The Unmentionable, Photographer’s Delight, Long’s Folly and The Carousel
Rock Climbing – Pinnacles National Park
Total Time: 8:15
Distance: 5.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 2200′
Crux: 5.9 (Unmentionable)
Pitches: 4
Protection: Draws and slings, anchor material, a few cams for Long’s Folly
Companions: Holly
Trailhead: Bear Gulch trailhead, Pinnacles East Side
Our second day in Pinnacles was meant to be a bit more casual, not so much in the difficulty of the climbing but overall itinerary. While we were set on our multipitch route on Costanoan the day before, we planned on ticking off a couple of the more popular single pitch spires in the High Peaks area with a few options in mind but no definite plan. Staying in Salinas the night before, we were able to get an earlier start reaching the Bear Gulch trailhead on the east side of the park shortly after 8 AM with temperatures below freezing in the deep canyon. We moved quickly up the trail to try and keep warm, most of the other early risers also climbers, although heading for the crags closer to the trailhead.
The trail weaved up through the forest and eventually gained a ridgeline heading towards the High Peaks area. Our first objective for the day was a squat spire called “The Unmentionable.” The park rangers had a more appropriate name for it- “Cock Rock.” The short chode of a spire had two established routes on it- a spicy 5.7 with a single bolt protecting the 40′ of climbing, and a 5.9 with 4 bolts for the same distance. We dropped down to the spire from the main trail and eyed the 5.7.
The only bolt was about 30′ off the deck at the top of a ramped rib of rock, easy climbing to be sure, but potentially deadly decking potential if you fell before the bolt, with a deep gap immediately to the right of the route. As funny as the spire was, it hardly seemed worth the risk for 40′ of climbing. As we talked through the options, I eyed the 5.9. It didn’t seem too bad, and you could traverse into the first bolt, giving pretty immediate protection. After some internal struggle, I decided to give it a go. I traversed in from the right to the first bolt, honestly probably skipping the crux start. It was easy movement to the second bolt, with a tricky bulge getting to the third. I hadn’t noticed it from the ground, but the fourth bolt was hangerless, and my nuts to sling the bolt were in my pack on the ground. So rather than run it out, it was a pretty easy traverse back to the 5.7 route where I clipped into the only bolt before the mantle finish. The finish of the two routes were right next to each other and looked similar in difficulty, and after plotting my footwork, I pulled myself onto the head of the Unmentionable and clipped into the two bolt anchor. I was pleased to have sent a climb of that difficulty without warming up, and after pulling up a ton of rope brought Holly up the short pitch. She made quick work of the route, and the two of us drank some water while hikers stopped hikers stopped to take pictures of the two climbers sitting on top of the penis shaped rock.
Holly rappelled first to grab a hero shot of me at the summit and after a few poses I joined her at the base. We partially packed our things, keeping my harness on as we got back on the main trail, continuing the upwards trek to the High Peaks area.
It took us about 30 minutes of steep uphill switchbacks to gain the High Peaks ridgeline and we stopped to break at a bench to plan our next spire. I was hoping to head to Photographer’s Delight, a similar 40′ spire protected by a single bolt, but with easier climbing rated at 5.5 and a large knob that can be slung before the bolt for added protection. We turned right onto the High Peaks Trail and quickly found the spire, just a few feet off the main trail.
Despite looking extremely vertical, it was surprisingly low angled up close with giant holds. There was little discussion about going for this one, and I threw a pair of draws on my harness, tied in and started up the climb. I was able to sling the giant knob of a hold with a double length sling to protect the first real climbing move of the climb, then easily clip the only bolt once atop the knob. The upper portion of the climb was a bit more vertical but again with huge knobs, and I able to clip the long rappel chains from the route before pulling myself to the tiny summit. Being so close to the trail, we quickly attracted an audience, and soon had multiple groups stopping to take our picture as Holly headed up the route to join me. Photographer’s Delight indeed.
