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Peak Mountain 3

Margin for Air

FA Bret Ruckman and Gary Olsen, 1984
CREATED 
UPDATED 

Description

First off, let me admit that this is a project of mine. I have made it past the pin before the crux, but I don't think I've actually made it to the crux yet. I fell once on a green camalot, then again on a red camalot higher up. I took two falls on a #3 camalot past the pin, then tried to protect the next sequence with a #00 C3. It tore out when I fell again, and I whipped upside-down and injured my heel. Did I mention that I got stung by a wasp? My first epic! Needless to say, this route is continuously difficult, extremely technical, airy, exposed, long, and worth an approach twice as arduous. Set up a belay on the shale layer and climb over a slabby face towards the bushes above the flake. Follow the crack up and to the left around an airy bulge, and another airy bulge, and another airy bulge. Clip a pin next to a hollow sounding flake and climb through another airy bulge. The Ruckman guide indicates that the crux is right after this section through a steep crack (I didn't make it that far). Once the crux is finished, you have two options, continue following the crack, or climb diagonally right to the top of the wall and set up a gear belay for your second.

Location

Start on top of the shale layer to the left (North) of the bolt line and the flake. Walk off to the North (up and over the top of the wall) or downclimb the slab to the anchors for the other routes.

Protection

Standard rack, doubles recommended. I saw one fixed pin. No anchors at the top.