One of Bridge's hardest!  Start back in a dark corner of the Trash Compacter Cave, eventually groveling up a slab underneath a roof.  Clip the first bolt and/or build a nest of backup gear (first bolt was missing as of 7/31/2017), before launching into big, devious moves up an amazing face.  The final crux is at the third and final bolt, and is very reachy.

Locked on Target

The name is appropriate!   Up to the 2nd roof is probably 5.10ish.  You'll find you don't need that much gear as there's a secure pod in the vertical crack above the 1st roof.  When you reach the 2nd roof, get up into the ceiling and place your #3 deep so it's out of the way for the lip moves.  Continue traversing aiming for your last hand holds right at the base of the lip.  From here, invert, throw your leg over your head, and find some crimps inside the right wall of the wide crack to help you do a sit up.  Once you figure out how to get vertical again, the climb eases up.  (Be careful not to place pro in the wide section as you pull the lip, it completely gets in the way of your legs).  The #6 Camalot will protect the last wide moves once you're established.

Let's Get Physical

Climb the obvious juggy corner utilizing laybacks and solid jams.  The original route traverses left and up to the tree at the lip of the cliff (usually adorned with webbing and other tat).  There is a bolted anchor at the top of the corner, before the traverse.  If you lower off the bolts, the route is 5.8.  Do the traverse to earn full 5.10.

Labor Day

Climb the short, grungy, left-leaning crack just right of Jaws. This climb looks a bit intimidating from the ground being that it almost never has chalk on it and it's hard to determine where you might get gear on the face.

With that said, this line is a real gem in the rough. After leaving the initial crack work your way up and right using horizontals and highsteps for hand holds and placements. Never fear, there's just barely enough small gear up there!  Eventually this route meets up with the neighboring route, Stretch Armstrong. Use the last 2 bolts and anchors of SA to finish up.

Raptured

Low but protectable crux with the namesake move. Pretty tame afterwards. Very popular and busy on weekends

Layback

Short lived but really fun route. 2 bolts of easier climbing leads to a tough 3rd bolt clip and getting set for the crux. The crux is over with an amazing stand-up snag of the jug crack above the compression arete. Nice thought provoking face climbing takes you to one more strange move at the anchors. Make the move to the roof above the anchors for an easy clip.

Pirouette

This infrequently-done route starts just right of Tree Route, and is identifiable by the lone bolt about twenty feet up.  Devious moves through sidepulls and pockets take you to the bolt and a couple more crux moves.  Like a lot of Bridge Butt's harder face climbs, expect from sharp sidepulls on this one!  Above the bolt, the climbing eases considerably, but there's still a lot of great crack climbing.  The line sometimes trends right up next to Tree Route, but remains independent its entire way until the shared anchors.

Preferred Dynamics

Climb a short finger crack up to anchors.

Horton's Tree

Follow a slabby, obtuse dihedral, jamming and laybacking as you go until you reach a ledge.  Traverse right 20 feet on low 5th class terrain until you can reach the flake that will make you change direction and takes you up and left until you reach the anchor.

Easily Flakey

Start on Handsome and well-hung then traverse left around the arete and get a good stance at the bottom of the flake. Pull a couple of super hard moves getting out of the flake (move right a little) then grab ahold of some jugs and finish up this beauty.

Gag Reflex

Bouldery ramp start to the right. Follow crack up into flake.

Blunder and Frightening

As the name implies, you need a little strategy to decipher this gem of a route. Almost immediately you're faced with a thought provoking less than vertical face, lightly spattered with slopey crimps, some better than others. After that it's not over. Work up to where the wall starts to overhang and the pump clock starts. Race for the chains going a little out of your way after the last bolt.

The Strategem

This line is mentioned in the description for "Are You Experienced?" which is just to the right but I thought that it was enough of an independent line with a completely different crux that it deserves its own entry here.

It begins with the same start as "Are You Experienced," but you stay firmly left of the arete, aiming for a short but obvious crack. Fairly easy climbing to the end of the crack, where you can build a nest of small cams and stoppers before moving up and right into the crux.

The crux is very sequential crimps and slopy sidepulls, and the last few hard moves definitely have the potential for BIG whips; your belayer needs to be with it! A pop to a thank-god bucket ends the crux and puts you firmly into groundfall territory. Two more moves from here and you get a great nest of life-saving gear. From here, you're joined back up with "Are You Experienced?" for 40 feet of safe 5.9-10a arete and slab climbing to the top.

Are You An Idiot?

About every size of crack climbing is found on this route, from fingers to chimney. A fair amount of stemming and laying back is possible, too. One of Bridge Buttress's best, don't miss this one! For the top 20-30 feet, you can do what most folks do and step right to use a great flake for an airy fingers layback, or keep it blue collar in the back of the main crack/chimney feature.

The Tree Route

Awesome route. Protects pretty well with small TCU's and nuts all the way to the bolt. At the bolt there are some decent horizontal holds where it's possible to rest and it is also the last place to retreat without taking a whip. From here take a deep breath, go up and commit to the crux. Unless you can stop in the middle of a 5.11+ lieback, placing gear is possible only after the crux. Some 5.9 moves through or around the small roof finish the route.

Dresden Corner

1st 5.12 at the New.

You can start on the left edges or on the right, I've done the climb both ways, I think the left is easier for shorter folks and the right for taller folks.

The crux is working out the moves without sweating off, pulling a pulley or freezing to death.

There have been multiple holds that have broken off of this route and it's now a good bit harder than it was. Pretty chossy.

