The North Buttress was the second route established on the north face of Morrison. It is a shorter version of the

North Buttress Direct

and traverses onto the north buttress higher and off it a bit sooner. The climb starts on the same 3rd class apron as the

Northeast Wall and Buttress

. Approach the start of the climb via 300' of 3rd class up and right towards the buttress until the climbing suddenly goes from 3rd to 5th.

Pitch 1

- Traverse up and right about 200' towards the crest of the buttress. While traversing, pass a dihedral that is crackless and continue face climbing right over easier terrain to a small ledge with a pin.

Pitch 2

- Start up the dihedral, but where it steepens, traverse right to a large ledge. Fun crack climbing leads to a second smaller ledge.

Pitch 3

- Tricky aid and free climbing directly up dihedrals and aretes leads to a sloping ledge covered in bright colored lichen. Start by climbing a short pillar feature. The pillar flexes if cams are placed behind the upper half. Slab to an arete leads to a step left into a steep dihedral. Small beaks through the crux gives way to a hand to wide fist crack. This pitch was originally rated A3, but beaks make it a bit easier.

This pitch goes free at a grade of 5.8. More information can be found in the comment section below and on the

North Buttress Direct

page in the description of pitch 5.

Pitch 4

- Fun face climbing up a very featured slab with the same lichen. A pin will be passed about half way up the slab.

Pitch 5

- The crest of the buttress narrows dramatically to a knife edge. Continue along the crest.

Pitch 6

- Broken climbing along the crest of the buttress. At the end of the pitch, there is a ledge for two. It is the only comfortable bivy site on the route, though others may be found on nearly every pitch above this. If comfortable, it is advisable to simul-climb from the start of this pitch to the start of pitch 10.

Pitch 7

- Follow the crest of the buttress.

Pitch 8

- At a tower along the crest, traverse left into a fun crack which leads back to the crest.

Pitch 9

- Another pitch along the crest of the buttress leads to a short headwall.

Pitch 10

- Steep and exciting climbing up the right side of a reddish dihedral leads to another large ledge.

Pitch 11

- Easy climbing up another headwall towards the obvious red chimney. Belay just before the chimney to avoid rockfall on the next pitch.

Pitch 12

- Follow the red chimney to the notch on top. This pitch has a lot of large dangerous blocks. Caution is required.

A short 40' rappel down the back side of the notch leads to easy 3rd class climbing for 400' to the summit.

North Buttress

North Buttress Direct

Witness Me!

Northeast Wall and Buttress

Torre Couloir (NW Ridge Var)

Northwest Ridge

Access Ramp

An oldschool classic, the Northeast Wall and Buttress was the first route to tackle the massive north face of Mount Morrison head on. It follows a large gully system up to the upper pitches of the

North Buttress

. It is a great introduction to the north face. Despite the moderate rating, be aware that due to the nature of the rock, this route should be saved for experienced trad leaders who are solid at a couple grades higher than required.

Approach the start of the climb via 300' apron of 3rd class that is about 200' to the left of the toe of the buttress. Climb up to the top of the triangle-shaped apron to the large ledge below the first pitch.

Pitch 1

- Straightforward climbing up a dihedral to a ledge. The climbing on this pitch is classically good fun.

Pitch 2

- Easy face climbing off of the ledge leads back into the thin crack system of the dihedral of pitch 1. Some exciting moves lead to a small ledge in the corner with an ancient fixed pin that could be removed by hand.

Pitch 3

- Continue up the corner system moving left where the terrain is easier. Above the crack system another pin is passed. Continue straight up over steep rock to a ledge.

Pitch 4

- Steep juggy face climbing directly above the ledge eases off into a narrow gully. Follow the gully until a large ledge is reached below a fork in the large system that pitches 1-4 have so far followed.

Pitch 5

- Climb up and right into an easy gully.

Pitch 6

- Follow the gully up to the crest of the north buttress.

Pitch 7

- Follow the crest of the buttress.

Pitch 8

- At a tower along the crest, traverse left into a fun crack which leads back to the crest.

Pitch 9

- Another pitch along the crest of the buttress leads to a short headwall.

Pitch 10

- Steep and exciting climbing up the right side of a reddish dihedral leads to another large ledge.

