Whether you are a first-timer or a seasoned old veteran at Pinnacles there is a list of best practices that will serve you well.

What Is Covered

• What To Bring - The Basics
• What To Bring - Climbing
• Pack Out Your Garbage!
• Be Courteous and Aware
• Harassment
• Dangerous/Unsafe Behavior
• Parking and Crowds
• Large Groups
• I Gotta Go! (Pooping and Peeing Outdoors)
• Erosion
• Closures
• Chalk

What To Bring - The Basics

It's Pinnacles, it's probably going to be hot.

Bring extra water, sun screen and a hat and plastic bags and a trowel (just in case you have to poop outdoors).

Your Phone - Signal may not be great, but you can usually get through to someone in case of an emergency.

What To Bring - Climbing

• Bring a long rope
  A 60m (200') or longer is recommended. If you have not been to Pinnacles, most of the routes are one pitch. Some of these are walk-offs, but many can be set up for top-roping once they have been led. A long rope will come in handy.
• Pro
  most of the routes are bolted, so bring a rack of quickdraws. If you are new to natural pro climbing leave your natural pro gear at home. Pinnacles has notoriously loose and soft rock not suitable for natural pro unless you are VERY experienced.
• Runners/Slings
  these come in handy on many Pinnacles routes for reducing rope drag, slinging knobs and setting up belays. Extra long runners can be very useful for many top-rope setups

Pack Out Your Garbage!

We almost feel like we shouldn't have to say it, but please pack out ALL your garbage including used toilet paper.

Pitch In! You might even consider packing an extra plastic bag so you can also pack out any garbage you might encounter during your visit.

Be Courteous and Aware

It's easy to get caught up in working a route with your friends, but try to stay aware of other climbers who may want to get on your route also.

Avoid occupying a single route for many hours when other parties are waiting. There are tons of other great routes waiting.

Keep your footprint as small as possible. Avoid scattering your gear all around the base of the climbs.

Harassment

Harassment is reprehensible no matter how it occurs.

Whether it is one climber yelling at their partner or one or more climbers cat-calling someone they do not know or straight up physical assault - NONE of it is acceptable.

Unfortunately, intervening directly in any of these situations means putting yourself at risk. Do NOT confront anyone directly if you can avoid it. The best course of action is always to try to find a ranger. They are trained for these situations.

If you cannot find a ranger in a reasonable amount of time you may have to intervene, but your priority has to be safety - for you and the recipient of the harassment.

Friends Of Pinnacles can't tell you what to do, but you can learn how to deal with this sort of situation BEFORE it occurs. Start here, with the 5 Ds of Bystander Intervention created by the Right To Be organization.

Dangerous/Unsafe Behavior

Safety is paramount in climbing, so when you see someone doing something you think is unsafe, the inclination is to jump in and correct the offender, but use caution. Getting in someone's face while they are doing something unsafe will often only make things worse.

The way you handle the situation makes all the difference. As with harassment (above) you can learn some intervention techniques before you ever need them.

Start here, with the 5 Ds of Bystander Intervention

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Parking and Crowds

Now that Pinnacles is a National Park the days of getting to the Park at 9AM and finding a convenient parking spot are LONG gone especially on weekends.

The Park can be crowded even on off days, but it can be really bad during the optimal visiting months or worse, holidays.

Plan Your Arrival and Departure

• Arrive Early
• Know the Shuttle Schedules

Plan Your Climbing

• Know where you want to go and what you want to climb
• Have backups in case the area or climbs you are targeting are occupied

Large Groups

If you are coming to the Park with a large group of friends (half a dozen or more) please be extra aware of how you may affect other climbers.

• Try not to occupy a climb more than necessary
• Avoid setting top-ropes on multiple routes that are not always in use
• Avoid scattering your gear all around the base of multiple climbs
• If you are occupying an area for an extended period consider offering other climbers a turn on your top-rope or pull your rope aside to allow another party a chance to lead the climb.

I Gotta Go! (Pooping and Peeing Outdoors)

It's going to happen. At some point you are going to have to go and there will be no outhouse in site. So how do you properly pee and poo outdoors?

• For starters, step at least 100 feet off the trail, closer to 200 feet if you can manage it. Definitely 200 feet if you are near a water source.
• For poop dig a hole 6 to 8 inches deep (keep a small trowel in your pack to make this easier)
• Bury your poop, but NOT your toilet paper
• Have a plastic bag ready for the TP and pack it out with you

Erosion

Erosion is a serious problem a the Pinnacles due to the soft rock and soil. Help minimize erosion by staying on designated trails and keeping group sizes small at the base of the climbs.

Closures

Check for closure notices BEFORE your trip. Pinnacles has regular raptor closures every year and some areas can be closed beyond the designated times. You can find closure information here at FOP, on the Pinnacles Park site and on the Crud and Mud forum.

If you are hiking to your climbing destination and you come across a closure sign please abide the closure and choose another area in which to climb. The Park Service monitors these closures and the raptors will appreciate it.

Chalk

Pinnacles is very dry and as such chalk does not often get washed away with the rains. Use your chalk sparingly or consider a non-marking chalk alternative or challenge yourself and go chalkless.

More Information

For more information see our Guidelines For Climbing In The Park page.