Composite image taken from near the top of the Fri...
Description
Here is a route with an approach that will take you longer than doing the route itself! If this turns you off, no need to read farther. This route looks intriguing from the loop road, but it is a huge effort to get to the base and the route is shorter than it looks (only 5 pitches). It is best to take a very small rack as the climb is not that hard. This route is the Snake Dike of Red Rocks, but that perhaps is too big a compliment. Still, I highly recommend this route if you are up for an adventurous day of mostly hiking.
Approaches (from hardest to easiest): (1) Climb the Frigid Air Buttress, then wander up through the maze in front of the summit to the base of the climb. In my photo this approach goes directly towards the summit dome from below. Be warned that the easiest routes on the Frigid Air Buttress are considerably harder than 5.6, and could be up to 9 pitches long! I don't know anyone who has done it this way, although I'm sure some parties have done it.
(2) Hike up the broad ridge south (left) of the entrance to Refrigerator Canyon. This is the way we went, marked by the black line in the photo. Most of this route appears to be easy, and indeed almost all of it is scrambling. At one point there is a 200' high cliff (visible in the sun on the ridge before cutting back right), we couldn't find any way to scramble around it. So we did 2 pitches up grungy rock with some 5.8 to climb the wall directly. 6 hours to the base of the route! We marveled at the climbing ability of some bighorn sheep on this approach.
(3) Take the trail up Bridge Mountain (requiring a long hike from Willow Springs or 4WD to get to the trailhead). Before reaching the summit, you will see the arch the peak is named after and beyond that the "hidden forest" in a pocket of soil in the slickrock. Head NE down a slot and traverse east to the base of the route, I believe this approach is the red line I have marked in the photo although I have not done it. See Swain's guide for more info.
The climb itself follows cracks on a blunt arete and goes quickly. The setting feels surprisingly remote.
Descent: I suppose one could go back down using the descent on approach (3) and then down the east side using (1) or (2), but this sounds like an epic. The usual descent is to go down the trail. Beware that this route follows bare rock at the start and is not that easy to locate. You can try hitchhiking back from the trailhead but no SUV's passed us and we ended up walking along the road all the way back to our car at Willow Springs, a distance of 8-10 miles from the summit.
Protection
Light rack to 2". You might want a larger piece if 5.6 is your limit.
George: You truly are an adventuresome soul. Not many people would endeavor to put in the effort to explore the further reaches of Red Rock Canyons. Subsequently, not many others would discover the secret treasures like arches and hidden forests. There is so much to discover out there once you get away from the scenic loop road. My hat's off to you. I have not yet, but have long wanted to do a route on Bridge Mountain as it is such a strikingly beautiful swath of stone. Thanks for posting so many good routes and concise information. Philop.s. Your digi-pic of Wilson is awesome you should think about posting it.
Thanks for the comments, Philo! Regarding this route, you probably do not want to take a skeletal rack if you use approaches 1 or 2, as they both involve climbing of at least 5.8. The shortest route up the Refrigerator Buttress is "Burlesque (5.9)", for which you need some big cams, I believe. Bummer to have to haul all those heavy cams over the summit.
This is a full day event packed with an interesting and beautiful hike. The climb proper is easy and fun-icing on the cake. A light rack is preffered considering the long hike, but some may want a few #3 cams to "sew-up" the chimney pitches. A storm had brought snow down to 5,000 feet and some snow remained in the chimneys after 5 days of 70+ temperatures. Rocky Gap Road is SERIOUS off roading-do not underestimate the difficulty. It took an 1.5 hours to get to the summit of Rocky Gap Road in a stock Chevy Trailblazer, which barely made it. You will want something with even more clearance. All said and done, this is a great adventure worth doing.
Bridge Mountain
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