Frigid Air Buttress

This route is guarded by the fearsome words "offwidth", "6-inch nuts", and "big pro". I'm probably ruining some big secret by saying that it's not at all fearsome - just lots of fun with a short approach, good pro, and big ledges at every belay.  Some will dislike the ledges and important route finding challenges, others will love the variety, great pitches and no hanging belays.

Approach via the Icebox Canyon trail along the north side of the canyon. Cut over to the streambed on a good use trail above the confluence of the two forks of the canyon. Follow a faint path to an obvious flake just left of the toe of the buttress.

P1 (190', 5.7): Climb the right side of the flake to a bolted rap station at its top, some might break this pitch up into two pitches here but best to continue up a nice intermittent thin crack (5.7) on the face above, then step left to easier ground. Look for a tree further up and left under a cracked wall and climb easily to a belay there at the tree.

P2 (160', 5.8): Climb up the cracked blocky wall to another big ledge with lots of greenery. Walk right to a left facing blocky dihedral and climb it or the nice thin crack on the face just to the left of the upper dihedral (5.8) to a big ledge (this is the notch behind a small pinnacle). Continue easily up and left to yet another huge ledge. There is a bolted anchor on the right at the top of the pitch that’s nice. Move the belay 30 feet west on the ledge to a shady tree for the next pitch.

P3 (100', 5.5): climb an elegant chimney (5.5) leading to another big ledge. The most fun is to chimney through a tunnel at the top. This is an excellent pitch with plenty of gear, a 4” cam can be used but certainly not necessary.

P4 (120', 5.9): there are two cracks leading up from the ledge. Take the right hand crack (excellent finger then hands). This is mostly 5.7 or so with an occasional harder move. There is a wide section with chockstones at the top of this. There is a modern single bolt to the left here – originally a single bolt belay. Continue to a good block and contemplate the 'offwidth' section. This has a couple of hard moves but can be protected easily with #3 camalots. Most of the offwidth can be avoided on the left wall. Belay at yet another large ledge about 20' beyond the offwidth. Most people will want at least 1x-#0.75-#2, 2x-#3 and 1x-#4 camelots for this section. #3’s at the top and #4 in the middle. Another excellent pitch.

P5: (100', 5.9): climb a short wide chimney until it roofs off then swing wildly out left (the hand traverse). This is likely the crux lead for most and very unique. A #4 camelot is very useful at the crux. Continue up easier ground to a narrow, evil looking slot. Set pro and then climb down and out to the outside of the slot (just 5.5 or so) instead of putting yourself through the meatgrinder. Above, a big easy chimney leads left to a big pine tree. The second half of this pitch is totally awesome fun.

P6: (140', 5.6): proceed up a fun large left facing corner behind the tree with great holds and protection. This leads to easy ground beneath the final headwall. Climb easy, minimally protected huecos to a ledge beneath the obvious 5.9 crack. It is inevitable you'll have massive rope drag to make it all the way to P7, consider breaking this pitch up into two after the initial corner.

P7: (60', 5.9): climb the varnished crack with good pro. Things ease up considerably about 25' up. Belay at a good ledge immediately atop the black crack or better continue another 15’ up the unprotected face to the left above to another giant ledge. There is a pine tree a little ways back above the face.

P8: (130', 5.4): Depending on where you belay, boulder up the unprotected face just left of the belay to the giant ledge with the pine tree or go further left to avoid this short wall. From the pine tree on the giant ledge, go over and downclimb a short face to another large low angle face with green lichen and a crack feature to the top of another rounded summit where another pine tree is found. Unrope here and put on your comfy shoes for the descent.

Descent updated 03/2024: look for a big chockstone a short-ways down to the left (south) from the last belay tree, usually there is a big cairn or two here. Either rap 50' (better) or downclimb the chimney beneath the chockstone to easier ground - the downclimb is a lot easier than it looks from above. This rap anchor is slings and cord. Walk generally south along the ridge/slope on a good path, avoiding the temptation to drop off right (southwest) to the upper part of the canyon - this is well cairned until you have to locate and descend a short 30 feet of easy but exposed downclimbing. Look for obvious cairns below the down climb. If you roughly follow the edge of the buttress staying left (southeast), you'll spot an obvious large pine tree about 60' before the ridge hits the slot where the stream runs at the bottom of the upper canyon. 

Rap east from modern bolted anchor next to the big pine tree down about 50' to a big boulder ledge with another modern bolted rap anchor. From here, a steep single 70-meter rope rappel takes you to a new bolted rap station on a narrow ledge passing pitch 3 offwidth of Burlesque. Another steep single 70-meter rope rappel takes you to another anchor with a modern bolt and a tree with a sling/cord anchor. From here, another steep single 70-meter rope rappel takes you to a big ledge with modern bolted rappel anchor near a pretty tree. Rappel this down a steep gully with a single 70-meter rope rappel to the pool at the bottom of a waterfall. Be sure to go all the way down to the pool, there is a ledge about 10 feet above the pool that can be downclimbed but better to rappel to the end of your rope. Coil the rope and hike down a use trail on the right (south) side of a large boulder filled gulley. Follow this until about level with the start of the climb before crossing the boulder filled gulley, navigating vegetation and locating your stuff at the base of the climb.

We took about 6 hours to do the route and 2 hours to descend. This route will be in the sun in the morning and sunny on the upper pitches till noon in March.

There is an entire chapter about this route in Red Rock Odyssey

Protection
Standard rack: set of nuts, smaller cams, double #0.5 through #3 cams, at least one #4 cam, maybe half a dozen long alpine slings. Single 70-meter rope for descent.