Wunsch's Dihedral, Cynical Pinnacle
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 2:28 am
Wunsch's Dihedral climbs a striking 500-ft line up the spectacular granite of the South Platte River, which is as good as it gets. (Yes, I can still say this after climbing in the Needles a few weeks ago. They're both as good as it gets.) This one is "close to home" and I've been wanting to climb it for several years since I first spied it in Fifty Favorite Climbs.
Here it is: Cynical Pinnacle. Wunsch's Dihedral is the prominent dihedral with the overhanging left wall. The name comes from the fellow who first freed the dihedral pitches. I have also seen it called Prayer Book.
My New Mexico friends were being lame, so I called Miranda. She doesn't really have experience on burly crack climbs like this and she's hardly been climbing since she started grad school in Denver during August, but she was game. We agreed to meet for a surgical strike.
But I didn't want an early start. So go figure, when we got there a party was on the climb. Here is Gabe at the start of the crux pitch.
Gabe, close to where the difficulties ease.
I was in no hurry to climb beneath the two parties on the formation since I didn't take a helmet. Miranda and I relaxed in the sun and had deep, meaningful conversation about catty bitches and the importance of poop jokes.
Eventually we jumped on the climb. Miranda follows the first pitch.
The second pitch is a long, sustained hand crack with thinner and wider sections in the mix for good measure. I am only half of the way there!
Miranda managed to focus on the ratty anchor.
Sorry, no pictures from the crux pitch but refer to the pictures of Gabe above or the picture of Tommy Caldwell in Fifty Favorites. It is awesome! I cruised the cruxes then blew my on-sight on a 10- move right where it turns into 5.8. But the fall was clean and fun and I want to climb it again with the 5.12 finger crack start anyway.
Miranda was staying close to that slab above the bolt ladder!
Good job persevering through the sustained meat-grinder sections, Miranda. It's painful like grad school but more fun and it ends after a reasonable amount of time!
I always see lots of wildlife in Colorado during my miserable late-night drives home. I don't want to live this way but I worked a long day today. At least I learned a lot and it was TOTALLY WORTH IT!
Praise Jah,
Here it is: Cynical Pinnacle. Wunsch's Dihedral is the prominent dihedral with the overhanging left wall. The name comes from the fellow who first freed the dihedral pitches. I have also seen it called Prayer Book.
My New Mexico friends were being lame, so I called Miranda. She doesn't really have experience on burly crack climbs like this and she's hardly been climbing since she started grad school in Denver during August, but she was game. We agreed to meet for a surgical strike.
But I didn't want an early start. So go figure, when we got there a party was on the climb. Here is Gabe at the start of the crux pitch.
Gabe, close to where the difficulties ease.
I was in no hurry to climb beneath the two parties on the formation since I didn't take a helmet. Miranda and I relaxed in the sun and had deep, meaningful conversation about catty bitches and the importance of poop jokes.
Eventually we jumped on the climb. Miranda follows the first pitch.
The second pitch is a long, sustained hand crack with thinner and wider sections in the mix for good measure. I am only half of the way there!
Miranda managed to focus on the ratty anchor.
Sorry, no pictures from the crux pitch but refer to the pictures of Gabe above or the picture of Tommy Caldwell in Fifty Favorites. It is awesome! I cruised the cruxes then blew my on-sight on a 10- move right where it turns into 5.8. But the fall was clean and fun and I want to climb it again with the 5.12 finger crack start anyway.
Miranda was staying close to that slab above the bolt ladder!
Good job persevering through the sustained meat-grinder sections, Miranda. It's painful like grad school but more fun and it ends after a reasonable amount of time!
I always see lots of wildlife in Colorado during my miserable late-night drives home. I don't want to live this way but I worked a long day today. At least I learned a lot and it was TOTALLY WORTH IT!
Praise Jah,