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Peak Mountain 3

Pine Tree Pitch

FA J. Erikson, 1976, free solo
CREATED 
UPDATED 

Description

This is a climb with great movement. Were it a little less sharp or a little cleaner, it would be 3-4 *s. Were it just off the road in Eldo, it would be all of that + crowded.

Start off on an awkward move to get feet up and stable enough to access a jam that started out of reach to the right. You'll likely be barndooring off of some awkward-looking sidepulls to get there, but the rock is so course and sharp that the hands and feet stick like glue.

Toss in that jam and start a series of liebacks and jams up very steep rock, alternating between slots and shallow, left-facing corners in a singular line. You will reach a gravel-covered shelf after 60'. Looking up a right-facing corner and overhang (with massive pockets on the side), you can see a rope anchor that constitutes a belay and rap.

This is a pitch worth finding if you are coming off of the back of the West Ironing Board.

Location

This route lies on the West side of the West Ironing Board, just downhill of the section that is steeper and taller from the West. Perhaps this is both best located and accessed from above and can be identified by the rope anchor slung around a boulder in a chimney above the gravely ledge it tops out on. Of some help in finding this is that from the true summit ridge, it is marked by the top of a large pine jutting out though an overhanging chimney.

Go North, down to a ledge, and then back south on that gravely ledge to locate the climb and the anchor, which will now be under an overhang just above your head.

The anchor needs a rapid-link, as it presently sports no hardware.

Protection

Cams from 1-4" with optional 5". Two #.075 and two #3 Camalots might make this less complicated to sew it up, but I just walked up some gear and was happy enough with that.