Lower PINTAC Canyon | King Mesa

Canyoneering Lower PINTAC Canyon - King Mesa Canyoneering Lower PINTAC Canyon

King Mesa

Overview | Getting There | Route | Photos | Maps | Comments

Overview

Mon Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. West southwest wind 6 to 18 mph.
81° | 52°
Tue Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75.
75° | 54°
Wed Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69.
69° | 49°
Thu Sunny, with a high near 73.
73° | 45°
Fri Sunny, with a high near 61.
61° | 40°
View Full Forecast
RATING: 4A X
SEASON: Spring, Fall
GEAR: Standard Technical Gear / 20 m webbing
RAPPELS: 2 to 22 m ( 73 ft. )
WATER: Generally little or none.
FLASHFLOOD: Moderate/High
Mon Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. West southwest wind 6 to 18 mph.
81° | 52°
Tue Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75.
75° | 54°
Wed Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69.
69° | 49°
Thu Sunny, with a high near 73.
73° | 45°
Fri Sunny, with a high near 61.
61° | 40°
View Full Forecast
canyonnarrowhigh stemmingcanyon rating xaccess: high clearance
Nice canyon below the narrow slot.

Nice canyon below the narrow slot.

Pain In The Ass Canyon, or PINTAC as it is more commonly known, is said to be a beast! I know of only one group of expert climbers that descended the whole canyon. They reported hours unprotected of off-width up and down climbs - some of the hardest climbing they had done. I am a climber, but multiple unprotected 30-40 ft off width up/down climbs are way beyond my comfort zone.

This route is LOWER PINTAC, the bottom part of the canyon. Though tamer than the upper section, this section is still X-rated, with much exposed high stemming.

Unlike its neighbor DDI and Big Tony, the high stemming section is a bit shorter, maybe around 1-1.5 hours for most groups. The lower part of the canyon, below the high stemming, is quite beautiful.

Warning: This is a hard canyon for expert canyoneers and climbers only. You will be stemming for 1-1.5+ hours unprotected 12 m ( 40 ft. )+ off the canyon floor. A slip could easily be fatal. All members of the group must be at an expert level!
Looking at the lower section on the approach, below the tight slot.

Looking at the lower section on the approach, below the tight slot.

MRK getting started down the canyon.

MRK getting started down the canyon.

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