Split Pinnacle (warning: climbing thread)

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Byran

climber

Merced, CA

Mar 17, 2011 - 04:40pm PT

Here's the beta from the way we descended:

Take everything with you on the climb. From the top, rap down to the notch, and then climb/scramble up to the other summit. On the far side of this large sloping ledge are 3 bolts with some webbing. Make a 90 foot rap down to the ground from here. Hike up the hill a short ways and head west, towards the top of Manure Pile Buttress. There's no trail, but it's not too difficult of a bushwhack. Find the descent trail for Manure Pile and take it back to the car. This way you avoid the very steep and dirty gully, only need one rope, and it's faster too.

TomKimbrough

Social climber

Salt Lake City

Mar 17, 2011 - 05:51pm PT

Ah yes, Split Pinnacle. A most notable day for me back in the fall of ’65. That fall I was a favored belay slave of Pratt’s, a role I was eager to play as it was my first season in the Valley and I sure had lots to learn. Being a Teton climber, I didn’t think there were any bad approaches in Yosemite so perhaps that is why I was chosen to join Pratt for an attempt on the Rearick Lieback.

In camp Chuck showed me a novel method that he was going to use to clip the bolt at the crux. We now call them quick draws.

So… here I am belaying him as he whips up to the bolt - but he has forgotten to rig the quick draw! He is at the bolt and fumbles the clip. Finally he gets a biner in the bolt but then there is trouble getting the rope in the biner. At last the rope is in but now Pratt is pumped! Pratt pumped? Impossible but true. I don’t remember what he said but in today’s vernacular it would “Take”.

Perhaps my greatest distinction as a climber? Witnessing first hand that Chuck Pratt was occasionally human.

BBA

climber

Mar 18, 2011 - 11:57am PT

I have a note in my Climber's Guide to the High Sierra (1956) next to the write up for Split Pinnacle which says Attempted E. Buttress 5/31/1960, climbed 6/7/1960. The first try was defeated before we even got to the base of the climb by encounters with three rattlesnakes, one by one (Peter Haan's comments about snakes are accurate). The other guys insisted on stoning them to death leaving smeared patches of snake on rock, and this slowed us down a lot. They (snakes) are aggressive and territorial in May (mating season). This was my first weekend in the valley for rock climbing.

Routes were not well described in 1960, so we climbed what we believed was the E. Arete. We probably got descriptions from someone in Camp 4, and then tried to remember them, Doh! The first part was climbing a tree which grew right next to the rock and then went on up somehow. Since the tree isn't mentioned, I guess we were off the route as now described. We did, however, end up on the top, and it was all 5th class.

Edit: Climbed with Harry Daley and Dave Harvey

HighTraverse

Trad climber

Bay Area

Mar 18, 2011 - 05:03pm PT

Split Pinnacle - East Arete
24 April, 1976 with Brock Wagstaff, Nick Jones and Steve Russell
We used a 1" angle on the summit pitch. That would have been one of the very few pins I ever used on a free climb. My note says "Fun!". I remember a long, hot approach.
From Roper's Green Guide: "This route contains much excellent climbing and probably will become popular"
Not! (popular)

The first part was climbing a tree which grew right next to the rock and then went on up somehow

That's how I remember the East Arete starting. We considered the tree "vegetable aid" but I think we ended up using it to cheat anyway.

le_bruce

climber

Oakland, CA

Mar 18, 2011 - 05:44pm PT

TomKimbrough and BBA - great tales, thanks for sharing.

Pratt: may his name loom large for every Valley climber for generations to come.

gstock

climber

Yosemite Valley

Jun 4, 2011 - 08:21pm PT

Great route! Josh Helling advised me that the first pitch chimney was "elegant". The lieback felt hard (I struggled just following it) but it's an awesome way to top out this fun old-school adventure.

Mimi

climber

Jun 4, 2011 - 10:42pm PT

Yes, Tom and Bill, thanks for the stories.

...no bad approaches in the Valley. Good one.

Peter Haan

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Jun 4, 2011 - 11:12pm PT

Using the wonderful site, http://www.xrez.com/yose_proj/yose_deepzoom/index.html

I have these images of Split Pinnacle and a rougher closeup of the famous lieback which comes up in discussions sometimes. This view was from the south up the canyon.