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Blue Skies from Pain
5.12- YDS 7a+ French 25 Ewbanks VIII+ UIAA 25 ZA E5 6a British
Avg: 4 from 1
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Routes in Main Area
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B.A.G. It S 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a |
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Blue Skies from Pain T 5.12- 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Cougar Buttress T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Cougar Express T 5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Cougar Headwall T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a PG13 |
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Edge of Light T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Exploring the Axis T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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Finger Crack Chimney T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Kona S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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No Bolts Crack T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Nothing Man S 5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b |
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Shadow Play T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b |
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Sharpen Your Teeth S 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b |
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Silver Bullet S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
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Something Man S 5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Surgical Focus S 5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c |
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Surgical Focus Slight Return S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c |
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Tova S 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Trick or Treat S 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a |
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Unknown (The X Route?) S 5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c |
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Windhover Arête S 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
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Windy Corner, The S 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Yardsale T 5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
| Type: | Trad, 80 ft (24 m) |
| GPS: | 44.03596, -121.54824 |
| FA: | Gabe Coler et al. |
| Page Views: | 23 total · 10/month |
| Shared By: | Josh Janes on Sep 29, 2025 |
| Admins: | Kevin Piarulli, Micah Klesick, Nate Ball |
Description
Blue Skies from Pain traverses across an attractive, hanging grey slab of perfect rock high on Cougar Buttress. If fantastic climbing in an outrageous, exposed position were not enough, this is also quite possibly the most photogenic pitch in Central Oregon outside of Smith. When climbing this route... how I wished you were here.
Approach: The easiest way is via the first three pitches of the Cougar Buttress route. Stop at a comfortable belay ledge in the corner and look left across the sheer, hanging grey slab. A few bolts will show the way. However, the best approach is via Exploring the Axis. Climb the first three pitches of that, through the lower roof crux (above the lone bolt), but instead of continuing up to the exposed belay on the left edge of the face below the wild roof systems above, cut straight right on easy ground to that same, aforementioned belay ledge atop Cougar Butt's third pitch. It is possible to link all three of these approach pitches in one - via either start - but you'll need to use lots of slings and protect strategically and sparingly - otherwise rope drag can be crippling. Still, this is reasonable for anyone giving Blue Skies a serious effort.
The climb: Place a high piece to give yourself and your belayer some peace of mind before fingertip-traversing leftwards over the abyss (crux). A few bolts protect. A stance in outer space at the arete provides a chance to regroup before one last balance move up the arete, passing another bolt, and straight away into Exploring the Axis' final roof crux (which will feel downright easy by comparison). Build an anchor with medium and small gear out right on a good ledge almost directly above your belayer.
Finish: I recommend traversing straight right back into Cougar Buttress through a bit of brush and poor rock, then heading up to the belay ledge below the Headwall and finishing with that. Done this way, this is a stacked multipitch of exceptional quality.
All the anchors on Cougar Buttress, including the one above the headwall, have been equipped with better lowering hardware (chains, quicklinks, rings) to make belays and descent smoother. The headwall pitch, and its neighbor Exit Stage Right, have both been gardened as of spring 2025 and are probably overgrown again by now but maybe not. PS: IMO, the Headwall pitch is of a similar difficulty but slightly higher quality than Exit Stage Right.
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