Home - Destinations - iPhone/Android - Gyms - Partners - Forum - Photos - Deals - What's New
 ADVANCED
Fourth Buttress
Jetboil Cooking Pot 3.0L

$69.99 25% off

$52.49

at AlsSports

   more...
Five Ten Blackwing Climbing Shoe - Women's

$164.90 24% off

$123.68

at Backcountry

85    more...
Black Diamond Icon Polar Headlamp

$84.95 20% off

$67.96

at Backcountry

2    more...
Marmot Centaur 30 Backpack - 1850-2000cu in

$128.95 25% off

$96.71

at Backcountry

94    more...
Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet

$59.95 20% off

$47.96

at Backcountry

5    more...
The North Face Verto 32 Backpack - 1953cu in

$98.95 20% off

$79.16

at Backcountry

   more...
Patagonia Women's Solar Wind Jacket

$249.00 50% off

$124.50

at Patagonia

227    more...
 more Dirtbag Deals

Routes Sorted
L to R R to L Alpha
Candelaria's Crack 
Flake 
Heartland, The 
Mickey Mantle 
Northwest Face 
South Face Roof 
Southwest Chimney 
Undocumented Free Roof 
Unknown Mixed Route aka The Green Gargoyle? 
Unknown, The 
Zolar Czakl 
Zolar Czakl (Direct) 

Fourth Buttress 


Photos: Recent | Best | Popular
Lat, Long: 40.0122, -105.309 Map
Page Views: 10,860. Good page?   
Administrators: Ben Mottinger, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monomaniac, Tom Erickson
Submitted By: Leo Paik on Mar 29, 2006

Make this area a Favorite
What's New
  Print a Mini-Guide with routes

Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event 


BETA PHOTO: Third Buttress
1. Standard Route (7+)
2. West Face...


Description 

The Fourth Buttress has several good routes: Northwest Face, 8+; The Heartland, 9+; Zolar Czakl (Direct), 10- R. There is a small buttress on top of the 4th Buttress which contain a few more feet of climbing, if you are so inclined. Access for the right side of the buttress is unclear, so tread cautiously, please.

L->R:

A. Flake, 10 R, 1-2p, gear.
B. Zolar Czakl, 9+, 1-2p, gear.
C. Zolar Czakl (Direct), 10- R, 1-2p, gear.
D. Northwest Face, 8, 1-2p, gear.
E. The Heartland, 9+, 1-2p, 210', gear.
F. Southwest Chimney?, 4, 1-2p, 100', gear.
G. South Face Roof, 7 A3 or C2, 1-2p, gear.
H. Undocumented Free Roof, 9-, 1p, 100', gear.
I. Unknown Mixed Route aka The Green Gargoyle?, 10+, 1p, 70', gear.
J. Endgame?, 10-, 1-2p, gear.
K. Candelaria's Crack?, 8+, 2p, 30'?, gear.
L. Mickey Mantle?, 9, 2p, 200', gear.
M. Azimuth?, 10, 1-2p, gear
N. Mr. Atrophy?, 12-, 1-2p, gear.
O. Wait Until Dark?, 10, 1-2p, gear.
P. After Dark?, 10+, 1-2p, gear.
Q. Cloddy Corner?, 6, 1-2p, gear.

Above the 4th Buttress
AA. Petite Arete, 8+ PG-13, 1p, 40', gear.
BB. Grand Jam Left, 9 R, 1p, 40', gear.
CC. Grand Jam, 7, 1p, 40', gear.
DD. Grand Jam Right, 7+, 1p, 40', gear.


Getting There 

For routes on the left side of the face, there 2 alternatives. 1) more popular - cross the bridge, hike up to the water pipe, and walk right to the end of the pipe, at the tunnel between the Third and Fourth Buttress. 2) you can hike on the larger trail along the river to below the crag and do a loose scramble up to the buttress. You can belay here, anchoring in to a huge eye bolt in the rock or you can cautiously scramble across to below the face and create a belay.

There are routes which lie on the south face of the Fourth Buttress. To access these, you have to walk along a trail near the creek until you're around on the south side of the crag. Approaching these from the east is not recommended.


Descents 

There are multiple options for descent: 1) If the water level is low enough, the easier descent may be the water tunnel between the Third and Fourth Buttress. Be prepared for darkness and wet legs/feet; watch your head in the tunnel. 2) You can also scramble down between the Second and Third Buttress and rappel 90' from the tree atop Pine Tree Route. 3) You can downclimb the 4th class gully between the 2nd & 3rd buttresses. It is exposed, thus it is not ideal in the rain or with beginners. 4) If you're not in a hurry, you can walk down between the First Buttress and the Dome, and walk the water pipe all the way back to the Fourth Buttress.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Fourth Buttress:
Northwest Face   5.8     Trad, 1 pitch   
Zolar Czakl   5.9+     Trad, 1 pitch, 70 feet   
The Heartland   5.9+     Trad, 2 pitches, 210 feet   
Zolar Czakl (Direct)   5.10a R     Trad, TR, 1 pitch   
Flake   5.10c R     Trad, TR, 1 pitch   
Browse More Classics in Fourth Buttress

Featured Route For Fourth Buttress
A few moves up after the traverse across the ledge and blocks. I've unclipped from Luke's first piece of gear, the big ring bolt by the end of the pipe, and so the rope is not following the initial part of the climb.

Northwest Face 5.8  CO : Boulder Canyon : ... : Fourth Buttress
Begin on top of the water pipe at the mouth of the tunnel and pull across to the horizontal crack. A #0.5 Friend is nice to protect this first section. Follow the crack to the bottom of a vertical crack. Follow this up to some blocks and either jam right (5.6) or left (5.9, #5a). Either way ends up on beautiful 5.8 cracks to the summit.Descent: walkoff.Extra credit: wade the tunnel all the way through the 4th Buttress....[more]   Browse More Classics in CO


Photos of Fourth Buttress Slideshow Add Photo
The Elephant Buttresses.  Most routes start off the water pipe; Tough Situation and Classic Finger Crack can be accessed by scrambling down from the top.  <br /> <br />The easiest walk-off is between the First Buttress and the Dome.   You can also rappel from the top of Pine Tree route.  Descent via the water tunnel between the Third and Fourth Buttress is sometimes possible.   <br /> <br />Watch out for poison ivy!

BETA PHOTO: The Elephant Buttresses. Most routes start off th...

Above the 4th Elephant Buttresses.  Some short routes to play upon.

BETA PHOTO: Above the 4th Elephant Buttresses. Some short rou...


Comments on Fourth Buttress Add Comment
Show which comments
By fluffy
May 12, 2006

There is now a rap/toprope anchor consisting of a horn slung with cable and a bolt with chain at the top. One 60m leaves plenty of room to get back to the pipe. Thanks to whomever installed this.

By Aeon Aki
Administrator
Oct 8, 2007

Though I wouldn't trust the cemented chain by itself, the fixed sling paired with it provided a safe rap to the ground. Maybe not necessary, but convenient nonetheless.