Mary's Bust

I hope that this will not turn into a minor fiasco. However, in the search for unclimbed rock close to Denver, Golden, and Boulder the Big Thompson Canyon has come up repeatedly as a poorly developed area over all. In fact, there are many, many untouched crags that could yield some excellent climbing and at a high standard. A lot of these are North facing and just plain filthy - a major caveat on Mary's Bust. Many are, as B. Gillett has described in guide to Estes Park Valley, just plain choss - stay away choss that is. Ugly stuff. Mary's Bust has both of these disadvantages. But, the rock on MB is not of uniform quality, and in both directions. After humping all around the bloody thing, up and down, and through its gullies, I felt that BG's own route (one pitch, 5.9) had begun in a discontinuous region of good rock. So, in the spring of 2006 I added six pitches to this area that are largely on acceptable stone. These range from from 5.5/5.6 to 5.11+, and a still dirty TR'd 5.12 with an accessible anchor. More potential exists further left and some to the right. More importantly, some good faces can be found at the top of the cliff, and emerging from the main East gully. This stone was really very nice, but almost unapproachable without completing a line upon the main face. I could not dredge up the effort to do this yet. However, one of the new two pitch routes takes a stab in that direction, and at this point the effort to run the remaining distance may not be excessive. Also, the mixed line, Sparky, could get you to the top and provide access, so catching some of the rock above may not be out of the question. The crag does have the nice features of being very close to the parking, shady, big enough to be worth some investment, and the current routes will not crumble away under your feet. I have brushed what I put in, but this is not Glacier Point, so bringing a brush might be useful. Specific route beta will be posted as seems necessary.

I would be interested in some more in-depth route descriptions of the lines you have put up. Also, note that Sparky's Cooler is on the slabbier buttress just to the SW of the main buttress. It does go most of the way to the top, and I too have looked at some of the rock on the top and back side of Mary's Bust. Just a comment on the quality of rock in the canyon. There are tons of rocks that are as solid as can be found any where that are mixed in with the stuff that needs to be cleaned.

Allen, I would agree with your overall assessment of BTC climbing. On Mary's Bust, for the most part it is not the integrity of the rock that is really in question. While there can be some down right chossy stuff, a lot of the stone is as solid as stone can be. The North and East faces do require a lot of cleaning - and this is a huge dis-incentive for new route development. This is really not much different a situation than for any of the crags in this semi-alpine environment. The following lines have been added in the Spring of 2006. (1) Continuation of BG's one pitch 5.9. This pitch is 85 feet long, has a double bolt anchor and rap station at the top. At least 5.11 with thin tricky sequences. All bolts. (2) Starting 20 feet right is a new single pitch route that gains the broad ledge at 80 feet. A double bolt anchor and rap station are at the top. At least 5.11+/5.12- with one very complex and difficult sequence below the big flake. All bolts. (3) Twenty five feet further right is a very moderate line (Mary's Jugs). This runs up on huge jugs but for a single crux move. Half a dozen clips and a double bolt anchor and rap station at the top. (4) Starting just right of MJ is a two pitch route that has access to both the first big ledge and to the higher ledge. It also has an independent anchor at 85 feet that is separate from the ledge anchor out left. Pitch one goes at solid 5.10 with a single definitive crux surrounded by more moderate climbing. Pitch two is solid 5.11 with at least three hard cruxes. It takes the obvious corner/seam system at 100 feet. Two raps to the ground are required and a 60 meter rope may or may not be necessary. Mine is 60m and I had some left over at the lower station. (5) Coming off route 4 at it's independent chain anchor, one can move left to the higher ledge. This will access the wide groove obvious from the road. The groove comprises another route. 60ft long and stopping short of the high point of 4. This also has a double bolt anchor and rap station at the top. Expect 60ft of tricks with only one really good jam. A bit of wide crack technique, some heel and toe, will help. This pitch may tick in at 5.11 as well, but perhaps not hard at the grade. All of these routes have been brushed and cleaned (ugh, mega-drag). The rock is overall very solid. All but the easiest require significant attention to the foot work - lots of finesse and usually hard to see. The final crux on the 5.12 is an incomprehensibly thin slab, and much easier if you are tall. (hint: open the hands for friction in passing the penultimate bolt) This section is super well protected.

Thanks, Richard, for the descriptions. You should post them and their names on this site for all to enjoy. Question? Have you climbed Sparky's Cooler, and, if so, have you done the crack in the headwall on pitch 3? I have considered bolting part of this crack as it takes little good gear. Allen

Richard and Allen I have also done some bolting on Mary's Bust as well as working the approach trail. A couple years ago I added some bolts on lead to the start of Dynamite and one ring anchor next existing bolt about 80 ft. I also placed 3 bolts on lead to access crack .10a in middle of wall and anchors were the crack changes character. Lastly, I added 4 bolts to a route that started left of the bolted flake route. This completed the direct fall line of this seemingly incomplete route. These bolts were placed from rappel. This route is .11c.

