Trip Report
Pinnacles in the New Year
Monday January 5, 2015 4:50pm
An early start to drive to So Cal without the morning commute in the Bay Area got me out over 152 and onto I-5 fairly quickly. When the rolling hills West of I-5 light up after a winter rain, it really can be quite nice. So started my post xmas week. It wasn't long before I had one final day before having to go back to work on Monday.


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My appreciation for light has increased since getting a newer camera.


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But there is much to learn... however, snow in So Cal is something to be cherished despite the lack of image composition...


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Made it. Hung out. Ate...a lot. Helped with family computers, pulled out memories from boxes in the garage. Toy trucks, old comics and the like. Read my camera owners manual and learned how to turn off the flash while in AF mode. Victory is mine! Read other stuff...


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Left So Cal late in the evening, and about 1am hit Paso Robles. I sacked out there. The next morning finished the last of the drive to Pinnacles to meet up with Magnum PO, JC, Nelkins, and the frequent flyer miles Waldo!

First things first, we got the final redpoint done on a new line. It was a blast to climb thru on this, soon to be 3.5 star classic.


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After that, we weren't sure about rating and supplemental bolt placements. So we had some of the guys take some trips up the route.

Magnum PO working with the morning cold..


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Nelkins cruising the route like a Pinnacles veteran...


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But rightly 'eye opening' with a tested technique...


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Waldo gets warmed up while we have the sunlight. Waldo "cleans" some dirt and small pebbles off the Self-Selecting Substrate Where the Sun Shines before stance bolting on the next project.


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JC gets the benefit of the last light of the morning in his eyes.


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Friends high on Costanoan are making a day of a classic moderate up in Citadel Canyon.


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Then before you know it, 3 bolts go in by hand on stance over where the sun isn't shining. Magnum does one. Then Waldo another. JC a third. As the wall steepens you see Nelkins finding the luscious stance on the steep section for the fourth bolt. A Pinnacles classic in the making. Magnum PO scopes the possibilities off right, and JC mills about smartly.


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Soon enough it's JC's turn again (more specifically because I'm soft and light duty because of the holidays vacationing). He pulls a brilliant move up onto a decent cobble and gets in the fifth bolt. Comfortable enough to speculate about the moves above.


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Magnum is back at it. This shot reminds me of Valley old skool pics for some reason.


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The ring of hammers is like a sing song bird trying to find the rest of his comrade birds. Perhaps shouting out a warning that nefarious animals are nearby.


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Winding out the day, temps drop, colors pop and a smile grows.


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Cheers,
Mungie

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Missing photo ID#393584

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Mungeclimber
About the Author
Mungeclimber is a trad climber from sorry, just posting out loud..

Comments
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Author's Reply  Jan 5, 2015 - 05:04pm PT
thx!

Nikon DSLR. Mostly these were shot with the 55-300mm lens.
lars johansen

Trad climber
West Marin, CA
  Jan 5, 2015 - 05:44pm PT
Classic mid winter Pinnacles fun. Thanks
lars
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
  Jan 5, 2015 - 06:03pm PT
nice picks, and you guys have a production line going down there!

dwarf blood?
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Jan 5, 2015 - 06:19pm PT
Awesome, good on ya!
Kalimon

Social climber
Ridgway, CO
  Jan 5, 2015 - 07:10pm PT
Nice . . . you're evening light image of the lichen arete is sweet.
briham89

Big Wall climber
santa cruz, ca
  Jan 5, 2015 - 07:13pm PT
Sweeeeeeeeeeettttttt
mtnyoung

Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
  Jan 5, 2015 - 08:14pm PT

Sweeeeeeeeeeettttttt

Yes it is. And you need to get your youthful butt down there. Especially this coming weekend.
clinker

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
  Jan 5, 2015 - 08:29pm PT
Nice Munge!



your youthful butt

I know.
clinker

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
  Jan 5, 2015 - 08:34pm PT
dwarf blood

I like it for a route name^^^^
kaholatingtong

Trad climber
The fake McCoy from nevernever land.
  Jan 5, 2015 - 08:49pm PT
Nice! Was kinda supposed to make it to pinnacles recently, but the stars didn't align quite right. Thanks for showing what I missed, hehehe.
karodrinker

Trad climber
San Jose, CA
  Jan 5, 2015 - 08:52pm PT
Radness! I think that beautiful headwall atop Machete Ridge needs some bolts soon too!
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Author's Reply  Jan 5, 2015 - 09:39pm PT
Definitely Ed! Highly productive, and nothing but gold and gems! Spell of obfuscation has been cast on them so that no one else can tell what they are. Hint - look for the cobblestones!


