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Gilson Route on Butcher's Hand

5.5 R, Trad, 100 ft (30 m),  Avg: 4 from 1 vote
FA: Bill Gilson, 1959
S Dakota > Needles Of Rush… > Mt Rushmore Nat… > Chopping Block > Butcher's Hand
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Description

This route is fairly easy, super fun and exposed. It has a great spicy stem into a long cruiser knifeblade 5.3 ridgeline that is unreal fun!

A rappel from the chain anchors will easily allow you to top rope Blood Sausage.

This summit has not seen much action. We climbed this route when we first top roped Blood Sausage and were the first people who had signed the register in 12 years.

Location

See the approach description for The Butcher's Hand. The route climbs the low angle north rib. Once in the gulley between Cleaver and The Meat Counter, squeeze through the chimney hallway feature between The Butcher's Hand and the Cleaver until you can climb up and right onto a small block. It is best to set up your belay around the small summit here, rather than to belay in the chimney hallway, to protect the leader if they fall making the cruxy and airy stem onto the low angle rib. Make the airy step across and then climb 5.0 to the top! Make sure you get a piece in under one or two of the horizontal cracks to protect the follower. A fall by either climber on this route could be catastrophic.

Protection

Bring small stoppers and a few pretty small cams/TCUs...but don't expect to get in more than one or two pieces.

Brand new chain anchors on the south end of the spire get you down in one rappel.