Hi Scott !! Nice to know who has been at work here too. I would not have guessed that it was you, but after all the work you have done at the Head, CWC, CCC, and elsewhere I'm not surprised. It looked to me that both Dynamite and Suture Self had new gear added. At this point an updated topo might be useful. I have BG's pic, but as he indicated it is a tad sketchy and incomplete. If you or Allen had one we might circulate it and then post it for the sake of clarification. BTW, Allen, I have not yet done Sparky, so I am not familiar with its details.

Richard and Scott. I do not have a good pic of Mary's Bust. I want to ford the river and hike up hill to get a full on view. Every angle I have photographed from the road fails to suit me for topo use. Details for Sparky's Cooler are listed under Sparky's Cooler/Mary's Bust. If your climbing 5.12, Sparky's at 9+/10a won't be much af a challenge for you, but I think the line is nice. If you do climb it check out the crack in the head wall pitch 3. I have considered putting a couple of bolts on it as it is difficult to protect solidly, but it does seem like the natural direction to take that route. Can either of you draw well? That kind of topo might be nice. allen

There are two old aid lines on the west side of MB. Does anyone have any of the FA information on these routes?

Re: Scott's post of 2006. I believe the route he completed up the arete was an old 5.9R that went R after 3 bolts to BG's finish.
Any rate, climbed it last week and it is excellent - steep, intricate and challenging at 11b/c if done straight up. Don't be tempted R into the wide crack (easy) as the best climbing gets missed. Thanks for putting this up - nice for us folks who live in Loveland. A local crag!!!

Bert, nice to see you post something. There are several new lines on Mary's you might be interested in. al simons

Does anyone know about the two routes on a steep buttress just up on the left as you start up Big Thompson Canyon? They are about 50 ft above the road and I have been looking at them for years. Finally checked them out thought they were pretty good! The right route follows an arete through a couple of roofs and goes to a one bolt anchor(??). The center route is much harder and follows the center line up the buttress through a blocky roof crux. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks

Tom, can you more accurately locate the crag in question?

Hi Richard, Thanks for the response. It is about 1/4 mile upstream from the "Dam Store" Where there is a widened parking area on the right below the tube. Look for a basket on a cable that crosses the river. Then look straight south and you will be looking right at em' The routes sit on a prow about 50 ft up off of the road. They are about 70 feet long, side by side. I think I ended up posting this on the wrong thread, but I figured someone would see it.

Thanks!

Tom, the two routes are listed under Big Thompson Canyon under Beige Tube area/ The Narrows. I believe the names are Kermit and Friday the 14th. Allen

Richard Wright said:

"Starting 20 feet right is a new single pitch route that gains the broad ledge at 80 feet. A double bolt anchor and rap station are at the top. At least 5.11+/5.12- with one very complex and difficult sequence below the big flake. All bolts."

I was working this route today and it looks as if a hold might have broken from below the big flake. I haven't climbed on this before today but there is a place where a hold looks to have been for a left hand before one would reach up into the flake. Was there ever "a hold" there or has it always been just a slick micro-crimp for your left hand? After working on these moves I would say the crux feels 5.12 (It feels like a V5 or V6 bouldering move to me). Thanks to those that put in the newer routes, they are a blast.

I was working on this route with Mark Tarrant prior to surgery last year and it was clear that some things had broken off since the route went in. First to go was a good clipping edge at the third bolt making this a much more strenuous clip. Below the flake things have been shed. The best we could find was a tiny edge, now much smaller than before, below the flake and crimped by the left hand. This sequence seems really hard now. I was contemplating moving a bolt in order to enter the flake from further on the left. However, Mark did pull the move in its, hopefully, present state. The upper "slab" was largely unchanged but still very cruxy.

Thanks for the info Richard, and props to Mark for pulling that move, it seems crazy powerful off of terrible crimps and equally bad feet to me. Do you know the name or grade at all? It would be cool to post this route on MP. I am going to try to make a trip back in the next few weeks to work on this route, so I will check out the condition of the holds mentioned more closely.

Yesterday I climbed the route to the left of SIT and the big flake growing out of the trail. It would be very nice if someone would post an official route description. I'm not sure what the etiquette is, but perhaps Scott should name it since he completed the bolting of it. I'll suggest "Left In Time", "Just In Time", "It's About Time" in keeping with the theme for OOT and SIT.

I think that a good hold must have busted off about 1/3 of the way up. There is a 10" white spot in a place that I seem to remember wanting a hold for my right hand. But I don't think this one spot affects the rating, as the hardest section IMHO is right at the top. mohry - is this probably the chunk that came off on you?

If someone is willing it would be very nice to put some chains on the anchors. There is just a pair of old carabiners hanging in the screw-gate links. They look pretty scarred.

FYI, the anchors are hidden from view until you make the last clip, or a bit sooner if you get tempted into the wide crack at the end (as I was). They are just past the last bolt that you can see from the ground.