Armatron 

This climb is not in any guidebook. It's amazing what good stuff is still all over the place at Red Rocks!

Does anybody know where this route is relative to High Anxiety and The Nightcrawler (in Swain)? I assume it is right of them? Can you alternatively descend left and down the Gunsight, as with High Anxiety? I suppose it might be a long walk compared to 4 raps. Also, I assume you cannot rap the route with one 60m rope?

George, Armatron is WAY right of Nightcrawler, probably a quarter mile or so - see the photo on this site. You need 2 ropes to rap (kind of a shame, since the first and 4th pitches are 90' and this is a great combo with MysterZ or Rose Hips or Aquarium).

We added a new left variation to the first pitch of Armatron, fun climbing, around 5.9 R. Start in the gentle "scoop" about 40' left of the bolted start (about 2/3 of the way to the big crack/corner), slab climb up 5.7/8 to a nut placement about 30' up, then climb right along the horizontal crack to the most prominent thin crack (a big loose flake is a few feet to the right). Up that until it pinches off, then crux thin face moving up and right to the anchor (clip the 5th bolt on Armatron). All you need is thin nuts (include RPs) and a couple small cams (I used a #1 TCU and a green alien), although there was a great 3.5" hole along the horizontal crack (just a bit too big for a #3 Camalot). Most people will want to TR, but it's a fun lead if you're comfortable at the grade. The small nut placements didn't have the micro-scraping that indicated prior use, but of course someone could have led this before and just run it out more. If not, FA of the left variation is Greg Barnes, Karin Wuhrmann 4/06.

Great route, we climbed this today after linking it with MysterZ. You could also meet up with this route by climbing to the top of Geronimo and then climb two more pitches to the top (5.8+). I especially liked the knotted sling left on the 5.9 pitch of Armatron as fixed pro or bail gear. We considered climbing past the fourth pitch to the top of the Wall - looked scenic.

Thanks, Greg and Anthony for answering my questions.

Did the route last week and found it excellent. The top two pitches are fantastic and almost monotonous in their regularity! I would like to hear a geologist's explanation of how this strange rectilinear plating was formed. They are completely covered with desert varnish, which seems odd.

We didn't try it but it appears that if you go over the top you can walk down to the right (NE). We also rapped p1 & p4 with a single 60m. I'd recommend this due to all the knobs which snag the ropes. It's good to use as little rope as possible.

Great Route! Mike McGlynn and I made the approach in about 1 hr 25 min - coming back took about 1 hour and 40 min. A great, full day. Awesome views eveywhere. If this climb were closer to the road - you'd surely wait in line to get on it! One small bit of beta - there is what looks like an fantastic block right in the middle of the traverse on pitch two as you move from the left crack to the right crack. It is about 1 foot square and 6 inches thick, black face with white sandstone surrounding it - its days are numbered! I knocked on it and it is definitely waiting for the wrong load to break it free. If and when it comes off, it will head straight down to the belay. You don't need it to get through the traverse. There was another party behind us - one of the climbers is a long time Red Rocks climber with years of experience who agreed with my assessment - your call - just be safe.

Ok Armatron was good, but Greg that variation to the left are you sure, that is new, I think, (don't know for sure) but is that maybe the climb called The Birthday Cake? Now me and my buddy carried a 70 and a sixty meter rope, up you can rap the 4th pitch with a 70 meter rope, you can go from the 3rd pitch with a 70 meter rope and rap to the left of the black arete and about a 3rd of the way down your rope on you left will see a two bolt anchor in a standing left facing corner, (maybee the second pitch of Birthday Cake? From there you can rap down, staying left of the slotted dark brown corner, over white rock to a standing corner with two bolted anchors, from their you follow the natural line over a small roof, a 70 meter will get you 10 feet off the ground on angled 5th class, but you're in a crack that you can down climb, so the route can be done with a single 70 meter this way, if you want to go light 'cause it's a small journey back there. The routes in the sun this time of the year till about 3:30, cheers, rex

Re: Rex Parker's comment. I don't have my guidebooks nearby, but I'm pretty sure Birthday Cake is way right on the wall. I believe it is a low-angle route that wanders up the obvious weaknesses, not a steep(er) face route on the main face. I believe Bday Cake is the farthest right route on the Brownstone East formation.

Regarding your picture of the rap, I didn't see exactly where you are rapping from, but if it is where I think it is- the face just left of Armatron, right off the slab, that is a separate route out left of Armatron that presumably continues up. That rap station is on a small ledge in a corner just right of the big, hanging face.

Re: continuing past the fourth pitch. 5th pitch is maybe 5.4 (not 5.7 as in the Handren guide), three bolts, gear anchor on Humerus Ledge. Either thrash through the cl4 holly up to the right, or do the 6th pitch up Humerus Tower. This is 5.5, two bolts (maybe three?) to a bolt anchor. A short cl3 downclimb leads one to an exposed cl3/4 scramble to the top of Brownstone Wall. Enjoy the view, then walk off to the north, via a cairned trail (some slab slithering required near the bottom).

Definitely an enjoyable route on some great rock up higher. I'd highly recommend topping out and signing the summit register. The view from the summit of the peak is astounding and the walk off goes quickly. Rapping down through some of that featured rock seems like it could easily result in a stuck rope anyway.

5.9 leaders should not be worried about the rating of this line. If there was any 5.9 climbing on this route I didn't notice it and the protection is great. The rest of the climbing is easier than 5.9 and super fun.