- Edit (TBD)
Description
Approach via Manufactured Crisis or Omega Crack trail. The route starts just right of the triangle proper, and enters the triangle in the 2nd pitch.
P1 Start about 20' right of the Trapezoid Chimney route (where it starts as a dihedral that leads into the CH). Climb to a hand crack that steepens to fingers through a bulge (5.10-). Step left on a ramp to a bit of a loose stem, then go left again on another ramp into the Trapezoid CH (5.7). Belay in fractured rock just above a chockstone on a ledge in the CH. While this crux and the rest of the route is solid, expect a little loose rock on this pitch above the crux.
P2 step left onto the first (small) ledge of several ledges on the triangle. Scramble up to the steep wall. Yellow Alien-sized pro in a horizontal, then either straight up (commiting 5.10-), or go left to a really cool and easier hand traverse that leads back right to above the pro. Another horizontal pocket for gear, then 5.10 through a bulge to the next ledge. Belay here, short pitch.
P3 Bolt-protected 5.11 boulder move (hard to figure out) to a sustained 5.10 thin crack (tricky pro, but not runout) that widens to 5.10- fingers before the next ledge. Climb the crack above the ledge (5.10- off-balance fingers to 5.10- hands). Belay immediately above the crack. Approx. 25 meters, sustained.
P4 Traverse left (West) on the diminishing ledge to the bolt on the steep face. Go up past another bolt and good gear (5.10-) and mantle onto a small ledge with a leaning dihedral. Climb this (5.11- stem, blue C4 in pod) to the next small ledge and belay.
The Zanzibar finish, an alternate pitch to P4&5, was climbed on an earlier recon. Go straight up immediately above the belay into the deep, blocky dihedral (5.8) capped by a roof. Traverse right under the roof, then wander up easy 5th to the right-leaning ramp. Full 60m pitch.
P5 Climb straight up past a flake (5.10- LB) just above the belay, and on to easy 5th class ground. Tend up and right toward a right-leaning ramp, then a 5.6 move to blocky ledges. Belay here.
DESCENT: 4th class traverse (steep, exposed) into the small, steep gully that leads down to the big pine tree. Keep traversing at the pine tree (3rd class) into the big gully. Walk down the gully toward the base of the Ship's Prow formation to find a hard-to-see double-rope rappel anchor.
Location
Located on the western portion of Omega Buttress, on the south-facing inverted-triangular shaped cliff between Omega Crack to the West and the seldom-climbed Trapezoid Chimney route delineating the Easterly border of the triangle. The triangle contains alternating light and dark rock layers.
Protection
Small-medium nuts, 2 sets of cams from black alien size to gold C4's. One blue C4 is necessary for the P4 crux. 3 bolts hand-drilled on lead. Two ropes necessary for descent rappel down gully. No fixed anchors.
Routes in Omega Buttress
- 2Omega Triangle5.11Alpine · Trad