Karodrinker, get on it mang!
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
  Jan 9, 2015 - 02:50pm PT
Killer! Really like this pic:


Use that camera to produce lots of TRs this year, please!
splitclimber

climber
Sonoma County
  Jan 9, 2015 - 10:05pm PT
Really nice munge.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Author's Reply  Jan 9, 2015 - 10:10pm PT
Thx guys. Will try for more good ones tomorrow.
limpingcrab

Gym climber
Minkler, CA
  Jan 9, 2015 - 10:16pm PT
Agreed, really awesome shots!

Only climbed there once and loved it
ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
  Jan 9, 2015 - 10:25pm PT
obfuscation
Admin has been notified for dirty language you pervert.
mucci

Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
  Jan 9, 2015 - 11:16pm PT
Bringin the goods!
Captain...or Skully

climber
Boise, ID
  Jan 10, 2015 - 01:58am PT
Nice, Rob.....TFPU!!
David Wilson

climber
CA
  Jan 10, 2015 - 06:42am PT
Nice TR Rob - what a great sense of place down there.
k-man

Gym climber
SCruz
  Jan 10, 2015 - 09:36am PT
Love that first shot Munge. Keep 'em rolling!
Wade Icey

Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
  Jan 10, 2015 - 11:43am PT
nice. thanks
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Author's Reply  Jan 12, 2015 - 03:43pm PT
thx guys.

Operator error failed this last Saturday when I let the battery run out. Had to use a cell cam instead. Sunday was better with a charged battery.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Author's Reply  Jan 12, 2015 - 03:45pm PT
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Author's Reply  Jan 12, 2015 - 06:56pm PT
Cell pic colors...


Nice camera pic colors...



Bonus choss
clinker

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
  Jan 12, 2015 - 07:09pm PT
That last shot looks like he is climbing geological vomit.
Where is it?
susu

climber
East Bay, CA
  Jan 12, 2015 - 07:29pm PT
Looks like fun days indeed, Munge! Great shots!
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Author's Reply  Jan 12, 2015 - 08:09pm PT
Undisclosed.
KabalaArch

Trad climber
Starlite, California
  Jan 12, 2015 - 10:00pm PT
Brings me home again. My 1st climb was the Burnett Bolts var on the Hand Salathe. 1976.

Take care though, boys.

Jim Beyers began his career here too; just look where he ended up...
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
  Jan 13, 2015 - 10:51am PT
Thanks, munge, for the great shots and TR. Thanks, too for retaining the mystery of the location, although your shots do give some clues . . .

I'm looking forward to getting to Pinnacles soon, but a persistent cold thwarted my hopes for either of the last two weekends, and my wife has first call for this weekend at a (very sad to say) non-climbing location, so the raptor closures will almost certainly be in effect by the time I get there. That's OK. I'll get my brecchia fix there soon. In the meantime, thanks for reminding me of why I love the place.

John
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Author's Reply  Jan 13, 2015 - 10:53am PT
anytime John. Hope you get out soon. :)
jewels333

Trad climber
Bay Area, California
  Jan 22, 2015 - 10:06am PT
Nice TR and pics!!
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
  Jan 22, 2015 - 12:56pm PT
Nice pics bro
Love the first pic especially
crøtch

climber
  Jan 22, 2015 - 01:18pm PT
L

climber
Just livin' the dream
  Jan 22, 2015 - 02:26pm PT
Great TR and fabulous fotos Munge!

I climbed at Pinnacles for the first time just before 2015 rolled in, and I've got to tell you that it was beautiful beyond words and the climbing was...oh....wait a minute...I was instructed to say: "It's a chosspile and the routes stink and things will drop on you from great heights (including condor dookie) and there are no feet or even handholds. Don't go there. Go to The Valley instead."

Whew! Glad I didn't let the cat outta that ropebag.

:-)
clinker

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
  Jan 22, 2015 - 02:47pm PT
"It's a chosspile and the routes stink and things will drop on you from great heights (including condor dookie) and there are no feet or even handholds. Don't go there. Go to The Valley instead."

So utterly true. Climb somewhere else.
mtnyoung

Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
  Jan 22, 2015 - 03:14pm PT
Total craphole and it might be DANGEROUS.

If you can't climb somewhere else? Go bowling instead.
climbrunride

Sport climber
Golf Wall, CO
  Jan 22, 2015 - 08:00pm PT
Great TR. Thanks for the stoke.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Author's Reply  Jan 22, 2015 - 08:49pm PT
I knew the big guy was watching for me! +for saying Monument!

Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Author's Reply  Jan 22, 2015 - 10:38pm PT
Got some cool shots of Kyle Q. on Peregrine (a serious line up the biggest water chute at Pinns)

Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Author's Reply  Oct 23, 2018 - 02:13pm PT
Bump for Limpingcrab.

More choss rock to remind you not to rush back.

But do heal fast!
Go