnacles..
.. and
.. i learned to lead trad at pinnacles ..
.. if the weather holds.. i'd head to the valley if i were you
Climber 4:
Pinnacles has a bad reputation I think from climbs on the west side
of the park where the people have got scared on run out chauss. If
you don't want to drive all dayor want to see a new place or get home
the same day, then Pinnacles West is great just for an other opinion.
I think one should distinguish between the east and west side of
pinnacles before condemning the place. The west side has primarily
sport climbing and some trad. But the classics like Ordeal (a trad
route) is some of the funnest climbing I've done. I happen to love
Pinnacles; at least the east side.
I have never been to the west side of pinnacles and have heard its
much more chaussier. I think this is where Pinnacles gets its bad rap.
I've been climbing there for years and always get bummed when people
bad rap the place. There is always better and worse climbing else
where. Just an other humble opinion.
Climber 5:
i think there is a distinct difference between 'learning' how to place
gear and 'refining' gear placement skills. pinnacles is a lousy place
to learn (first time), but actually a great place for refining gear
placement skills because the rock and placement options are frequently
poor. it requires much more than plug and go, you actually have to
think. paired or clustered placements, equalizations, using nuts and
hexes vs. cams, etc. heck, if you're lucky you may even get a piece
that holds when you need it....
Climber 6:
I have always heard the rule was -
Only expert climbers should climb at the Pinnacles and the experts are too smart to climb there...
Climber 3 again:
.. i think a warning is appropriate ..
pinnacles is nice in the winter.. and as long as you know what you are doing its ok ..
.. i've had gear pull and pinnacles.. and i've also (thankfully) have had gear hold at pinnacles ..
.. wear a helmet .. test those holds + placements ..
Climber 7:
I have to agree with the others on this thread that say that Pinnacles is not a good crag to learn how to place pro. Cams especially require some solid trad experience and even then you have to be patient in finding a bomber placements. Not a good place for beginner leaders. Pinnacles is suited to more experienced trad leaders to find tune their placements. And even if you take a fall on solid pro, you are likely to be pretty banged up on the jagged and sharp rocks. I would recommend Hogsback at Lover's Leap instead for practicing your gear placements. Lots of easy routes from 5.5 - 5.7 that take gear well.
Climber 8:
As a Pinnacles veteran, I have to add my voice to the others: the
Pinnacles is NOT a place to learn and/or practice trad gear placement.
Most of the decent climbs there are bolt routes because the rock
(volcanic conglomerate) doesn't fracture into nice and clean cracks.
Instead, you'll get crappy pockets (nice for tricams, maybe) that
wear very quickly. Note that the pockets are caused by the nice
bread-loaf sized holds that have fallen out after some climber used
them. Bombs away!
How do you tell an experienced Pinnacles climber from the newbies?
Listen for the slaps as the climber tests every single hold (hand and
foot).
Instead, go to some place out of the way like the Balls near Fresno.
Longer drive but much better experience.
Climber 3 again:
one of my more memorable experiences leading trad at pinnacles was a lead of "Trauma (5.9)" ..
.. close second to the fall i took on "The Roof (5.10a)" .. pulled a sideways nut, and then was held by a tricam in a nice constriction...
.. ahhh .. i wish i had more time right now to get in shape and be leading at that level again..
(i got gripped on some of the 5.7 - 5.8 leads earlier this year)
Climber 8 again:
Unfortunately, I belong to a Carmel-based club, the Human Meteor Club. You're automatically enrolled if you survive a heinous accident at the Pinns. The founding fathers started the club back in the early 80s when a leader accidentally knocked out a 20 pound block that fell some 50 feet onto the second. The second survived the resulting calamity with a smashed hip. A couple of years later, the next pair took what was supposed to a be a casual romp up one of those nasty 5.9 water chutes (Destiny?) on the west side and turned it into accident where the leader took a significant fall that resulted in a compressed back vertebrae. A year or two later, the third team got clobbered on the approach(!) of a west side climb that resulted in a broken knee. The award is that 20 pound block that is residing somewhere in someone's basement in Carmel.
The problem there is that the rock is always breaking down, even on trade routes. You'd figure, ok I'm safe on trade routes because all of the loose stuff would get knocked out. That kind of thinking will get both the leader and the second hurt. If the leader doesn't cheese-grater on the rock on the fall, the falling debris will clobber the second. Pinnacles - the world's worst rock.
A few years ago, I was up in the north part of Spain (Montserrat). The rock is exactly the same as the Pinnacles and you could tell who has climbed there before despite the language difference - slap slap slap. NO THANKS works in Spanish and English.
Climber 9:
More on Pinns, this time Sport & Mixed.
Last year, I took a huge one on the 11b somewhere to the right around the corner from Stupendous Man on Discovery Wall. I finished the roof problem, pulled onto the lower angle slab, made the next two clips (sporty), got to the bolt one clip before the last, and came off and fell all the way below the roof, just missing the lip. I was ok, but I was glad that that old cheesy bolt held. From my view, there are a bunch of bolts that need replacing, and some that could be added as variations off of some of the routes. Who is in charge of this stuff? I think the ASCA should come in there for some routes, no? . I have at least one variation route suggestion on Discovery wall that could use a bolt or two, but I don;t know who to ask about it. Also there are some wacky second pitch things that I don't think get done too often on Discovery, usually 5.11 and bizarre zig zag notations on the guidebook that seem to suggest big ugly pendulum falls on long runners on 11 terrain around corners. Anybody have any favorites or projects on these 2nd pitches?
I suppose I agree with the other analysis of the trad pro there. I dont go for full trad there, but on the mixed sport/ trad routes on Discovery Wall, I I'll only place pro where the climbing is within my limit and Im very unlikely to fall. Then also, I usually place two pieces and build a mini anchor (unless gripped). As for the comment on "experienced" Pinns climbers who don't ever test the holds. Have fun on the way down.
Climber 10:
I think the point was, the experienced climbers are the ones who know to test every hold!
What an amusing thread. No love! My biggest problem with Pinnacles is all the damn guano...
Climber 2 again in response to Climber 10:
I thought that was chalk!
Climber 11 in response to Climber 2:
Nah - chalk tastes different. ;-)
Climber 5 again:
it's pretty sad to see the number of pinnacles bashers out there. there
is no doubt that the rock quality isn't the greatest, but it's not worse
than much of the sandstone climbing out there. i did many of my early
leads on discovery wall, constantly gripped and always thinking what
if... in retrospect it was a good formative experience because with
fear came caution and the need to make the best possible placement all
the time. when i think back of all the times i came close to dying
while climbing in the last two decades, the valley ranks on top. clean
cracks, pristine rock, yeah!
Back to Climber 1:
Hey gang-
Due to general online consensus re: Pinnacles, we've changed our trip to The
Grotto/Table Mountain. We're probably leaving Friday afternoon, coming back
Sunday. We are going to focus on practicing gear placements on the cracks.
Anyone/everyone is welcome of course.
