Bastille Buttress

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climber

Cardiff by the sea

Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 28, 2011 - 12:23am PT

Curious if anyone here has climbed this killer buttress of rock. My pal Todd and I did the Beckey route yesterday and had a super fun adventurous day. The route has a bit of all types of climbing with a superb 10c finger spliter that grows into a couple pitches of chimney and ow climbing, you even get some run out face climbing. Walking out Todd and I were wondering how often this buttress on the east side of the northridge of Lone Pine peak gets climbed. I thought I would see if anyone here has done it.

If your looking for a BIG day in the mountains I would say go do it.

climber

Cardiff by the sea

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 28, 2011 - 12:32am PT

Thats funny Dave we were on it yesterday, that would have been fun to run into you up there,

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Jul 28, 2011 - 12:36am PT

Looks sweet, how many pitches?

climber

Cardiff by the sea

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 28, 2011 - 12:38am PT

The Topo shows 15 we did it in 13 Jim

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Jul 28, 2011 - 12:39am PT

Thanks, I just put it on my short list.

Mark Not-circlehead

climber

Martinez, CA

Jul 28, 2011 - 01:40am PT

I did the route in 1993 (i think) with Mike Price (Circlehead) and this guy named Kevin. We had an epic! I've always wanted to go back. Superb rock, you could put stacks of face routes on that thing. It only had two route on it then (does it have any more now??).

As it was, we did three new pitches to the original Beckey route. At the base. As we started off route, but managed to work it out. Kevin named the variation: "Two Guys from Cali", as he felt he was snookered into the ascent.

I'll try to dig up some photos.

drljefe

climber

El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson

Jul 28, 2011 - 02:54am PT

That thing looks farkin saaaaaaaack.

mtnyoung

Trad climber

Twain Harte, California

Jul 28, 2011 - 11:08am PT

I did it with a Sonora-area- climbing partner in 2003. It still had it's original bolts then, including several 3/16th inch bolts (smaller than 1/4th inch).

Have those been replaced yet? Does the aid ladder still require a few bat-hook moves?

We didn't take a camera. Did you two take any other shots?

jfailing

Trad climber

Lone Pine

Jul 28, 2011 - 12:04pm PT

Awesome - way to get after it! That route is on my list as well.

Was the smoke very bad during the day? Them fires be burnin...

Also, how were the belays? I talked to a friend who did it earlier this season, and he said that a lot of the belays are protected by micronuts and small cams...

Fat Dad

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Jul 28, 2011 - 01:50pm PT

Nice. That one has always been on my list after seeing it both in the green Roper guide then the old Errett Allen Eastside guide, though it was considered a mixed free/aid thing back then. Great that the new guide and new anchors breathed some life into the thing.

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Jul 28, 2011 - 04:56pm PT

There's a topo on the Obscurities page:
http://www.supertopo.com/topos/yosemite/obscurities.html

Photos and same topo at:
http://www.summitpost.org/bastille-buttress/157014

[edit to add:]
Rated 5.11 A0 on Mountain Project:
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/bastille-buttress---beckey-route/107113920

scuffy b

climber

dissected alluvial deposits, late Pleistocene

Jul 28, 2011 - 05:03pm PT

The topo shows aid climbing on 7 pitches.
How much has this changed?
I mean, how free is the climb now?

Fat Dad

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Jul 28, 2011 - 05:49pm PT

I thought the Bishop Area Climbs guide rated it all free at .10c. Could've sworn I saw that in a TR before.

scuffy b

climber

dissected alluvial deposits, late Pleistocene

Jul 28, 2011 - 07:06pm PT

Sounds better and better.

Gene

climber

Jul 28, 2011 - 07:09pm PT

T2,

More pictures please if you have them.

Best,
g

climber

Cardiff by the sea

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 28, 2011 - 07:50pm PT

Here are few more shots guys. Problem is both todd and I didn't take to many shots probably because we were busy climbing, (you know your busy when you think i should take a pic but say f*#k it because it takes to much effort to dig out the camera.)

top of the 10c fingers

crux 10d wide pitch

Todd O gettin the job done with the big blue and purple cams

T2

Todd O

Todd O on the summitt

All the bolts have been replaced, the bolt ladder was basically A0 grab pull type thing. The topo calls it 10d A0 probably a fair rating other than I climbed it free the french style. For me it was about climbing the mountain not if I could free every move if you know what I mean. It was a big day we left the car at 5am and got back at 9pm. We used head lamps for about a half hour in the am and the same on the other end. I will say I would not have wanted to navigate the summitt ridge to find the descent in the dark.