Pitch 11

- Easy climbing up another headwall towards the obvious red chimney. Belay just before the chimney to avoid rockfall on the next pitch.

Pitch 12

- Follow the red chimney to the notch on top. This pitch has a lot of large dangerous blocks. Caution is required.

A short 40' rappel down the back side of the notch leads to easy 3rd class climbing for 400' to the summit.

Many pitches could probably be linked with close attention to potential rope drag.

The North Buttress Direct is essentially a sit-start variation to the

North Buttress

. It takes the longest, straightest line up its namesake feature. If there was one route to do on the face, it would probably be this one. It runs the full course for classic Morrison climbing: run out face climbing, fun splitter cracks, steep jugs, knife edge ridge climbing, razor sharp flakes, and scree fields. Finding and following the route is easy: start at the very toe of the buttress and climb until you run out of rock.

Pitch 1

- Starting at the toe of the buttress, scramble up a hundred feet or so to a large ledge. An obvious right facing corner marks the start. Climb up this and the slab after to a right arching feature. Follow this to a short steep section which leads to a nice ledge. With a 60m rope, about 10' of easy simul-climbing is required to reach a good belay.

Pitch 2

- Climbing up and right from the ledge around the corner, leads to a dihedral with a wide crack where the left half is light colored rock and the right is dark. After climbing this for about forty feet, traverse left where possible across dark rock to the light colored rock. Climbing from here continues up obvious crack and corner systems. Set up the semi-hanging belay near the top of the crack system in a hand sized crack.

Pitch 3

- Stemming and a bit of traversing leads left from the crack across more dark rock into the light colored rock again. Follow this light rock up to a large obvious ledge. An old piton here and the surrounding cracks make a good place to belay.

Pitch 4

- A very short pitch of about 50' up to obvious double cracks. Belay on top of these at the ledge.

This pitch could be eliminated with a 70m rope if the first three pitches were stretched. The belays would be just after the ledge on the first pitch, after the traverse out of the handcrack onto the light rock on the second pitch, and at the top of pitch 4.

Pitch 5

- This pitch is the crux of the route both physically and mentally and although the grade is not overwhelming should be taken seriously. Start by climbing a short pillar feature. The pillar flexes if cams are placed behind the upper half. Slab to an arete leads to a step left into a steep dihedral. Once in the dihedral, move right onto an airy arete for a couple moves before moving back into the security of the dihedral. The pitch finished off on a sloping ledge directly above that final dihedral.

Pitch 6

- Fun face climbing up a very featured slab with the same lichen. A pin will be passed about half way up the slab.

Pitch 7

- The crest of the buttress narrows dramatically to a knife edge. Continue along the crest.

Pitch 8

- Broken climbing along the crest of the buttress. At the end of the pitch, there is a ledge for two. It is the only comfortable bivy site on the route, though others may be found on nearly every pitch above this. If comfortable, it is advisable to simul-climb from the start of this pitch to the start of pitch 12.

Pitch 9

- Follow the crest of the buttress.

Pitch 10

- At a tower along the crest, traverse left into a fun crack in a shallow dihedral which leads back to the crest.

Pitch 11

- Another pitch along the crest of the buttress leads to the base of a short headwall.

Pitch 12

- Steep and exciting climbing up the right side of a reddish dihedral leads to another large ledge.

Pitch 13

- Easy climbing up another headwall towards the obvious red chimney. Belay just before the chimney to avoid rockfall on the next pitch.

Pitch 14

- Follow the red chimney to the notch on top. This pitch has a lot of large dangerous blocks. Caution is required. At the top of the this pitch it is possible to escape off the route. A short 40' rappel down the back side of the notch leads to easy 3rd class climbing for 400' to the summit.

Pitch 15

- From the top of the red chimney, climb a fun crack up the right face. Pass the large flake on the left into a an easy wide crack. Belay on ledge.

Pitch 16

- A short very easy pitch leads to the top of the buttress proper and probably one of the best "summits" on Morrison.

By stretching a 60m rope to its very end, it is almost possible to link pitches 15 and 16. The result of linking them is finishing this pitch just short of the top and leaves a bit of exposed and loose 3rd class to go to where you can start to descend.

