Peking

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 44.36680°N / 121.13631°W
Additional Information Route Type: Technical Rock Climb
Additional Information Time Required: Less than two hours
Additional Information Difficulty: 5.8
Sign the Climber's Log

Approach

Follow the directions on the main page for Red Wall. Also see the nice approach detail given by Hammer on his Moscow page. Peking begins 8 feet left of the first pitch of Moscow. Look for distinct finger crack (~30 feet long, starting 15 feet off the deck) in a smooth face.

Note that this area is subject to seasonal closures due to nesting. Watch for information in the park parking lot as well as posted signs (might not be present) at the base of the cliff.

Route Description

Peking parallels Moscow using the next dihedral to the left. It too reaches the top of Red Wall formation in two pitches (+one scrambling pitch - could be broken up differently to what's described below). The overall route quality is quite nice though there is some loose rock on P2 (not really loose by Smith standards though). Unlike its neighbor to the right (Moscow), Peking sees little traffic especially above the initial finger crack (crux) section on P1.

Pitch 1: 5.8, 100 feet. Start up an easy left slanting hand crack (short traverse starting ~8 feet left of the distinct dihedral that marks the start of Moscow, see photos) and use it to reach the top of a "pillar" at the base of a clean finger crack splitting a smooth wall. Crank through the finger crack (some nubbins for feet, good stance on right about 15 feet above pillar). This is the crux of the route. Two sets of belay bolts found here. This is also where most Peking "traffic" ends. If going for the top, continue another 30+ feet to a nice belay ledge with a large, fixed horn on it (+ cams in 1 - 3 inch size). See photo.

Pitch 2: 5.7 - 5.8, 160+ feet. The higher rating is per Watts' guide; I thought that P2 was comparable in difficulty to P2 of Moscow. I think it might be reach dependent but P2 is MUCH easier than P1 of Peking. From belay, pull over the 1st bulge (small nut for protection) and continue up the mostly easy dihedral. Watch for loose rock as you get higher. The climbing consists of easy sections with a few bulges - it feels like 5.6 after the first 20 feet. The dihedral ends with a nice ledge. Belay here or move up and right another 15 feet (you should be overlooking the clean OW of P2 of Moscow from this belay perch). Belay on gear (<1 inch cams and sling around a block).

Pitch 3: 4th class, 100 feet. Walk a few feet right (above Moscow's P2 and scramble up class 3-4 rock shadowing a large face on its right side. Pull one 4th class move and step onto the sandy, unexposed trail. This is the same as the finish to Moscow.

Descent:
The standard way to get off of Peking and Moscow is to hike off. Hike left (climbers' trail) and then up onto slabby rocks (unexposed). Follow those straight up (it should never be harder than class 2 and NOT exposed) until you pick up the Misery Ridge trail. Make right on main trail and follow its switchbacks back down to the base of the route. Descent time is ~10 minutes.

Essential Gear

Helmets. 60 meter ropes permit the pitch breakdown as given below. However, plenty OK belay ledges exist so that how you break up the pitches is somewhat arbitrary. Nuts and cams up to blue (#3, ~3inch) or black (#3.5, ~4 inch) Camalots with stress on the <1.5inch range. The crux finger crack takes cams from yellow Alien (~0.5inch, high in crack) to yellow Camalot (~2 inches). The midpoint crux in the crack protects with 0.75inch cam.

Others' Route Photos

Peking photo.


Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.