Bighorn Buttress 

FA:  Nick Nordblom and Jenni Stone, 1987 Type:  Trad Length:  4 pitches, 400 feet Views: 133 page views Submitted By: J. Thompson on May 3, 2005 Add Photo  Add Comment

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Description 

Bighorn Buttress ascend's the obvious varnished buttress located on the tier directly above the Black track buttress.Start near the right hand side of the buttress on top of a small pillar, on a good ledge. start up the face aiming for a short, thin crack leading to a small bush. Above the bush locate a bolt about 20ft up the face. Climb past the bolt and pull the bulge above(you'll be alittle runout), leading to another crack. Pitch 1 is 5.10- Belay at the obvious stance with fixed knots!! Pitch 2 starts up the obvious crack then heads right on the face towards a bolt, you'll want the bolt to be above you on the traverse. Turn the corner of the arete and find another bolt. From here there are 2 option's. Option 1; continue across the obvious varnished face, on very poor(breakable) holds until you reach a bolt(5.11+). Option 2; head straight up the arete until you reach an obvious horizontal hand traverse then climb right to the aforementioned bolt(5.10). From the bolt head up the obvious varnished corner, thru an easier section then up another varnished corner. Belay on the left side of the big ledge below some bush's. Pitch 3 Climb a shallow right facing varnished corner then up a white face, passing a bolt to a 2 bolt anchor(5.9).It is possible and recommended to link pitch's 3&4. Pitch 4 Climb the varnished face past a bolt aiming for the obvious right leaning crack. Continue up the crack to the summit (you'll once again be a little runout) and belay off of fixed gear in the summit boulder (5.10).

To descend rappel off the fixed gear in the summit boulder to the bolt anchor at the top of pitch 3. From the top of pitch 3 rappel to an anchor on a ledge to the right of the route- 2 ropes are needed one 70M will not work. From this anchor rappel to the ledge near the start of the route.

Protection 

Single set of nut's, cam's to 3"