Frigid Air Buttress – 5.9


1 bolts

Description:

P1 (190', 5.7): Climb the right side of the flake to a bolted rap station at its top - this allows you to set a TR on the flake (about 5.5). Continue up a thin crack (5.7) and then step left to easier ground. Look for a tree up and left under a cracked wall and climb easily to a belay there.

P2 (160', 5.8): Climb up the cracked wall to another big ledge with lots of greenery. Walk right to a left facing blocky dihedral and climb it (5.8) to a big ledge (this is the notch behind a small pinnacle). Continue easily up and left to yet another huge ledge.

P3 (100', 5.5): climb an elegant chimney (5.5) until you can step left onto easy face leading to another big ledge.

P4 (120', 5.9): there are two cracks leading up from the ledge. Take the right hand crack (hand / finger). This is mostly 5.7 or so with an occasional harder move. There is a wide section with chockstones at the top of this. 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.

P5: (100', 5.8): climb a short wide chimney until it roofs off then swing out left (the hand traverse). 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.

P6: (140', 5.6): proceed up a fun inside corner behind the tree. This leads to easy ground beneath the final headwall. Climb easy huecos to a ledge beneath the obvious 5.9 crack.

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.

P8: (130', 5.?): boulder up the wall just left of the belay or go further left to avoid this short wall and then make a run for the top on easy ground.

Recent Sendage:

  • 5.9
    2022-04-01
    Grade III - 8-Pitches. Climbed with Sean Gilmore, 9 hours car to car.
  • 5.9
    2015-10-19
  • 5.9
    2014-02-19
    Amazing climb! All 7 pitches were fun, especially p7 finger crack
  • 5.9
    2014-02-19
    so awesome!! loved the last finger crack pitch and the hands to offwidth 5.9 crack
  • 5.9
    2010-03-18
    Team Onsight, my first time roping up with Seve, it was lots of fun and the largest wall I've climbed so far at grade III! All of a sudden the view of the desert opened up and you really could tell how high we were!!!