Fluffy Goat Butt-Face

FFA Tyler Kirkland and Mark Carlson
June 20, 2017

This is a very modern addition to a big wall historically known for stout traditional climbing. This route tackles the face right of the Goat Buttress. It actually starts up an obscure and likely unrepeated route, established by Peter Gatzsch and Andy Genereux in 2001, called “Gatzsch Your Goat” for pitches 1 and 2 and again for part of pitch 7, which was only realized after the drilling began. Fluffy Goat Butt-face was established ground up over the course of a few months, starting early in the season owing to a particularly dry, warm spring. Originally climbed at 5.10 A0, it was then exstensively cleaned, refined on top rope and later freed at hard 5.9. The result of all the work is a well bolted, multi pitch adventure with rock quality better than most single pitch sport climbs in the valley. Keep in mind it is still the Rockies, solid holds become lose in time and there are a couple of ledges that hold rubble. The climbing is technical and steep with wild exposure on the upper pitches. Cruxes are often puzzling and the path of least resistance is seldom direct or obvious. A single 60 meter rope, 12 quick draws, 6 shoulder length slings and 2 anchor slings is all you need. Tough finger pads will also help! The route has a long season coming into shape on average years by May and is often good until late September/ early October. It is in the sun from just after sunrise until about 3:30 PM. Parties can expect to take anywhere between 9- 13 hours on ascent depending on your ability to solve the puzzles and your skills as a limestone ninja. The descent is straight down the route via 30 meter rappels which takes 2-3 hours. Double rope rappels are not recommended on most of the route due to the number of non-plumb rappels and prickly stone. Your ropes will likely get stuck. With the hike in and out taking around 3 hours, a single day, car to car trip would likely be in the 14-19 hour range. There is a pleasant bivi site just uphill of the start of the route that keeps things more casual if used. The site is good for 4-5 people but no spot is large enough for a tent.
The climbing;
P1: 5.6, 8 bolts 30m.
Start up the large gully moving onto the face on the left side passing two bolts to a ledge. A third bolt, which is hard to see from below, is up and left above the ledge. Step up left of the third bolt and climb a shallow right facing corner leading to stepped ledges and belay to the right.*Good to link with P2.
P2: 5.7, 7 bolts, 30m.
Climb up and left on increasingly solid rock.
4th class belay move 20m.
Scamper up slab above belay to the scree ledge finding 2 ring bolt a few meters to the right at the base of the slab above.
P3: 5.0, 3 bolts, 30m.
Climb the perfect slab above with the belay at the base of a shallow gully on the left.*Good to link with P4.
P4: 5.6, 6 bolts, 25m.
Follow the broad, shallow gully up and left past two bolts before exiting the gully on the right up initially fractured slab to the belay at the base of the steep wall.
P5: 5.10+, 18 bolts, 35m.
The pleasant warm up is over. This pitch is sustained throughout with the puzzle beginning as soon as you clip the first bolt. Moving past the second bolt on the left will give a good start to the cryptic dance above. Watch out for rope drag by using slings (racked at 30cm works well) on some of the bolts under bulges.
P6: 5.10-, 14 bolts, 35m.
Follow the right trending ramp above the belay for two bolts before traversing right across a ledge. Climb the steep crack with good feet up the side of a giant leaning flake making an airy 5.9 move on jugs onto a ledge. Traverse right across the ledge staying as low as possible with your hands in the wide horizontal crack and your feet on low suspect looking holds(10-) making a final stemming move into the cave with the belay hidden below the roof on the left.* Pitch 4 belay of Gatzsch your Goat
P7: 5.10-, 16 bolts, 40m.
Make a steep move out right from the belay cave into the chimney. Continue up the stepped chimney with wide stemming moves, exiting left when a notch between the chimney is visible above. Follow a ramp up and left to a 10- move pulling around a shallow right facing corer with the belay up left around a bulge.
P8: 5.10-, 11 bolts, 30m.
Carefully move up and left over lesser quality rock to better steep, prickly rock above, weaving around as necessary to find the best holds.
P9: 5.10, 12 bolts 30m.
Slither down and left from the belay around an outside corner into a large right facing corner. Steep moves up the corner (10-) through a notch to gain a ledge and another few meters in a corner to another ledge. Climb up and right from this ledge to a few steep bulges (crux) below the belay. There is a sinker jug under the right side final bulge which is very useful but hard to see.
P10: 5.11, 12 bolts, 20m.
Delicately traverse left from the belay towards a right facing corner. Close to the corner climb straight up, laybacking tiny crimps with small feet to a two finger crimp left hand and gaston pinch right hand. Luckily a jug is a grunt away. There are still some harder moves getting to the belay so be sure to take advantage of the rest stance!
P11: 5.10, 14 bolts, 30m.
Climb up the right side of the corner moving leftwards at the fifth bolt up excellent compact rock. Another sustained pitch with fun movement and great exposure! The pitch ends on a nice ledge with the belay up to the left.
P12: 5.11-, 10 bolts, 20m.
Cross the ledge over to the right facing corner. Tricky moves lead up the corner to a good rest below the roof and crux sequence. A few meters above the roof is the “golf ball ledge” and belay.
P13: 5.10-, 8 bolt, 15m.
Climb up on the left side of the belay towards a chimney above. Climb the outside edge of the chimney avoiding stepping right to the belay until it is at head height and can be clipped from the chimney.
P14: 5.11, 15 bolts, 30m.
Continue up the right edge of the chimney as it peters out into the roof above. Follow the bottom of the roof to the right before making a series of burly moves over the bulge on the right edge of the roof. Look for a good jug up and right from a good crimp and pinch just over the roof. Suspect looking but firm flakes await on a small ledge above the bulge. A final bolt and short wall above gain a great belay ledge.
P15: 5.10, 12 bolts, 25m.
Climb up and right over blocks to where a few tricky moves lead to a crack. A few jams and laybacks are followed by a blocky roof below a short chimney.
P16: 5.9, 10 bolts, 18m.
Carefully mount the choss tower at the top of the chimney, finding good, solid holds out right as you leap off the tower into the corner above. Follow the corner up to a small ledge where a delightfully slabby wall is climbed on the right side up a small arête to a belay ledge. *Good to link with P17
P17: 5.9, 8 bolts, 12m.
Continue up the corner left of the belay. Climb the corner generally on the left until it is time to carefully move right to gain the ledge, finding the belay on the far right.
P18: 5.9, 14 bolts, 30m.
Step right across the gap staying as low as possible at first. Traverse right a few meters before following excellent featured rock up to an amazing layback flake. Follow the flake to a large ledge.
P19: 5.10, 11 bolts, 30m.
Climb above the belay avoiding lose rock, traversing right after a couple bolts (manage rope drag with slings!). Climb past a shallow dihedral and up its right side pulling a steep move left around an outside corner on large jugs to a small belay above.
P20: 5.11, 14 bolts, 30m.
Move up above the belay stepping left at the second bolt. Don’t get sucked into the ugly corner right of the bolts! Finesse up side pulls and crimps through progressively harder moves, finding the path of least resistance to the left of the bolt line, to the first crux (11-) between the 5th and 6th bolts. Above is a rest which should be milked before entering the second crux. Follow thin, sharp crimps to a right hand open hand pinch below the roof. Clip from the pinch and get ready for a pumpy sequence pulling the roof on more razor sharp crimps (11), eventually slapping out to a flaky pinch once above the roof. But wait, it’s not over yet! A few side pulls up flakes lead to a dubious looking undercling. Move off the undercling up and right to a deep jug/hole. A second jug/hole to a hand jam leads to lower angled rock and a delicate step right onto the belay ledge.
P21: 5.8, 8 bolts, 20m.
Easy but somewhat loose climbing up the left side of the shallow dihedral to a small choss bulge before the belay.
4th class summit scamper 20m.
Scamper up from the left side of the belay, crossing a small scree gully finding a final set of ring bolts up and right on a nice flat spot to enjoy the top!
Descent;
All rappels are 30m or less (linking pitch 16 and 17 is 30m) and down the way you came up except from the top of pitch 7. Rappel down and slightly climber’s right to find a ring bolt anchor at the lip of the massive roof. Another rappel from here gets you to another ring bolt anchor down and climber’s right of the pitch 5 belay.
Note;
There are alternate pitches 6,7,13 and 14. These alternate pitches were the original line of ascent but it was decided that the route as described above makes for the nicest line and the alternate pitches are not described. Keeping right at any bolt junctions is the way to go.

