Pinnacles - near Long's Folly, 4/28/04 - Bruce

A nice Wednesday with no crowds and beautiful weather.
The area near Long's Folly had recently reopened after being
close for bird nesting, and we were eager to try some new
routes below/east of Long's Folly.

We first tried the left hand crack.  While setting up for the
climb, Condor 70 landed in a nearby tree and we got some
photos of it.  I led up the crack, which starts as an overhanging
hand/fist crack with some footholds well plastered with lichen.
I was glad to have the #3.5 Friend to protect this section.
After a slight 5.9 pump, the angle eased back, but the crack also
headed right and started to fade out.  After a rest, I headed
out left up a waterstreak, and placed a bolt at the base of a
steeper section.  I made some 5.8 moves above to a delicate stance,
where I debated drilling a bolt.  But my feet were hurting a bit,
so I just kept going, rather runout (fortunately not excessively loose),
to an easier stance where I placed the second bolt.  Above this was looser
rock, but a crack appeared in the right hand groove, where I made
a belay anchor on natural gear.  Bruce followed with the pitch with
no problems, and placed a belay bolt to back up the marginal gear.
Probably I led the remaining partial pitch to the top.  There is an
old anchor bolt on top, plus a dead tree and boulder near the trail.
Perhaps I should go back at some point and add a bolt between the
first two, so that it is not so runout, but Bruce thought it was OK.

Next we climbed the right hand crack.  This is not as steep and has
better/cleaner rock.  In fact it seemed a bit too clean to have not
been done before.  It was mostly hand sized, with a 5.8 bulge near the
top of the crack.  Above this, the crack fades out, but the angle
eases as well, so I wandered up the face.  At about 140' out, I found
a belay alcove with an old bolt!  So it had been done before.  Bruce
came up easily, and I led up unprotected moderate ground to the top.
After following, Bruce went back down the rope and added a second
belay bolt at the alcove.

Finally, we repeated our route on Long's Folly, Abnur Bear is Everywhere.
This was technically the first free lead, as we had left the rope
clipped into each bolt after drilling on aid on the first ascent.
We left the rappel rope in place, and Bruce worked on replacing the first
bolt, an existing Star Dryvin.  It was not easy to remove, as it had been
partially glued in.  I took a turn at the crowbar and managed to start it
wiggling with some sideways torque on the bar.  Bruce finished the job
and replaced the bolt nicely.