West Buttress

The West Buttress is a burly classic featuring many excellent pitches like the gold ribbon 5.8 layback, the Jungle Chimney, the steep headwall crack reminiscent of the Salathe headwall and finally the Grand Traverse to the comfort of the well-travelled Lurking Fear. May it not be forgotten the West Buttress was established in 1963 by Layton Kor and Steve Roper with pitons and mountain boots.

Pitch 3 is excellent featuring two proper pendulums and the only pitch that required hammering. We brought 3 small beaks and used all of them. This is a good intro to A3. Tagging the hammer down to the follower to clean worked fine.

The Jungle Chimney is the adventure crux of the route, let the monkey out for this one!!!

The Grand Traverse is epic and might be as hard to clean as to lead. The first two pitches of the traverse are rated A3 but we climbed them without a hammer and they did not feel too desperate. The 2nd pitch of the traverse will eat every tiny cam you have, there are only 2 lower out points on the 100’ pitch so you’ll be leaving all your gear behind, bring at least doubles in 000 to blue totem, including offsets.  Consider tricams for these pitches.

Motel Zed is easily accessible from the 12th belay and usually open for reservations.

Finally Lurking Fear joins the West Buttress.

All belays are two bomber bolts, thank you to the efforts of those replacing these bolts!

Just down hill from Lurking Fear. A small but comfortable ledge leads to a tree at the base of a low angle corner. This is the 5.6 start. Approximately 1hr walk from meadow

Suggested Rack:

3 ea small, med, large beak

Small to med nuts, offsets are best

3x 000-black totem

2-3x blue totem to #5 camalot

1-2x#6 camalot

1x#7 optional

1-2 sets offset cams

1ea med, large hook

1-2 narrow cam hooks

5 rivet hangers

80' lower out line for haul bag, optional