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Peak Mountain 3

Cowpox

FA Marta Reece, Pat Geoannini, July 20, 2014
CREATED 
UPDATED 

Description

Pitch 1 (80 ft) goes up a shallow suggestion of a trough about 20 feet right of the gully and is visible from the ground. It gives the impression that protection will be sparse, but there is just enough if one takes pretty much every opportunity. A short but decent vertical crack protects the more delicate climbing higher up. The route slowly comes closer to the gully. A short, horizontal crack makes for a good belay with a decent stance in the gully itself or near it.

Pitch 2 (110 ft) takes the gully for 30 feet or so. When going forward starts to look less than technical, climb instead up the wall on the left. This step will take you onto an easy but unprotectable slab. Move on it somewhat leftward to a spot where you can mount a ramp leading to the right toward a small head wall. Belay from 10 feet or so below this wall from a good crack.

Pitch 3 (60 ft) starts by reaching the head wall but then going to the right along this to the ridge line where the progress upward is over the large steps on the right side of the ledge. Continue to the right over a cactus. Go up the corner and up again on the right onto non-technical ground.

Location

Approach: Go up Rabbit Ears Canyon. Turn off into a side canyon on the right just before Citadel. The rock on the right side of the canyon will be divided by significant gullies into individual walls. Shortline, set a bit farther from Citadel Canyone, can be thought of as a second one of these walls and is identifiable by a smooth east face with distinct cracks. Zoonotic is the large wall above Shortline. It is split near the middle by a vertical gully. This gully, with a juniper tree just below its base (this may be visible somewhat later), is your landmark. To get to it, you need to take a short side canyon.

Descent: The top-out is on a false summit. Getting to the ridgeline above the Keyhole appears easy but was not attempted. Instead we have scrambled down into Citadel Canyon by heading toward it and somewhat to the right. A scramble down the canyon then leads down to the packs.

Protection

Standard rack with cams up to #3.