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Decent off Brownstone Wall (Armatron)

Original Post
Edward_ · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 245

So, I did Armatron this weekend and spent 1 hr trying to figure out where this N/E/NE decent trail is after topping out Brownstone Wall. We ended up going down the wrong gully (tons of bush wacking, a stuck rope which I used and some 2 pitches worth of chimney downclimbing)

From here ( mountainproject.com/v/10694…) do you have to go up I believe another 50 ft? I did see a possible ridgeline but nothing looked obvious enough as a decent ramp. I ended up going down from this picture.

Just recalling where I got lost this weekend...

TIA!

Dow Williams · · St. George, Utah; Canmore, AB · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 240

turn right and go to the tiny col. Up the other side and to the right gaining a ramp to a tree. Then continue right to a small summit and down to the north of that a few meters to a well established descent trail that faces more east. Takes about 10 minutes to descend back to your packs. Don't know if I described it any better on summitpost than what you found here, but here is my full description for what it is worth, written quite a few years ago and used by quiet a few folks with no complaints...

Armatron
Well, it really is simple, however, there are cairns leading you down the wrong gully to the north (which of course we followed for a bit). The gully you want is a very quick descent. So remember, you started close to the end of the north wall to begin with. From the summit, drop down northeast into a notch and traverse a little further north until into a nice easy going broad gully that will take you all the way back to the base of the route in short order. Scramblers come up this gully to tag the Juniper Peak summit, so a trail should be evident with cairns. You can rap the route, but it is much quicker to descend the gully if you plan on tagging the summit.

Edward_ · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 245

Thanks for the reply Dow. I did read SummitPost but I confess that I don't have a lot of experience on RR decents and my comprehension sucks. :)

What is "tiny col" ?

Dow Williams · · St. George, Utah; Canmore, AB · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 240

when you top out on several of those 5.9 routes, it is approximately the same finish...I can see I described it in quite a bit more detail on the last one I climbed of that group...Requiem for a Tad Pole...

like much of Red Rock, Requiem and Sweet Thin are the better routes even though at times folks wait in line to follow each other up Armatron vs spreading out...the small col I mention is located a few meters north of where the climbing tops out on a sub summit..then you ascend the col to the other side to an actual summit register maintained by hiking groups..

You can walk off or rappel straight down the wall. I have not done the rap, so don’t know the sequence for that, but have seen the stations. Start with the rap chains atop the 5th pitch. The walk off is quite pleasant and quick. Move north and make a down climbing move onto a sloping slab. Cross over to a bushy ramp that angles up left and then turns back right to another, steeper ramp, with some exposure. Follow this ramp past a tree to the summit of north Brownstone Wall. The true summit is to your right and has a summit register (2009). Move down and north until you reach a gully that abruptly turns back southeast for the descent. Follow this gully down as it doglegs right and returns to the base of the climb.

Edward_ · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 245

Ah, so I had to go West a little bit to then top out the wall just north (behind Brownwall) before trending E/NE and down?

Thanks again, Dow and John... much appreciated.

Sherri Lewis · · Sequim, WA · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 316

Once on the summit, look towards Vegas and you will a tree with ornaments dangling from it. There is a large, light-colored boulder a bit to your left...look behind that boulder for the cairns that mark the start of the descent trail.

Brownstone Wall summit tree (descent trail begins behind large boulder to the north of this.)

Look for cairn behind this boulder.

Boulder to the left is beside beginning of descent trail.

Edward_ · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 245

Thanks for the reply! Sheri - are you facing the top of Armatron/Brownstone Wall there?

Much appreciated for all the replies!

Doug Foust · · Oroville, WA · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 165

The trail off Juniper is quite decent.

Sherri Lewis · · Sequim, WA · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 316

Edward--my partner there is on top of the Brownstone Wall, facing Calico Basin in that photo. Armatron route would be below and to her right. The descent trail is to her left.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Nevada
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