Mountain Project Logo
To save paper & ink, use the [Hide] controls next to photos and comments so you only print what you need.

Great Dihedral to Upper Buttress

M5-, Mixed, Alpine, 1000 ft (303 m), 5 pitches, Grade III,  Avg: 3.7 from 33 votes
FA: unknown
Colorado > CO Ice & Mixed > RMNP - Mixed/Ice > Bear Lake Trail… > Emerald Lake /… > Hallett Peak -… > NE Buttress Hallett P…
Warning Access Issue: Regulations DetailsDrop down

Description

Nothing new here - people have been climbing Hallett's rock routes in winter for a long time. I found that Great Dihedral to Standard Route makes for an excellent mixed climb. The climbing is never desperate but is sustained and of high quality.

Notes:

Snow slopes at the base of the route can be avy prone.

A potentially dangerous cornice forms above the exit on Standard Route, and some tunneling is required to gain the summit ridge.

This route is not conditions dependent and makes for a great mid-winter climb.

Location

This is the obvious dihedral on the First Buttress.

Protection

A set of cams to 3 inches, hexes to BD #11, stoppers, pins, and Spectres.

Before placing iron, consider that this is also a summer rock climb.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Zach Eiten on the namesake feature.
[Hide Photo] Zach Eiten on the namesake feature.
Near the end of P1 on Great Dihedral.
[Hide Photo] Near the end of P1 on Great Dihedral.
Karl Henize leading the namesake pitch of the great dihedral, Mar./Apr. 2019.
[Hide Photo] Karl Henize leading the namesake pitch of the great dihedral, Mar./Apr. 2019.
Chris Erickson leading the second pitch on a stormy, cold December day.
[Hide Photo] Chris Erickson leading the second pitch on a stormy, cold December day.
A picture of Upper Buttress. We found it much harder than Great Dihedral.
[Hide Photo] A picture of Upper Buttress. We found it much harder than Great Dihedral.
Second pitch.
[Hide Photo] Second pitch.
Chris following up the first pitch.
[Hide Photo] Chris following up the first pitch.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Jason Killgore
boulder, co
[Hide Comment] Only climbed the 1st pitch. There is a pretty tenuous move after pulling the small roof. A green C3 goes in, but probably best not to test it. Jan 10, 2011
Erik Rieger
Maine
 
[Hide Comment] Superb mixed climbing. No pins needed. A purple TCU is nice to have on the first pitch, otherwise kind of runout. One to do again and again. Aug 3, 2014
Dark Helmet
Boulder, CO
 
[Hide Comment] Used a single rack with doubles 0.75 to 2. Linking the 1st and 2nd pitches with a 70 (maybe a 60?) is the way to go. With a pitch of unroped climbing in the gully splitting the dyhedral and upper buttress, you can climb this rig in four ~60m rope stretching pitches (2 on the dyhedral and 2 on the upper buttress). Never thought it was run out, but I did think it was awesome ... a spectacular mixed route! Jan 10, 2016
Jonathan White
highlands ranch, co
 
[Hide Comment] Someone added 2 pins at the top of pitch 2. Mar 7, 2016
Ian Overton
[Hide Comment] Quality climbing for the first 3 pitches. Crossing the snowfield between the top to the dihedral and the Standard Route provides and excellent view but leads to chossier and less enjoyable climbing. We found an uprooted tree with tat around its base blocking our exit route on the 5th pitch. Have fun! Mar 3, 2025
Mallorie Estenson
Colorado
[Hide Comment] What a cool adventure - close to the trailhead too! Just wanted to share some gear thoughts: I would not have been sad to have a #4 on this route a few times. Also, a second 0.5-1 would have been nice to have. The single rack had me pulling lots of moves without lots of pro. There is no need for pins. We found plenty of use for nearly every stopper on my rack - if you're trying to decide what to bring, bring more nuts! Apr 18, 2025