new last pitch for the Squamish buttress, 5.9

[eresc]

Sonnie Trotter is reporting on his blog that a new easier finish to the Squamish buttress is now available:

http://sonnietrotter.com/2010/07/28/a-l ... e-readers/

[squamish climber]

This does look like a good bypass to avoid the traffic jam at the bottom of the 10c.

As well, a full-height climb up the Chief is now open to more climbers since the hardest move is 5.9.

If anybody does it this weekend I wouldn't mind hearing what you think.

Thanks Sonnie Ben and Lydia for the route and hard work.
Topo taken from Sonnietrotter.com

[jipstyle]

The route looks great. Big thanks to Sonnie and pals for their work setting up a moderate route.

Now, if only we could teach Sonnie to set a comma as well as he sets a cam.

[harihari]

The route looks great. Big thanks to Sonnie and pals for their work setting up a moderate route.

Now, if only we could teach Sonnie to set a comma as well as he sets a cam.

He's doing pretty good for a full-time dirtbag. Same goes for Will Gadd
Now i wonder how lower Pan-tease turns into upper pan-tease...perhasp the good mr Trotter could bust some 11+ and inform us of that.

[jipstyle]

He's doing pretty good for a full-time dirtbag. Same goes for Will Gadd

No doubt!

[Optimally-Primed]

I, for one, say kuddos to Sonnie and crew who cleaned the Butt Face! It's a testament to the spirit of this community when the 5.14 climbers are scrubbing 5.9 lines... and soloing out in runners after a hard day's work. It's a pleasure and an honour to be one participant among many in this Golden Era of route development in Squamish. Hats off to you Sonnie!
Jeremy

[evenstevens]

Definitely worth doing. You can make a cordolette anchor around a huge flake at the base of the 5.9 first pitch after moving the belay up from the traditional tree belay on the buttress proper. There is one bolted anchor half way along, but it would be hard to see your second from it, and difficult to see the leader on the next pitch. When I did it (I was guiding so used different tactics) I made a gear belay where I could see the second, did one full horizontal pitch, then made a belay off a bolt and a nut, then one more pitch back up to join the last 5.6 pitch of the buttress. The last part of the variation has a funky chimney, put your back on the cliff and layback the outside arete with some foot holds there, but you are rewarded with some jugs at the end of those moves.

It is dusty but quite clean, has been seeing TONS of traffic, more than the original line for sure!

Don't forget at the very bottom of the Apon is Kris Wild's new calculus direct, which adds some more 5.9 making a really long 5.9 to the top of the chief.

Have fun.

[damien]

Easiest route to the summit of the Chief?

[Optimally-Primed]

Climbed the Buttface the other day.

Here's a photo from the start:



A closer look at the 5.9 crux



Some bulleted thoughts:
- For a 5.9 route, this thing has some wild exposure over the South Gully.
- I thought the 5.9 crux was quality climbing and good fun on good holds.
- Most of the route involves walking up ledges, which is consistent with the rest of the Buttress.
- Well cleaned---Sonnie does fine work at whatever he does
- For a 5.9 leader, climbing all the way up the Chief for the first time, via this route, would be a mind-blowing experience.
- the "left shoulder in crack" part is a bit intimidating and not easier than 5.8.
- Unless you're simuling with a relatively short rope, belaying at the leftmost point on the climb (off a bolt and a nut) is highly recommended to keep rope drag manageable.

[lylek]

It's a pleasure and an honour to be one participant among many in this Golden Era of route development in Squamish.

Golden Era ~ n.
1. A period of great peace, prosperity, and happiness.
2. Greek & Roman Mythology. The first age of the world, an untroubled and prosperous era during which people lived in ideal happiness.

From what I've been reading here lately, not sure if "peaceful" and "happy" will reflect this period in Squamish's route development history ... maybe more like an "industrial revolution" taking place ... ?

Big P Props to Ben, Lydia and Sonnie for the time and effort to find a v.moderate solution to the SB bottleneck, much appreciated.
Lyle

[Optimally-Primed]

That's not what I meant by "Golden Era".

The Real Golden Era

Divas!

[Anders Ourom]

Jeremy, that's just plain disturbing.

I was doing some work on the backside trail yesterday, and ran into several descending climbers who'd finished SB via the new finish. All were positive about it.

In the distant past, probably when p'terodactyls were nesting on the Chief, a few parties escaped into South Gully at about that point. It involved a rappel, bush, and so on, but was an option, e.g. if it rained. Glad that it's now an alternative finish (avoiding the gully), given the fustercluck often seen on the hard pitch. Good work, Sonny and friends!

[Lurch]

We hit buttface yesterday, awesome variation.

I would imagine the left shoulder in the crack part would be alot easier if done that way. I chose to block that beta out for some reason and did it facing forward. A tad bit harder the way i chose to do it.

Excellent exposure over the south gully, and a nice view of the prow.

We used the bolted anchor, but the leader was carefull to sling everything long on the crux part and had no issues. I also didn't place very much on the next pitch, clipped the bolt long and placed the cam in the chimney. I also used an omega in the right handhold, at the top right before i lost my feet and swung out on a sweet undercling and right jam.. Such a sweet feeling hanging from a jam.

Anyways... Highly Recommended.

Mike

[stefanl]

We climbed this today ... and I loved the ending! It fits in with the rest of the route (couple of moves and then mantle onto a ledge). We belayed from the bolted anchor and used slings on every piece leading to that point and had no issues with rope drag. The shoulder-beta is SWEET, love that move (although I tried going out onto the face first but quickly jammed my shoulder back in when I noticed a lack of holds).
Thanks for the hard work!