In effort to 'suck the marrow of life' - that is, hit some nice climbs after work in the middle of the week - I was also blessed with nice lighting on the various boulder formations at Pinnacle Peak on the hike back to the car. I had to crop quite a bit to get a decent composition, and also to get rid of a horribly out-of-focus ocotillo. The Peak is still not very sharp, though. Ho-hum. The spike-shaped rock downslope from the peak is cleverly named "The Wedge."

View of Pinnacle Peak, with AMC Boulder, Loafer's Choice and the Wedge to the lower right.

This a cool shot my friend took while we were seeing how inverted we could get and still climb out of it...oh, and still live (yes this was a requirement). Right about now in this picture, im really joansin' for a pizza...needless to say, i later got that pizza.

Josh Klingbeil on Corona Club 5.8+. This climb is on the back side of the Y-Crack Boulder.

Shelley clips the first bolt on this oft top roped seldom lead climb on the AMC boulder. "I wonder why all the climbs seem easy on this boulder? Oh, it's the AMC boulder."

About to head over the bulge on Mickey Mantle. Troon Mt. can be seen in the background behind the ever sprawling Phoenix suburbs.

Route on east side of Pinnacle Peak. Short 5.5 crack, but it's an akward lead. Good jams and gear placement, but you gotta reach them through a wide off-width section.

Actually it wasnt a death slab but it was still kinda creepy. 5.9 slab with old button head bolts that spun. Made the climb more interesting not sure the name I just know it lets you Access the summit.

Actually it wasnt a death slab but it was still kinda creepy. 5.9 slab with old button head bolts that spun. Made the climb more interesting not sure the name I just know it lets you Access the summit. I have no idea what I was doing with my finger.

The AMC is one of the easiest areas to approach at Pinnacle Peak. The Ghoul has negotiated the slab crux moves and is ready for the classic roof move.

Photo taken around 1990 in drizzly conditions. There were no restrictions at Pinnacle Peak then.

Many a climber has struggled with this crack. I warm up before attempting Deliverance. Dale took this picture with his new high tec camera.

The west face is one I haven't done. Should get on it but just like the rest of the area more. I was happy to be here new year's eve 2006 with Larry Earley.

This is me coming up to a sweet rook crack......

sets the canvas for this self portrait on a December 2007 day. For the record, I'm not sure I think this picture actually reflects the way I usually appear, but I like the overall shadow/midtone/highlight spectrum enough to upload it as my personal representation anyway. After viewing the final version on three different monitors, I realized that the colors may not look very good to some people, depending on their individual monitor's settings. There is no way around this due to the fact this was taken in naturally color-intense, setting sunlight, so please no comments about wacky coloration, etc.! =)

Hands, fist, some offwidth, and a few laybacking moves.

Angus starting the layback section.

Big gear is definitely a plus here.

A cold, windy, winter day at the Peak.

Topping out at the south summit. Ahh.... it truly is the "high life."

Climbing outside on South Crack at Pinnacle Peak. Had a blast, as was the first time lead/follow cliimbing outdoors!

Following up South Crack, seems to be a lot harder than a 5.3. Fo sho!!!

Climbing up Pinnacle Peak on a beautiful day in March. My first outdoors experience of lead climbing. Best time climbing I ever had!