Elephant Buttcrack

The Elephant Buttcrack lies across from the 4th Elephant Buttress and is truly the buttcrack of ice routes. Located at the base of Boulder Canyon, the route has easy access and a short non-strenuous approach. Grab your toilet paper and plunger (LNT, please), and head up the 'crack!

This route is a series of ramps, bulges, steps, and other crap that ascends a flush of a gully. Think food poisoning... it's probably going to be wet, chunky, and somewhat uncomfortable. Make no mistake, though, the climbing angle may be low, but the spiciness level can be higher than a jalapeno tostada from Taco Bell and may have a similar effect on your body. Ice can be anywhere from bootylicious thick to non-existent, with the average ice being half an inch to a few inches thick at the various bulges and ramps. This makes the route a good solo if you're comfortable with sh*tty ice.

The clog-inducing crux is the middle section where ice can be thinner than 1-ply TP. To prevent constipation, proceed with caution, and know protection here is almost non-existent. There is sometimes rock on the sides that can be ascended if ice is looking like poo.

Protection includes but isn't limited to short screws, slings for trees and rocks, and diapers for when the ice delaminates on you mid-climb. If you make it to the top, congratulations, you just spent hours getting to the triple-ply toilet paper-like victory pitch. It's quite fun!

Rappel off solid trees or downclimb the route. 

Set your expectations very low, enjoy the in-town alpine scrappiness nature of it, and have fun on this giant turd of a route - The Elephant Buttcrack.

Head West up Boulder Canyon until you get to the roadcut rock in front of the Dome/Elephant Buttress There is a large dirt parking lot on the left, and smaller ones on the right. Park here, then walk East down the bike path. Go through the tunnel under the road, and continue for another few minutes. You'll see the start of the climb on your right beyond a fence. It's a rather large gully and is hard to miss.

Protection is scarce as the ice is often thin. Bring a few short screws if you wish and slings for natural features. There are spots to place rock pro, but these are very limited especially if the route is snow covered.