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Uncrowded "secret" crag - it's Peshastin!


Lowell_Skoog

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  • 7 months later...

I don't understand it. We climbed Peshastin Saturday and were the only other serious climbers we saw. It was a perfect day and we had a blast doing Potholes, W Face Grand Central, Lighting Crack and one of the Martian Diagnal Crack variations. I did some of my earliest climbing there in the 70's. Yes, wearing my blue suede Robbins, and doing the obligatory Trigger Finger ascent every trip. But, in those days it was sometimes crowded. Quite frankly I found our trip Saturday to live up to some of the best Leavenworth has to offer. No crowds, beautiful multi-pitch rock to be found and great memories.

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I also have the fondest memories of learning what it means to be scared and runout on slab at the Pinnacles back in the 80s. Even though there is some choss, and the bolts are sparse, I have always enjoyed my time there. And Lightning Crack and Vertigo were important rites of passage for me when I was learning to lead trad....I still remember them clearly (fear does that to your mind)!

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After living next door to the place for over 13 years I can say that I enjoy going there when it is empty, its nice to have the place to yourself. As for climbing during the off months just dont park on the road and keep a low profile and you will be fine. Climbing there when its closed is the best time to climb there. I went 10 years with at least 1 pitch there every month. My first Climb there was in 78 or 79 my last was 2 weeks ago with one of the kid'os.

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After living next door to the place for over 13 years I can say that I enjoy going there when it is empty, its nice to have the place to yourself. As for climbing during the off months just dont park on the road and keep a low profile and you will be fine. Climbing there when its closed is the best time to climb there. I went 10 years with at least 1 pitch there every month. My first Climb there was in 78 or 79 my last was 2 weeks ago with one of the kid'os.

 

Last year a friend and I went there for some after work cragging, when it was still closed in the spring. The orchardists next door pointed us out, and a sheriff's deputy arrived shortly after. We were 1/2 way up baseball nut with the deputy blaring away on his bullhorn, DESCEND IMMEDIATELY. That was the 2nd time it happened to us. Totally unnecessary spectacle. Wouldn't want to open the pinnacles in March, God forbid. thumbs_down.gifthumbs_down.gif

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  • 1 year later...
We were the only other serious climbers we saw.

 

Maybe you need to laugh more and enjoy yourselves? The climbing at Pechosstin isn't hard enough to demand SERIOUS CLIMBING hahaha.giftongue.gif

 

Hey there, big-talkin' small-fry. I can point you to climbs there that will qualify as SERIOUS CLIMBING, as far as you're concerned. You're invited to climb Scratch, White Lightning, or even Alley Oop Chimney for excitement. Do you like steep, slippery 5.11 on gear, followed by pigeon-crap encrusted belay slings threaded through a hole? You'd like Bomb Shelter, the route PeteyP mentions above.

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One of my favorite memories of mid 80's Peshastin aside from the climbing and atmoshphere was once; Pope and I got there the night before and slept by the side of the road near the orchard entrance. About 3 in the morning I was awakend by a car pulling up and some saying "Hey! Wake up, Hey! Wake up". By the time I rolled over and got up to look they had driven off. Bastard pranksters!!! hahaha.gif

 

Was that the trip where we climbed Shady Lane and crossed over to the second pitch of Lightning Crack? I remember hearing, "Ah, shit!" from right below us, followed by jangling hardware, a loud thud, then groaning and moaning. We couldn't see the accident, due to the convex nature of the wall, but we could see everybody running to the base of Lightning Crack where somebody had just completed a ground fall from the bulge.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've also climbed trigger finger, which dates me pretty badly. There are perfectly safe routes there that are worth a day of climbing.

Westface of grand central tower is very nice with super close bolts, though it is run-out between the second and third...but the rating in the runout is 5.2.

Windward Direct 5.7 is safe all the way up, no run out bolts. Take a couple finger and hand size cams.

 

Tunnel route is totally safe, and all gear 5.6. Same for the "A crack" 5.7 on the back side of Orchard, nice gear route with a fun alley oop move.

 

Porpoise (5.6) is save, though a bit sandy at the top, but not a deal breaker.

 

Potholes (5.7) is a 4 star, two pitch route, very close bolts (used to be aided), clean rock, take a couple cams fingers to hand for the top.

 

when you are warmed up, washboards is awesome (and safe) and can be toproped from potholes if needed.

 

Sunset slab is quite runout in places, but if you can handle soloing 5.5, there is some nice climbing.

 

All this talk about rotten rock is exaggerated. Yes, you may need to brush off a few holds, but big deal. At least whole plates won't come loose like at Vantage.

 

I've also replaced bolts in the pinacles. The new 3/8's bolts are plenty bomber. The quarter incher's are risky, in that sandstone. I think most of them are gone.

 

Climbing friction is skill all by itself, and the pinnacles is a great place to learn it. Choose your routes carefully and avoid the run out routes until you are comfortable. Lots of good climbing there.

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I have to agree with markwebster and others who find joy and contentment climbing at Peshastin. There is a host of good routes to test any level of slab climber, and the run-outs are not really death-cheaters (unless you're talking about the right side of GCT and the left side of Austrian Slab). I have many happy memories of climbing there... and of only a few groundfalls. Slender Thread comes quickly to mind. ouch.

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One of my favorite memories of mid 80's Peshastin aside from the climbing and atmoshphere was once; Pope and I got there the night before and slept by the side of the road near the orchard entrance. About 3 in the morning I was awakend by a car pulling up and some saying "Hey! Wake up, Hey! Wake up". By the time I rolled over and got up to look they had driven off. Bastard pranksters!!! hahaha.gif

 

Was that the trip where we climbed Shady Lane and crossed over to the second pitch of Lightning Crack? I remember hearing, "Ah, shit!" from right below us, followed by jangling hardware, a loud thud, then groaning and moaning. We couldn't see the accident, due to the convex nature of the wall, but we could see everybody running to the base of Lightning Crack where somebody had just completed a ground fall from the bulge.

 

:laf: I totally forgot about that...the medic vehicle coming up thru the orchards. That was a nasty fall, never really heard anything bout it.

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