Rappel Beta for Ginger Buttress (Ginger Cracks, Unimpeachable Groping, etc)

Historically, climbers used Power Failure, or a series of anchors next to it, as a rap route after finishing routes like Ginger Cracks and Unimpeachable Groping. Although these raps are smooth and quick, they have long been a source of rockfall danger. There were over 50 comments on Unimpeachable Groping's page alone warning of this hazard. The problem comes from scrambling down from the upper reaches of the bowl and then traversing across the exposed edge of the bowl to the anchor. This entire area is very steep and littered in loose rock of various sizes. In particular, the area around the anchor itself collects rubble naturally from all the snow and runoff that accumulates there. Anything set loose is funneled directly down the rap route which poses a threat to not only climbers below, but also to those actually using the descent!

This is further complicated by the fact that there are now several routes below the rap line and more climbers than ever. There was a time when Power Failure was the only route, and climbers infrequently climbed it, but that time has passed.

Fortunately, there is a better option: rapping the route All You Can Eat. I've personally rapped this a number of times and it offers several advantages:

1. It starts from the uppermost reaches of the bowl, in the vicinity of where you first rap into the bowl after topping out Ginger Cracks or Unimpeachable Groping. The top anchor is only a few yards from where the first rap into the bowl lands, and it requires no scrambling down into bowl itself through the loose rock.
2. Descent involves five or six short raps with a single 60m rope. Fewer with two ropes.
3. It is the only route in that immediate fall line (anything loosed here shouldn't endanger climbers below the bowl or over on Unimpeachable Groping), and it is one of the least traveled of routes in the entire zone thus reducing the likelihood of needing to rap through other climbers.
4. Bolted anchors are in good condition and likelihood of stuck ropes is low. Rap stations are mostly offset from one another so falling ropes (or rocks) are unlikely to hit other climbers.

So, how do you find this rap route? The short version is: Do not descend to the bottom of the bowl! Instead, head to the cliff's edge via a path through the scrub oak. A 15-second walk! The detailed version is: When you rappel down into the top of the bowl after topping out Ginger Cracks or Unimpeachable Groping, you'll land on a nice flat staging area at which you can pull and coil your ropes. From this spot, you'll see a patch of scrub oak between yourself and the edge of the cliff, along with a cleared path (recently cairned) leading through it. This path leads to a nice ledge at the edge of the cliff that in turn leads to a pair of bolted ring anchors. Rap down from here, stopping at any anchors you come to and repeating until reaching the ground.

Mountain Project route descriptions have been updated to reflect this information, and although the second edition of Jerry Handren's Red Rocks guidebook describes the former descent, the next edition will suggest All You Can Eat.

Thanks and happy climbing!