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Peak Mountain 3

Lunar Eclipse

FA 1982 - Barbella, Schneider
CREATED 
UPDATED 

Description

Great route that feels fresh and requires many pitches of sustained nailing fun. Though the crux pitch is rated as A4 and the story in supertopo claims it was probably an A5 on the first ascent, don't let the gnarly grade scare you from this generally safe (if you know hot to hammer iron into the wall) route. The A4 pitch starts with a few drilled hooks off the anchor and decent pins can be hammered/bolt clipped. Few more hook moves take you to a solid crack. Plenty of nailing has to still be done before an anchor is reached, but at this point, you have done several pitches with sustained nailing!

The route is in a very cool part of El Cap and not advised to be done after rain or while Horsetail Falls is flowing, you may get soaked.

Location

200 feet past the start of Zodiac, on the SE face.

Protection

12-20 beaks (5 of each size, would be ideal). Short to med knife blades (6 or so), Lost Arrows 4-6 of various sizes, few small to med angles. Maybe 2 sawed off sm-med pins but not really necessary.

Set of offsets. Triples in sm to med cams. doubles to #4. Maybe 25s or 5 and a 6 for the wide pitch on the Zodiac. #4 camalots do not work to aid or protect the upper half, even if super tipped out. It's like a wizard's sleeve for a #4 camalot in that crack.