BETA PHOTO: Northwest Buttress of Capitol Peak, July 2003
Description
The Northwest Buttress is a fantastic journey up a crack system that turns into a steep arete going up the north face of Capitol Peak. It is among the best of the technical routes to be found in the Elk Mountains, but it still has loose rock in some places. From Capitol Lake, continue south around the lake on a pack trail to Capitol Pass at 12,080. From the pass, work up talus to the southeast or left until the bottom of the face is reached. Traverse left for 30 feet to the beginning of an obvious crack system that leads to a chimney. Fixed gear may be visible.
Pitch 1 - Climb a finger crack that ends with a traverse left to a roof. Crank through the roof to gain a stance. From the stance, clip the old fixed bolt, and climb into a crack system that begins almost horizontal and arches up and to the left. This section is wide. From the top of the crack, crank through another small roof to a stance. Jam the off-finger crack (crux) above the stance to a belay of fixed slings beneath the chimney. 5.9.
Pitch 2 - Get into the chimney with a hard move and continue up to the end of the chimney on a slab. Belay at an anchor of fixed slings. Be careful of loose rock on this pitch. 5.8.
Pitch 3 through 5 - Scramble or simul-climb a low angled slab and gully system for 400 feet to the base of the Unicorn Spire. Through an easy, but obscure line, climb past the Unicorn Spire on the right and continue up and right past a rotten spire to regain the crest of the arete.
Pitch 6 through 10 - Climb the steep arete for several pitches to gain a small saddle on the ridge proper.
Pitch 10 to 13 - From a fixed piton belay at the end of the saddle, climb a crack system up to a very loose roof. Crank through the roof and go up and right. We belayed from a fixed piton. Continue up over slabs to the summit.
The Knife Edge Ridge is the descent route. It is a good idea if someone in the party is familiar with the descent. It is long and complex. The Northwest Buttress route is very committing. After climbing the 1st 2 pitches, you are pretty committed to climbing the whole thing and coming back down the other side. Use Lou Dawson's guide as a reference with a topo. Roach also gives a good description, but has no topo. The route gets sun hit fairly early, with the bottom of the face getting the sun the latest.
Protection
Take a light alpine rack and a bigger piece, maybe a number 4 Camalot for the 1st pitch.
Capitol's NW Buttress is one or maybe two stars. A beautiful sight, like Mt Morrison in the Sierras, but too rotten.
7/12/2008: The summit and descent on Capitol are really cool too. It's good.
By Julian Smith From: Colorado Springs, CO Jul 24, 2006
That's a fair assessment Ken is making. The mountain/route is very characteristic of the Elk Mtns... as in it is loose... however, different strokes for different folks. Thankfully, where the route is hardest is also where the rock is the best, on the first pitch that is.
This route is great fun, as long as you can handle the choss. The first pitch would be classic if it was at any crag. After that, expect some loose, but easy climbing. We simuled everything but the first pitch and the 5.7 roof pitch up high. This is a good mountaineering route in the Elks, and you'll most likely have fun if you look at it as such.
A friend did a route on the southeast side of the mountain that he said followed good rock the whole way, but I don't have any further details.
Just did this route this weekend. The first 2 pitches are wet, really wet water running down the 9 crack at the top of p1 and water gushing out of the chimmney.
With that said, what a route. It is long, loose and chossy. It just keeps going and going. We had snow on every pitch, loose rock everywhere.
This route is not for the faint of heart. Every pitch is S and some are VS all 5.6 and above. The descent would be hell for a party that did not know it and could be consdered the hardest part of the route:).
There is no one route of this buttress. Just use your route finding skills and try to keep the easiest and cleanest line. Simul-climbing could be done on some of the pitches but we opt-ed not to for safety reasons. Simulclimbing with no gear in between you since all gear is in choss and nothing is really bomber is not a good recipe for safety - you mine as well just each solo it. On average, I would say I got 2-3 bomber pieces in each pitch and 4-6 so so pieces.
Do not take this route or this mountain lightly. But if you are prepared - it is quite the accomplishment.
By J. Albers From: California Aug 27, 2009 rating: 5.9
I was about to disagree with Michael about the 'R' rating, but...I do remember climbing a bit of loose choss where I am not so sure gear would have held. That said, most of the loose stuff is on terrain that is pretty darn easy, and you should be able to carefully (and safely) dance your way up stuff.
I would disagree that overall the gear was not good. Except for the 4th class section (maybe 400 feet or so) right after the crux opening pitches and maybe a 50 foot section (mentioned above) getting onto the ridge proper in the middle of the climb, the gear is pretty good. I never had problems finding good gear and good anchors. If some of those pitches were at the crag, then sure they would get an 'R' rating, but this is the mountains (The Elks for that matter) which kinda implies that you have to watch what you touch, though this route does have WAY more crap rock than up in the Park.
The first couple of pitches, a couple in the middle, and the final headwall (i.e. all of the parts with any real technical climbing) are solid enough. Everywhere else is definitely scary loose choss (some of it BIG). Two stars because the line is so compelling and combined with the great descent makes for a great outing, just don't expect a clean climb (if it was, I would give it 4 stars).
I would only submit that just because the climbing is easy does not mean it is not 's'. I never had problems finding gear either but it was because as you stated the climbing is really easy for the most part. I did not stop to look around and only took what was staring at me in the face.
My post was simply meant to warn people that were hoping to climb this route where 9 was their limit and who were not comfortable running it out on 7s. I see more and more of these type of people in the mountains everyday. "Oh, I climb 5.10 at the sport park, let's go do NW Butress, it's only 5.9" :)
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