Ian Walters

The Vigilante climbs a killer streaked face in the Back Door sector of Pinnacles. Start by stepping off the rising ramp to the right of Auto Cream (aka Sunwheel). The crux is hard, bouldery, and fun, but the route is just a little short! Totally worth it.

This is the leftmost line on the East face of the Monolith. Nearly as classic as P.O.D. (10d/11a), foreplay's unique features and classic edge pulling pump you out to the very end. It's position over the south chasm below the Monolith puts you, in reality, nearly 50 feet up the instant you clip the first bolt. Damn good.

Cataract Corner takes a great line up the Northwest arete of the Monolith. Solid 5.11 sequences lead to a clever stem rest, and a fantastic heelhooking boulder problem up the arete. It may be easier for the tall people. The runout to the anchors is classic 5.7 R.

Future Shock is a hyper-technical balance-fest up micro-holds on the North West corner of the Monolith. It is tough to see, but is just to the right of Rocket in my Pocket (.10d). Clipping the last bolt sets you up for a Tough punch to a little Pinnacles mini-brick. Enjoy!

The Druid is tucked away behind some poison oak on, kitty corder to the northwest corner of The Monolith on its own outcropping. It is a beautiful lichen-covered face, with a cool left-slanting rail that is sadly crumbling a bit. The first bolt is mashed in a bit, but is still clippable. The moves are fantstic, and the crux is a compressiony v4 that turns the face to the slab on the left. Run it out (5.7) to the anchors!

While its 'approach' first 10 meters is a chossy layback, the rightward-traversing overhanging seam of Trial is packed with tough cross-throughs and great footwork. Make a crux throw to a softball-sized pocket, and laugh while clipping the Bridwell-era lost-arrow sticking humorously out from between two cobbles, before cliping the Verdict anchors. Tough!

P.O.D. is the center line of chalk up the coolest cobbles in California, on the sunny East face of the Monolith. While no move is harder than .10d, the ~17 feet to the first bolt and the pumpy crux section are more than exciting enough. Unique route.

This is the obvious left-slanting handcrack in the middle of Discovery Wall. Try not to upset the birds midway up the route! Swallow Crack gains the top of the wall, and is topropable with a 70 meter rope.

Jorgie's Crack is the left-arching thin-crack just to the right of Ordeal (5.8). It features good gear and good technical laybacking to a balancey face move left to the anchors. The extension, Pweeter, is also good (.11a)

Stupendous Man is a unique and easily topropable roof-to-face route a quick walk right of 'The Verdict', at the Discovery Wall sector of Pinnacles. Its crux mantle is fun, safe and rewarding, and is worth falling off of. The face above, while no picnic, is a classic Pinnacles knob-ballet.

The Verdict is a sequential line of pockets and edges up a rounded arete at the Discovery Wall in Pinnacles. While no one move is that difficult, sustained 5.10+ will take you past a tricky thin section, and right into more hard 5.10! It's one of the best in the area, and don't worry if it shuts you down--considerate glue-in ring-bolts provide a safe alternative to leaving biners. A great first lead for the grade, and a great trainer for those looking for some serious fitness!

The Wet Kiss is a great, tough 5.9 bolted seam about 50 yards to the left of the Verdict on the Discovery Wall. It is sustained at 5.8/5.9, and has a great, well-protected mantle about 3/4 of the way up. From the anchors it's easy to set up a toprope on the 5.10d to the left, which is called Between a Rock and a Hard Place.