Pedestal Boulder Miniguide

Located near the east end of Cloud Shadow Wall, the Pedestal Boulder possesses a number of fine moderate problems that mostly serve as warmups before folks get silly with all that the Cloud Shadow Wall offers. Where: The best way - from a social trail and user impact perspective - to approach the Pedestal Boulder is to head up Flagstaff Road and park on the left 1.2 miles after passing over the Armstrong Bridge at Capstan Rock. Walk up the road 50 yards to the guardrail at the hairpin turn. Step over the guardrail and drop down to the southeast to Cloud Shadow Wall. The Pedestal Boulder is the free-standing lump of rock located 10 feet from the east (far) end of Cloud Shadow Wall.

1. East Slab VB ... FA: Unknown

Start low on the left side of the east face and head up obvious holds.

2a&b. East Seam VB ... FA: Unknown

From either start, climb the slab/crack with lots of positive surrounding features to the top.

3. East Bulge V1 ... FA: Unknown

Contrived but fun. Start with #2b. With good feet, move up and establish in a short seam with some handjams and an undercling. Surmount the top bulge using poor features, including a small edge, on the shield of rock between #2 and #4.

4. Northeast Layback V2 ... FA: Unknown *

Really good and fun. From the starting holds for #5 (a selection of poor but well-chalked features under the right side of the east side of the Pedestal), move up to matching crimps and continue straight to the top. The easiest and funnest way I've found to do this problem is to bump into a high flake jug with your RH, high-step and pull yourself up top.
5. Steven Tyler Visits Boulder V3/4 ... FA: Peter Jones, 1996 *
A fun, slightly harder and challenging variation to #6 that begins from a selection of poor but well-chalked features under the right side of the east side of the Pedestal, slide right to edges on the lip and continue across the lip with sparse grips and slopers to topout around the other side of the boulder with #8.
6. Pedestal Traverse V2 ... FA: Jim Erickson, 1969 *
From a selection of poor but well-chalked features under the right side of the east side of the Pedestal, trend up and right up a rail sytem that continues around the other side of the boulder to topout with #8.
7. Achey Variation V3 ... FA: Jeff Achey, 1980 *
Start under the left side of the west-facing overhang on obvious holds and reach up, back and left with your LH to the rail. Match and pull directly up top here.
8. The Roof V0 ... FA: Unknown *
Not a roof. From the same starting holds as #7, make a long easy reach to a small RH crimp, go again to the rail and pull over the left side of the west-facing overhang.
9. The Notch VB ... FA: Unknown
A few feet right of #8, but left of the tree and the downclimb, climb up and over on big holds on the right side of the overhang.
10. Pedestal Arete VB ... FA: Unknown
Twenty feet right of #9, down by itself and well right the downclimb and the tree, start low on and continue up good holds to a moderate topout.