From the top of the buttress a short rappel or 4th class downclimbing leads to easier scrambling for 300' to the true summit.

Witness Me! climbs steep faces and corners until gaining the upper pitches on the

North Buttress

. From the top of the North Buttress route, it continues on for two more pitches to the true top of the north buttress. The lower pitches on route are clean, committing, and often deceptively hard. The climbing itself on these lower pitches is aesthetic, adventurous, and some of the most memorable on the face. Higher up, the route becomes looser but much easier as it joins the north buttress.

Pitch 1 - Climb up the large red ramp below the north face. Find a place to belay below a large dihedral with a huge yellow spot a couple hundred feet up the face. The first pitch starts from here and climbs up the remaining red rock and transitions on to clean grey rock. When possible, traverse left onto a welcome ledge. This is the crux pitch of the route and the most run-out as well. It is a very serious and committing lead. It would be difficult to safely lower off once committed to the grey rock.

Pitch 2 - Run out slab leading up and right off the belay leads to a series of dihedrals. Climb around a corner into the one on the right which looks substantially easier than the others. Belay at the top of the dihedral on a small ledge below a short chimney.

Pitch 3 - A short chimney leads to a traverse left into the large dihedral with the huge yellow spot that is visible from the start of the route. Climb this a short ways before traversing left on an exposed slab out of the dihedral towards a ledge for the belay.

Pitch 4 - Continue left over large loose blocks to a short fun hand crack. Broken climbing from here for a full pitch leads to a ledge just right of a gully of red and yellow rock.

Pitch 5 - Continue straight up the arete immediately right of the north buttress from the ledge. If comfortable, it is advisable to simul-climb from the start of this pitch to the start of pitch 8.

Pitch 6 - More broken climbing up the arete.

Pitch 7 - More broken climbing up the arete joins up with the north buttress.

Pitch 8 - Steep and exciting climbing up the right side of a reddish dihedral leads to another large ledge.

Pitch 9 - Easy climbing up another headwall towards the obvious red chimney. Belay just before the chimney to avoid rockfall on the next pitch.

Pitch 10 - Follow the red chimney to the notch on top. This pitch has a lot of large dangerous blocks. Caution is required.

Pitch 11 - From the top of the red chimney, climb a fun crack up the right face. Pass the large flake on the left into a an easy wide crack. Belay on ledge.

Pitch 12 - A short very easy pitch leads to the top of the buttress proper and probably one of the best "summits" on Morrison.

By stretching a 60m rope to its very end, it is almost possible to link pitches 11 and 12. The result of linking them is finishing this pitch just short of the top and leaves a bit of exposed and loose 3rd class to go to where you can start to descend.

From the top of the buttress a short rappel or 4th class downclimbing leads to easier scrambling for 300' to the summit.

Three prominent but slightly hidden couloirs ascend the NW face of the buttress connecting Torre de Mierda and the NW ridge of Morrison, providing an extension to the NW ridge route.

The rightmost couloir provides the fastest access to the NW ridge proper, but contains the worst rock and ice.  The middle and left couloirs are more straightforward, often containing good ice or neve.  Once at the top of any couloir, turn right and climb easy (5.5 with good route choice) but poorly protected terrain along the ridge toward the NW ridge of Morrison. The leftmost couloir obviously entails the most ridge climbing and raps/downclimbs into two notches at the top of the other couloirs.  Down climbing into these notches may look improbable, but is doable at about 5.7.

Once on the NW ridge, turn left and continue to the summit.  (See NW ridge route for description.)

The rock quality throughout is quite variable, often fear-inducingly bad, but rewards with constant trundling opportunities.

A very long scramble with 3000' of climbing not including the approach. The rock on the route is pretty loose and shattered, but the climbing is all easy scrambling.

There is no complex route finding here, just gain the ridge by whatever looks fun and easy and follow it to the summit. On the ridge there are a couple steeper steps and one short downclimb, all around the 3rd class rating in difficulty.

The Access Ramp is a short snow ramp that can be used to skip the first three pitches of

Caught Inside

or to descend from the first three pitches.

It is approximately two 70m pitches with a short step at the start of the second pitch that would be the crux.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in North Face