Approaching Illusion Buttress from the south side ...
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 Illusion 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 now three 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 alot 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. Either side of the drainage is acceptable, though it seems that the north side might ultimately provide the cleanest, easiest route. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half to reach the buttress itself, passing under a dark varnished wall on the north side, detached from the bigger formation.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Illusion Buttress:
Print a Mini-Guide - Includes Routes!
RSS Feed
Illusion Buttress
Slideshow