Where to Park;
From the east, take highway 1 west to the 1X Seebee/Exshaw turn off, going north on the 1X. At the 1X/1A junction, go West on the 1A towards Exshaw. Park in the lot across the street from the Class III landfill, 4 km from the 1A/1X junction. From the west, take the 1A east from Canmore for 17km.
Approach;
1.5-2 hours
From the parking lot cross the highway and walk towards the dump entrance, stepping over a road gate when the dump is closed. Look to the right to find a trail that follows the fence of the dump along its east side. Follow this trail as it turns to the west (left) still alongside the fence. The trail will move away from the landfill fence and you will come to a large Y junction 10-15 minutes from the parking lot. The left branch goes directly to the Kid Goat area, take the right fork. This trail parallels the Goat massif heading north. Keep right at the various junctions. After about 30-40 minutes from the parking lot, the trail crosses the edge of a small open meadow with a small dirt wash and a stand of poplars. There is a view of Goat buttress and Yamnuska across the meadow. Leave this main trail and follow the left edge of the meadow finding a smaller trail at the north-west corner of the meadow. In about another 15-20 minutes along this smaller trail, which generally heads north (aiming for the Yam/Goat col), you will come to the creek bed that drains the bowl left of Goat buttress. Cross the creek bed and head west(left) paralleling the creek bed. After about 200 meters the trail heads up and right in a switchback up a grass slope. Winding left at the top of the slope you will encounter a sandy slope with small cliffs at its top. Traverse the slope, cross a small side creek and continue paralleling the creek bed. In another 150 meters enter the creek bed. About 300 meters up creek, generally staying on the right side, the creek bed narrows with cliffs on the left side and fallen trees baring the creek bed. Leave the creek here hiking steeply up a mossy hill to the right. The trail enters a slight forested gully and goes up the gully about 100 meters before side hilling up and right. Side hill horizontally another 60m before crossing the gully again back left. Contour left around a shallow ridge. Traverse up and left across semi open slopes into a drainage coming down from the Goat wall. Enter the drainage/creek and cross 15m upstream, climbing up out of the creek on a boulder and tree root. Hike up and then left to gain an open rib. Follow the open rib up through a small rock band onto a broad forested shoulder. Follow the left side of the shoulder uphill 150m, then cut left around the shoulder into another drainage/creek bed. Scramble down steeply into the creek and cross the creek 5m downstream. This is the last water on the approach and is only 10 minutes from the wall. Small trickles are often found downstream. Hike up and left coming to the shoulder above the main creek bed, following a couple switchbacks to open talus below the wall. There is one final junction just below the wall. For the route, head down and left along the base of the cliff towards the main drainage below the buttress, finding the start of the route 60m from the junction in a huge left facing corner/gully (photo below). Following the cliff up and right will take you to the bivi site in about 100 meters . As of June 2017 there was a lot of flagging tape and various markers along the trail to assist with navigation.

12 Quick Draws, 6 should length slings, 2 sets of 2 bolt anchor belay slings with carabiners.