Disappearing Buttress  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  11,214. Good page?    Administrators:  Larry DeAngelo, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Andrew Carson on Sep 7, 2009 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

A view of the Disappearing Buttress from the south side of...

Description 

A small canyon cuts into the escarpment just north of the well known Illusion Crags. On the north side of this drainage, more or less at the entrance, is a 500' buttress which we called the Disappearing Buttress. Surely it's been visited by climbers over the years, and the January '09 parties found some old webbing at a rap station, but there's no record of these earlier groups.
There are already several enjoyable routes on good rock, with room for more. The area receives a long day of sun even in the dead of winter, since there isn't a massive formation to the south which would intercept the sun, something of an issue in other canyons. Although you can't escape the sound of traffic from the Pahrump Hwy, it still has a distinct feel of privacy and solitude, with little sign so far of previous passage. The descent is easy, the approach is neither long nor hard, and the area, particularly the upper tier of rock beneath which descending parties hike, offers a lot of room for future routes. This upper band is of especially attractive rock but is probably far enough away that it will be a while before routes are established.

Getting There 

Drive as for Illusion Crags (and on to Windy Peak) and park at any of several pullouts below the Illusion area. Hike across the desert and into the mouth of the canyon, and to the base of the buttress.

Although there are options, it is probably easiest to park at a small turnout a few hundred yards north of the normal parking spot for the Illusion Crags. Head across the desert following occasional trail fragments toward the cliff. The route goes generally up the small ridgelets in the area of the main wash. As you approach the mouth of the canyon, cross to the right and follow improving trails on the north side of the canyon. The route passes under a dark varnished wall on the hillside, detached from the bigger formation.

Descent 

From the shoulder at the top of the buttress a long, spacious ledge system angles west beneath another tier of cliffs. Walk and scramble along this, crossing a couple of very minor ridges, to a wide slabby gully. Go down the gully to the slopes below. From this point it is probably easiest to pass right (south) of the small outcrop, then contour east toward the toe of the buttress.

The Classics

Featured Route For Disappearing Buttress

Sunday Cruise 5.6 PG13  NV : Red Rock : ... : Disappearing Buttress

This is a decent route up the far right side of the buttress. P1- Start up a featured finger crack on the right side of the buttress. Continue up and left to a belay at a large tree. 180'P2- Traverse out right from the anchor and up on good holds to the base of an open book. Climb up the open book to the base of an obvious corner. Start up the corner, then swing out left on good holds and up to an another tree anchor. Watch for rope drag on this pitch. 200'P3- Easy 4th/5th class leads to the...[more]   Browse More Classics in NV

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BETA PHOTO: The Disappearing Buttress. The leftmost line is [[10654126...