Summer Chimney

Grade III because of the approach.

Brad White did a climb on "Buttress #2" he called "Autum Arete" so I decided to keep the "seasonal" theme. Plus, the driving force to climb up high was the 90+F day predicted for the valley!

The key feature of this route is the beautiful-looking chimney-crack system high on the buttress as viewed from the bushwhack approach. A secondary key feature is the thin crack that splits a nice slab a few feet right of a left-slanting, low-angle chimney system about 1/2 way up.

Exact description of the START is difficult. The route photo has orange letters that correspond to key features, these same orange letters identify these features in individual photographs of the climbing itself. I did not write down the pitch lengths, so they are "guess-t-mits".

P1 - Climb up a nicely featured "wall" (Route Photo#1) to a flat area. 60-80(?) ft 5.5-5.5

P2 - Move up and left on vegetated ledges to a low-angle chimney that slants left. (Route Photo #2) Up this (Var) easily and then back right to the key feature of the route a beautiful, steep chimney-crack. Up this and exit right (Route Photo #3) 100 - 120(?) ft 5.6 +/-

Variation - From a few feet up the chimney, balance-step right onto a block (climber has his right foot on the block in Route Photo #2) and move a few feet to beneath the crack. Up this (5.7 +/- very greasy on this day) to rejoin P2 below the steep chimney-crack. The leader, after digging out one cam placement in the crack, tried the move a couple of times before deciding to back off. The second followed on the resulting "Top Rope" and reported it very greasy from seepage; it had rained the previous night.

P3 - From the top of the chimney-crack I think we may have moved the belay a few yards right. In any event, move right until a beautiful quartz vein (Route Photo #4) allows reasonable passage (5.4-5.5) back left. Then up to the summit of the buttress. 80-100(?) ft 5.5 +/-

Center area of Buttress #1

Std rack - size #0.4 to #2 cams are useful, wired nuts helpful. I don't recall using the #3.