I opted to rappel first to give Holly the victory shot on this one, although it was a bit unnecessary with all the passing hikers passing by promising to post it for us on social media. Back at the base, I started looking through Mountainproject for our next option. The Sponge, a 5.6 dome, didn’t look too far and we continued a long the High Peaks Trail with that in mind. But haven’t not been to the area in 6 years, I forgot how much up and down there was on the ridgeline, not to mention the not-so-COVID-friendly narrow passages. By the time we reached the Condor Crags area, Holly was looking to do a bit more climbing and a little less hiking. Long’s Folly was easy to spot, a classic 5.8 chimney named after John Long partially bolted the ascent route and left to finish the job the next day, only to have the first ascent honors taken away when two other climbers passed the new route and assumed it had been completed, heading up themselves. North and South Finger nearby were rated easier at 5.5 but the first pitch looked like an unpleasant brushy mess. We continued past to the northern portion of Condor Crags where I looked for the route up the north summit, the first rock climbing route ever established in Pinnacles in 1933. But I had no pictures of the area, and couldn’t find the thin crack that denotes the start to match the description on my phone. After some discussion, and feeling a bit emboldened by my success on the 5.9 on the Unmentionable, we wandered back to Long’s Folly to tackle the 5.8 route.
To access the chimney, one traverses up a ramp system from the right, requiring a wild exposed step around on knobs at the base of the chimney to a crux series of moves to get into the chimney proper, well protected with bolts almost out of character for the normally run out Pinnacles. I started up the route, this time bringing a set of cams and tricams and easily clipped the first two bolts nearly walking up the ramp. I walked back and unclipped the first bolt to help with rope drag (although I realized afterwards it was a bit unfair to Holly as the follower) and reached around the exposed corner to bolt #3. Bolt four was close, only a few feet further on the traverse but required a scary step around off the ramp, the exposure going from nothing to about 30′ of air quickly, now with a small crowd of hikers gathering below. I clipped bolt number four and moved up to the final bolt at the base of the chimney protecting the crux move. Clipping this required me to lock off, and once secure, I asked Holly to take for a rest before making the crux move upwards. Once I committed I actually found it to be easier than it looked from below, the chimney full of knob and features to feel fairly secure once I found my footing. I slowly worked my way upwards, placing a #2 cam 5-6′ above the last bolt, but finding the upper chimney too wide for anything else as I climbed higher. I found a nice pocket for a tricam about halfway up just as the chimney eased off and I emerged to a two bolt anchor system that can be used as an optional belay or second rappel station if you have a 60 meter rope. I wasn’t feeling the rope drag too bad at that point and continued past, finding a nice pod for a cam before running out the last 20′ up easy knob climbing to the anchor. Although technically easier than the Unmentionable, I was pretty excited for this one, feeling it to be a more difficult lead overall. I brought up the slack and yelled down to Holly to start up. She apparently climbed up the ramp directly to avoid any swing potential from me back cleaning the first bolt, and I felt her pause at the step around moving to the chimney.
“Keep me tight here” she yelled up, followed by muffled grunts as she worked through the crux and into the narrow chimney. Chimneys have always been one of Holly’s strengths, and she quickly dispatched of the narrow passage and basically hiked up the top of the route, almost too fast to keep up with the belay. As she topped out, we watched the condors circle overhead, not quite at the highest point of the High Peaks area, but pretty darn close.
With our 70 meter rope, we were able to descend in a single rappel and dropped back down to our packs, still with about 2.5ish hours of daylight to play with. It was still a hike to get back to the car, so we figured we’d head in that direction and maybe hit a crag on the way out.
The temperatures started to drop as we moved into the shade on the descent, passing the Unmentionable and reaching a formation called “The Carousel” nearby. This had a 5.10b route that could be top roped, which seemed like a good option to test ourselves on something a little harder before the day’s end.
I scrambled up the backside and set up a top rope on the two bolt anchor and the two of us climbed the short route and attempted a harder line to the left that neither of us were able to send, probably in the 11+ range. The failed attempted on the harder crimpy line left us both tired, so we finished the hike out, reaching the car shortly before sunset. Leaving the Bear Gulch trailhead, we stopped at the Peaks View picnic area for a pair of beers before the long drive back home.
