Approaching Feather Canyon

[Neal Lischner]

Hello Pinnacles Experts,

My partner and I climbed Feather Canyon last weekend and had a fine time. I’m a little embarrassed but curious too about the 3 hours we spent finding the start. We moved east at too low an elevation and were under some enough steep rock that we couldn’t quite match up the pictures on MP of the route. Since we had an erroneous GPS waypoint (from MP
Main feather canyon page directions button) that indicated we were in the correct place we mistakenly climbed a loose chimney with marginal protection to a step left into a water chute and over a 4 foot chockstone to a flat small horizontal meadow. I believe this is just due East about 200
feet of the correct start and about 80 feet too low. Distinguishing low 5th from 4th class terrain as described in approach info is difficult for us and so our mistake was in thinking the described approaches might actually feel as difficult as this. I found a bomber boulder to sling with a cordelette  and lowered off safely. We went down and back southeast until it became obvious to us where the route was. As said above the route was super fun. I decided the route I climbed was low 5th classR for the marginal pro(although we had no cams and there may have been some cam placements).Has anyone else ever described climbing this route? I’ve always wanted to find a first ascent.😀

[Brad Young]

Neal, I can't picture any other chimney system to the east of Feather Canyon's start. Rituals and Magic starts 200 feet to its northwest (that's to the right if facing the start of the routes there) and being to the northwest (not east) from Feather Canyon's start would be consistent with your comment that after the wrong route "we went down and back southeast until it became obvious to us where the route was."

Sorry, but without being there I don' think I can offer any more.

[NOAL]

Sounds like Brad needs to go look for your cordalette and determine if it is truly a first ascent

[Neal Lischner]

Thanks for pointing out my typo. We went down and "southwest" to see and find the proper Feather Canyon approach. Yes, Brad, please find my cordelette and let me know if that has been climbed before.

[Brad Young]

Chance Brothers....