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Peak Mountain 3

Iron Cross

FA Bill DeMalle, George Hurley 1989
CREATED 
UPDATED 

Description

Good climbing on a steep slab with pebbles and a few pockets. The crux pitch wanders a bit, but is quite sustained, with the first half in the 10 range, and the second half starting with the crux move and continuing with hard 10 moves to the top. The trad first pitch starts with an awkward move at about 10a as the corner switches from left to right facing. The upper corner on P1 is easier.

P2 starts with a traverse straight left from the belay past the first bolt to a stance at a tiny overhang. Move up and then angle right past the second bolt and then make a harder move up and left to clip the third bolt. Reach right for a jug. The crux on P2 is pulling a bulge at the 4th bolt. You're starting from a slanting jug/crack, so you might feel optimistic, but I found it very perplexing and difficult. After what felt like 1/2 hour, I found a gnarly way to do it, but it wasn't fun. Another move at the 5th bolt leads to a shallow pocket. Move right and up to a good pocket and the 6th bolt. A slightly easier move on pebbles leads to the top. Angle left past the 7th bolt (which is there to protect the second on the last hard moves) to the anchors above

Lightning Bolt Arête

.

Location

Just left of the start of

Super Guide

is a short, left-facing corner that peters out and becomes a right-facing corner. This is P1. See photo.

Protection

A light trad rack for P1 with some medium nuts and smaller cams. There are two fixed Leeper pins on the upper half of P1. The first looks very good. The second one is only half way in, but the climbing is easier on positive holds. P1 ends at a two-bolt belay with a good stance. 7 bolts plus the anchors for P2. You can place a good blue TCU or similar above the P1 belay to protect the moves out left to the first bolt. A #1/red Camalot with a long sling works nicely above and right of the last bolt to better protect the second.