We're giving this page a facelift!
Visit the previous versionto make edits.
Peak Mountain 3

Overhanging Layback

FA 1946: Fritz Wiessner and Bill Shockley
CREATED 
UPDATED 

Description

  1. (100') Climb the corner to the overhang. Step right and then up and left - a tricky move. Continue left and up to small ledges below a face near an outside corner. The anchor is a clump of medium-size trees with rap slings, and a 60m rope will get you down from there.

  2. (60') Climb left, exit the corner after just a few feet, and head up the face, past flakes (some may be hollow and loose; one fell in 2013, and see comment below in 2016), to an overhang. Climb through the overhang, then another overhang, and up right to a big ledge and tree belay.

From Kurtz:

The missing flake under the final overhang may have made the overhang on P2 significantly harder (5.8ish). I'm 6' tall and it was a big reach to the hard-to-see bomber jug. It's a very committing (but fun) move now. I didn't see any easier way out.

P3. Kurtz: P3 is really 3 short walls separated by grassy ledges. The first two are easy and protect well, the third is harder and slabby without any pro. It's only a couple of balancey moves, but they are challenging (5.8 PG)

Descent

From the top, one option is the Blueberry Ledges/Beginner's Delight rappels, to the north (the rings are 5 feet up in a medium sized tree, on a big grassy ledge). It takes three rappels with a 60m to get down. The first rappel is short, only about 65 feet long, and the second rap tree is easy to miss since it's quite a ways to the left; if you rap too far, you'll be hanging in space below a ledge. The third rap station is a whacky setup of red rope wrapped around a boulder. Despite the core-shot in one of the strands, it's currently safe enough but, for some reason, the rope tends to bind making it an absolute misery to pull.

A better option is to walk south (climbers' left) to the bolted rappel line over Three Pines. 3 60m rappels get you to the ground.

Location

At the large right-facing corner uphill and right of the McCarthy Wall (Coexistence et al.).

Protection

Standard Gunks rack. Rappel from tree - be careful to move your knot below the notch, as stuck ropes have happened.