Sunshine Buttress Rock Climbing

Sunshine Buttress (not to be confused with the bigger and better Sundance Buttress) is the often overlooked and seldom visited little formation immediately west (left) of the Pear. According to the guidebook, it contains 3 routes, all put up by Carl Harrison in 1980, one of which is rated 5.7 and two which check in at 5.8. I probably never would've known this rock existed if I hadn't been scanning the guidebooks looking for a non-chimney 5.7 - besides those on the Left Book and the Pear which I'd already climbed - to take a beginner up.

A word of caution: The route I referred to above, Brown-Haired Lady, the only one of the three with a star in Rossiter's guidebook, has a potentially dangerous runout 3rd pitch and isn't suitable for beginners - beginning followers or leaders - as both would be hurt in a fall due to the fact that the line goes up a narrow fin with a slab on both sides. Fortunately we were short on time and walked off after the second pitch before unknowingly getting ourselves in over our heads.

All routes are 3 pitches and lead to the summit with a walk-off to the right (east), in the gully between Sunshine Buttress and the Pear. As I mentioned above, you can exit right from the ledge at the top of the second pitch of Brown-Haired Lady, but from what I remember it may require a bit of caution.