Rockfall alert at the Peshastin Pinnacles

[lancegranite]

Climbing at the PP yesterday and we stumbled across a pretty major rockfall at the west face of Grand Central tower.

A large slab above the West face routes sluffed off and neatly jumped over the routes below.

This is not saying that the routes did not escape harm, but the bolts appear to be still there, climb with caution.

There is quite a bit of rubble and the base is a mess.

A tree with rap sligs now resides at the base.

I believe a portion of the Sandbox route is completely gone.

 

Possibly affected routes:

West face

White Lighting

West Face direct

Nirvana ridge

Scratch

 

Sorry for the poor quality photos, cell phones on cloudy days...

[keenwesh]

damn, that's why I don't climb at peshastin, granite isn't as scary.

[toproper]

wow! thanks for sharing those pics

 

I'm not surprised, having climbed their only 4 or 5 times I've always found the rock brittle and fragile. I probably just did'nt get on the good routes, but as far as sandstone in WA goes I prefer bouldering at larrabee.

[Spore]

 

 

My shot from a cell phone that day also. Thin red Line is above the break, and line from the right is pointing to a Hanger with a red sling and a leaver beaner hanging on it. You can see the belay tree at the base.

Biggest rock fall there I've seen in the last 15 plus years.

[RJRiha]

Is Peshastin now open during the winter months?

[RokIzGud]

We'll sometimes hit up the PP if its raining in 11worth and clear there but it sure is skech. The few "good" cracks are almost impossible to trust the pro placed in them... Theres some fun-slab pitchs that i find kinda fun but everyone else i talk to hates them.

[stevetimetravlr]

Peshastin has some fun crack climbing. How about A-Crack, Catacombs, Vertigo, Lightening Crack, Nirvana Ridge. Really good slab climbing there though, thats where Peshastin shines.

[markwebster]

Sounds like nirvana ridge took a big hit. And the bolts on the west face will need to be examined. Scary stuff. There is rock fall everywhere, it's just a matter of time, witness the regular rock falls in yosemite. I am old enough to remember when trigger finger fell over in the pinnacles one winter. Used to climb up that thing, everyone did. Dare I mention Mt Saint Helens?

 

In the spring and summer after winter has done it's damage, there will still be excellent and safe friction climbing in the pinnacles. It is the kind of place where nothing should be taken for granted. I make it a habit to grab every bolt and see if it wiggles wherever I am, from Leavenworth, to Smith, to yosemite.

 

I love that west face route, bottom runout and all. If the bolts got broken off, we will just have to replace them.