White Domes-- West Peak-- Pinnacle

This is the second of two prominent pinnacles on the climber's right as he/she heads up to the summit of the western of the White Domes. This view is from between this pinnacle and the "unclimbable" pinnacle just north of it on the peak.

It may not look so from this angle, but there is a Class 4 route to the top of this pinnacle. Find a narrow ledge on the right (you may wish to crawl along it, especially if it is windy, because of the narrowness and the exposure) to a short (maybe 10') Class 4 pitch that leads to the "summit ridge." Then walk carefully a few feet to the highpoint, which is small and exposed and has a fun top-of-the-world feel to it. Note-- strong winds could pretty easily knock you off the top here, and if you fall to the east side, you're going to fall about 300'.

The Class 4 pitch, though short, is very exposed; right below the access ledge is a gully, so a fall will really be more like 30' instead of the 10' or so that the pitch itself covers.

The downclimb is awkward and best done facing in; before you go up, make sure you can get back down.

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada-- April 2009