Like all rocks in the Lover's Leap area, this rock is huge, and an awesome (mostly) trad rock containing over 25 multipitch routes. Climbing is, as usual, granite fun with excellent horizontal dikes everywhere.
One of the best things about this 350 foot tall slab is that it's the fastest to get to from the camping area, taking about 10 minutes from the parking lot. The base area is also very developed, the tiering that was put in by the locals obviosly took some time, and makes for an inadvertant crash landing a much safer prospect.
All routes decend off the rock on the right (west) side of the rock in a gully that has a switchbacky yet developed trail.
Climbing on the Lower Buttress ranges from slightly overhung, to slightly slabby, with large crack systems, knobs, and other features to help you on almost all routes.
From the parking lot, head left at the fork from the parking lot. Head gently uphill on the trail until 150 yards past the Monk boulder, which is the large 25 foot rock on the left side of the trail. You will see the Lower Buttress, and will find the trail heading back at a greater than 90 degree angle heading over a 3' hump and around a medium-sized tree. Head on this trail for about 150 yards, and you will be at the rock in front of one of few sport routes, which is known as A Boy and His Arete (5.10d).
This excellent route ascends the entire length of the Lower Buttress, bringing you up out of the giant forest below and high enough so you think you're way the hell up. Then you top out, and realize that the main wall of Lover's Leap hovers over you, and that you're a mere peon in between the giant walls of horizontal dykes. For a 5.7, this has an excellent variety of terrian for only 3 pitches. Accessing the route is easy: Walking up to the Low...[more]
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