Energon Cube

Energon Cube has a surprising mix of good and bad for a short pitch, sometimes killer hand jams, sometimes crumbly kitty litter, sometimes at the same time! If the rock quality were better, this aesthetic route would climb much better.

When looking up at the Second Buttress of the Buick Rocks, Energon Cube follows the colorful flakes trending right across the face, on the right side of the prow. Most of the climbing follows corners and cracks along the flakes, eventually passing around a bulge to the right at the top. Begin with a right faceing corner at the foot of the buttress that immediately welcomes with untrustworthy flakes. Someone's ceremonial shrine sat the base of the crack 4/02, the first crux is stepping over the candles and offerings...perhaps an offering to the rock quality gods?

The climbing gets interesting as you leave two beautiful parrallel hand cracks (the best section of the climb) and pass a bulge on the right at the top. Here the rock gets a bit crumbly and disconcerting for the crux corner of the pitch, not that difficult, but questionable kitty litter always makes things more difficult for the mind...

You can set up a belay at some ledges at the top and scramble off the back of the formation, or better, hand traverse right out to the Unknown Face route and rap to the ground.

SR to 3.5