From the dirt parking lot 9.6 miles west of the Beige Siphon Tube look up hill and west. The South Buttress/Slab is up hill 100 yards. Bush whack up and right to the base of the climb, about 30 yards left the the gully that separates the North and south rocks of Mary's Bust.
Pitch 1A. Start under the bolt that is 15 fet up. Go up, traverse left past the bolt and up thru a slot. Go a few more feet up and left, then traverse right to a belay (40 feet off the ground). Pitch 1B. Direct start. 15 feet right of the bolt for 1A. Climb up to the bulging overhang clip a bolt and go up/left, then back right(10a ) past 3 more bolts to a two bolt anchor which is 25 feet up and right from the start of pitch two below.
Pitch 2. Follow the slanting seam up and right past a fixed pecker head to a bowl with 2 bolts(end of pitch 1B). Continue up the slot past a second bolt that can't be seen till you get to it (15 feet up from first bolt). 5.6 Wander up and sligltly left past two more bolts (5.6 R) to a large ledge with a bolt and piton belay.
Pitch 3. If you look up and right 50 feet, a shallow crack goes up the vertical headwall. It doesn't take much gear if any (A4?, toproped at 5.11) From the anchors, go straight up 20 feet (5.4 no gear) to a class 4 right-slanting upward traverse that ends with a 2 bolt anchor directly above the headwall crack. (Toprope the crack from here or....)
Pitch 4. Move straight up the water slot steming past the only bolt on the pitch then up run out 5.3 to a two bolt anchor. Rap off or walk of the the south.
Protection
6 draws/bolts, a couple with longer slings. Route does not take removable gear.
Pitch One B. Just for clarification I have not lead One B, just top roped it. A couple of bolts would make this the prefered start and add a couple of degrees of fun to this long route.
I recently [climbed] this route again. At the top of the second belay my [original] line wandered up left a bit from the anchors, 5.4 or so, to access a 60 foot right slanting break in the rock that is class 4 climbing. This class 4 section ends at anchors directly above the difficult crack in the headwall. I climbed a new variation this last time. From the second belay, I climbed up and right instead, directly to the base of the right slanting break. This was fun and more direct, but 5.8 R- no gear- placement-climbing. The 5.8 move was 20 or 25 feet up from the anchors, and as my partner Pat put it when I finally finished looking at it saying " watch me" (what he was going to watch other than a 50 foot fall is now beyond me). He stated "you better boulder it like you mean it". He was right for sure. A fall here would ruin your day. Guess I meant it but it was scary. I may go back and add a bolt or two or even look for a continuation to avoid the class four slanting break. I have considered bolting the crack in the head wall since it takes little gear and the placements seem poor. This crack seems the logical place for the route to go up. I have top-roped it from the anchors above, (10+), and often seeping water. I keep hoping someone with more fortitude than I will lead it free and report it. Given that old slings have been found all over this area it may well have been climbed already but as in much of the canyon, who knows? Any takers?
Hey Allen, have you ever thought of placing the gear first and then leading it "pink-pointing" it? If you led it a few times you could maybe figure it out enough to lead and place the gear. If you wouldn't mind, I would like a shot at it in the next couple of months. Just to keep it pure, I would say not to bolt it but I can't really say without seeing it. Climb safe, Travis
It will be a while before I get up there, so go for it. The placeable protection is poor and off of difficult stances. A fall would be a sure injury, and there is a back breaking rock at the bottom. I have top roped this section, and it is hard. Then, it is wet much of the time too. I probably won't bolt this section after considering it for some time now. I think I will add some bolts to a more direct line from the second belay that will arch up and right to the third belay. If you get it, let me know; or if you want me to go up with you, I can do that too. Allen
New bolt at second belay right of fixed pin. Third belay could use chains or Q-links. New slings at third belay (red/black and orange/black) as of 4-20-08. Fun start over the bulge directly above first bolt right of watter slot. 5.10r/x to the anchors no-pro. Is the headwall crack ever dry?
J.P., the crack in the headwall does dry, usually in the summer unless there is a lot of rain. Question, what part of the route are you calling 10 r/x? I felt the direct start to be 5.10 but only a little run out. allen
I went way right of the first bolt over a bulge that had some missing/broken holds, very thin. Ran it out to the anchors on 5.10ish ground, a fall would have put me on the deck. I got off route early, and scratched my way back to anchors. I think??? I was between the direct start and the 5.6 start? Probably doesn't help much. But, I tried. I like a lot of the sport routes that you have put up. Where is chicken head hop? Off topic, but I found TR chains halfway up the ridge above the swichback, but that's it besides the two other sport climbs 30yds uphill (on the north ridge facing Combat). Thanks J.P. Boyd.
Glad you like the routes. Yes, sounds like you found an alternate start between the two, I have top roped that section. From your decription of where you found TR anchors on Bobcat, if they were on the east side of the ridge you need to hike up hill further. On the wall right next to the TR wall there is a south-facing wall that has a line of bolts, all hangers missing put up and removed by the unknown. Uphill from that a ways is another south-facing wall with 2 bolted lines, Hook 'n Ladder and Tip toe, and then uphill a bit further is what appears to be a crack that turns into a right-slanting OW and chimney, also east-facing. Chicken Head takes the wall just right of it and around the corner to the left is another climb, climbing for dummies. Allen
Mary's Bust
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