Flying Buttress of Mt. Meeker (upper left) in morning light. Ship's Prow is on the right.

All Locations > Colorado > Alpine Rock > RMNP - Rock > Mt Meeker > Flying Buttress (5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b)

Flying Buttress of Mt. Meeker (upper left) in morning light. Ship's Prow is on the right.

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Flying Buttress is the prominent fin in the center of the photo.

Flying Buttress from the distance

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Ross Purnell

Jun 4, 2009

“Flying Buttress of Mt. Meeker (upper left) in morning light. Ship's Prow is on the right.”

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Nearby Photos

A comparison of Flying Buttress pre- and post- the May 2022 rockfall.

Max and Burt on the approach to the Flying Buttress

A photo of P3 after the left variation fell off. The right side variation goes at 9/10a-ish.

Buttress glowing. We found a descent path down right-side of this photo vaguely marked with cairns

A route overlay of Meeker's Flying Buttress.

The route follows the left side of the ridge. Almost exactly where the sun/shadow line is!

A shot of unknown climbers topped out on Flying Buttress, Thursday, June 21st, 2012, taken from the east side of the knife-edge ridge above. A cool photo opportunity!

Allison Variation, 5.9<br>
FDA: Dean Allison and Guy Humphrey<br>
Gear: gear to 1 inch<br>
<br>
This climb is not documented anywhere, and we saw no signs of climbers on the line. This is a good line if you prefer finger cracks to chimneys and you are not up for the 5.10 cracks on the main face. The pitch can also be used to make a four pitch route that has 5.9 climbing on each pitch. The climbing is as good or better than the upper 5.9 pitches.<br>
<br>
The climb starts to the left of the 5.8 P1 variation in a sharp layback finger crack. About halfway up the left-facing dihedral, the crack starts to disappear and the gear looks like it goes with it. There is good gear to be found, but you will need to look for it. The top of the dihedral is capped by a small roof. It forces you out on face to the right with a hidden line of holds that keeps it at 5.9. This exciting tarverse ends at a belay below the 2nd 5.9 pitch variation. Fun stuff!<br>

10a dihedral of pitch 5 (direct variation).

The nice 1-inch crack on pitch 3 with the 5.9+ roof above.

Flying Buttress, August 16, 2020.

I'm pretty certain that this block is no longer there.

P3. The red line is the line I took. The yellow is fixed gear: a bad bolt (same as belay bolt): a pin behind a small, detached flake (would likely lever flake off with body weight), & another pin (very loose), the blue is very good 0.75. 5.9R.

A route overlay for Upper Flying Buttress.

New route beta:
<br>

<br>
Green: Class 4 to the base.
<br>
P1 red 5.10c/d thin seam, slab feet, ledge below.
<br>
P2 purple: 5.9 fun.
<br>
P3-4 bright red/; 5.10b sketch loose traverse.
<br>
P5 blue: 5.8 fun easy finish.
<br>
Green: Class 4 down.

Tasty belay ledge atop pitch 2.

As viewed from Mt. Lady Washington.

Mike Elges leading the .10c variation. A must do if you climb the grade!

Tony Bubb approaching the 5.9 roof on P3 of the Flying Buttress of Mt Meeker. Photo by Joseffa Meir

Douglas heading up the crux pitch. Carry a #3 cam, and pull the juggy, but airy roof. So much fun!

Flying Buttress early morning from Stettner's Ledges approach.

Climbers mid-route on The Flying Buttress on Mt Meeker.

Matt rounds the corner on pitch 3. Picture taken from just past the big roof.

Looking up at the route. You can simul-climb the first 200 feet or so up the slabs, around the corner, until you feel the need....

Descent via The Loft (if you go to the summit of Meeker).

View of the Flying Buttress and the start of Dream Weaver.

Matt seconds the first pitch.

Chillin out on the flyin buttress.

Matt at the second belay.

a view from the 2nd pitch. "eric the rep" on belay.

Bring sunscreen. Max and I improvising belays high on Flying Buttress

Flying Buttress belay ledge.

Jon high on Flying Buttress. Not sure exactly where, we found route finding to be pretty difficult.

I'm sure I'm off route, but I couldn't resist! This crack is so PINK!

Tony Bubb on the saddle traverse above P6 of the Flying Buttress of Mt Meeker. Photo by Joseffa Meir

A route overlay of Mt. Meeker's Flying Buttress.

Looking down at the lower Flying Buttress from the upper pitches. The descent from the lower Flying Buttress is a scramble down the rock slopes on the left in this photo.

Upper Buttress, the way we went. I don't think this fits the guidebook description, but it worked well and was good climbing, ~10a.

Upper Buttress, the way we went. I don't think this fits the guidebook description, but it worked well and was good climbing, ~10a.

Start of pitch 4.

Flying Buttress is the prominent fin in the center of the photo.

Flying Buttress of Mt. Meeker (upper left) in morning light. Ship's Prow is on the right.

Flying Buttress from the distance

Joseffa Meir leads another clean pitch on the Flying Buttress of Mt. Meeker. Photo by Tony Bubb

Approaching the Flying Buttress from the base side in early alpine season. Photo by Tony Bubb, Y2K.

Douglas finishing up the pitch.

Looking down, end of maybe the second pitch.

Douglas following....coming off the top of Flying Buttress. Wild to hear people on the actual summit of Meeker.

The Flying Buttress from the Iron Gates of Meeker.

Greg Williams leading p2 of Flying Buttress.

The final 3rd/4th scramble to the summit of Meeker on the Upper Flying Buttress.

5.8 handcrack on pitch 2 (direct variation).

At the start of the buttress.

Brent Butler on an undocumented 5.10b variation to Flying Buttress.

Almost there!

The Flying Buttress in afternoon light on the way back down from Meeker. Photo by Tony Bubb, Y2K.

Tough to find a suitable rock to keep the marmots out.

Sunshine on the buttress.

V-slot chimney on pitch 1 (left variation).

5.9 corner on pitch 2 (left variation).

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