Let the Wind Blow

Start up the blocky bottom and wiggle into the wide crack. Get some hand jams deep in the crack as you wiggle and thrutch your way up to where the crack narrows. Move out of the wide crack to gain the pleasant upper hand crack.

Macho Man

Start on the left side at a flake, make a couple of moves on edges and pockets, grabthe big jug, mantle using it for a foot, then traverse 2 moves left to the corner/flake and follow that to the top.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

The connoisseur's offwidth. Steep and strenuous, but you don't have to sacrifice your skin.

Butterbeans

An amazing slab route that requires both technique and hard crimping. This route has varied climbing and is hard for both short and tall people. The crux move is moving left off of a terrible mono divot with a very bad foot match.

Team Machine

Beautiful route.

This route climbs the amazing looking corner under the roof. Very tenuous moves stemming in the corner with small gear and finger locks/laybacks just out of reach. This route has a beginning, middle(crux) and end.

Crux of this climb is moving off a thin layback pinching a high undercling and deadpointing up and left with no feet. Smearing high and bumping up and right to a pinch then leaving your now comfortable undercling to get a jug way up there. Throw in a hand-jam and remember to breathe before finishing the 5.8+ moves to the anchors.

Handsome and Well-Hung

Short scramble up a ledge leads to 50 feet of hand and finger crack to jugs at the top.

Excellent route on high quality rock.

Climb Easily Flakey but instead of traversing right on the ramp go directly up following the ever thinning seam. Crux involves crimping and a tenous high foot above a small nut. Go do it!

International Incident

The Crux of this route is either the rope drag or the wet nastiness that waits for you towards the end of the route.

This route starts underneath the trash compator roof at the obvious moderate conrner then it travels up to fixed sling and out roof on undercling with tricky but solid placements. make the transfer into the upper corner and stem/grovel your way up the conrer to the tree anchors/topout above.

Underfling

Start in the corner under the blunt prow just left of Jaws. Work the corner/crack system to its end and ready yourself for a sobering one-two punch crux section broken up by clipping the route's lone bolt. Once you've worked through the razor thin patina crux section, the climbing eases off tremendously. Get your 5.9 dance on up the arete until you reach the anchors. Look to your right and see the NRG Bridge in all its glory and bask in one of Bercaw's heady masterpieces.

From the location of the bolt (which is too far right causing rope drag issues) I believe that the FA was done by climbing the initial corner to about 10 feet and instead of following the crack up and left (which seems like the most logical way to me and best protected way as well), he stepped right and moved up the delicate slab until he was able to drill the bolt (or perhaps he pre-placed the bolt on rappel). This method would be "R" rated and although it maybe not as physically tough, it is definitely more insecure and much more dangerous.

One option, if climbing it my way, is to not clip the bolt at all and instead rely on your last piece of gear in the crack while pulling the crux moves. This is not dangerous, nor is it ridiculous.

If only that bolt was moved 3 feet to the left.

Are You Experienced?

Every time I ask about a potential new route I think I might see, whether between the lines at a classic area or in some totally random zone, Pat knows what it is and has either thought better than to voyage up the slim pickins or got distracted by something incalculably better and never made it back. Apparently this route had been in the waiting room of his mind for quite some time. It's a genius linkup.

We finished work on a fine-but-still-warm October day and wanted to get in some pitches. We warmed up while knocking down our classic six pack of Modelos in the bottle. I led Chockstone then Pat moved the rope over to Marionette. I guess that's when the light went off. By this time Mark and Lydia had shown up and and the typical sarcasm and banter started flowing like the beer.

Pat shoed up and launched off with nary another thought once it occurred to him. Some hilarity ensued but I don't remember why. Of course he dispatched the thing on-sight and now I was bound to follow it. Yikes. I was tired and the move on Touch of Tango isn't

that

easy, especially

after

you unclip the bolt and there's a huge arc of rope going around the corner. I was reminded of the scene at the end of Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom; "Hang on lady, we goin for a ride."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPGxSotEa-c

It was

almost

that dramatic. ;) I mustered about all I had at the moment for that move. Luckily I didn't pitch. Another day at the crag, another amazing crew of people, and another new route that was essentially an afterthought and then, thirty minutes later, a reality. There aren't too many more new ones to put up at Bridge, and my gut tells me that this one

might

not get repeated that often. Still, it's a classy distraction and a worthy challenge for a 5.10 leader. It might just give you a little taste to get prepared for fucked up traverses on routes in the Black Canyon like The Scenic Cruise or, more aptly, Atlantis.

Sock Puppet

Start on the right side of the arête and follow thin moves until you can cross the arête to the left side. Be aware that there is a loose block just to the left of the crux area. It's been here for years, because most people have resisted pulling on it or placing gear behind it. Trad lightly!

Angel's Arete

11b to the first set of anchors. If you decide to go for the 12b send then you better bring your cleaning supplies! This thing is a mess.

Super fun moves! Seepage hides from you until you are on route. Watch for crazy spiderwebs (invisible from ground). This climb deserves more action

Mean Old Mr. Gravity

Follow crimps up to a good horizontal. From there, follow the left leaning crack up to the roof. Style points for the no hands head/neck rest under the roof. Pull the roof (crux), then follow the acute, right facing dihedral to the top.

Chockstone

Kind of dirty corner between Layback and the big roof. Doesn't look like it gets much traffic.  Probably because there are no anchors and you might have to lead it to climb it (what a concept).

Mayfly

Climb overhanging crack and finish on

Easily Flakey.

1st 5.11 in the New.

Start in the flaring off-width with wide hand-jams in the back of the crack. Work your way up to the stance underneath the roof/overhang, pull the crux. Pull the crux by either continuing hand jamming the offwidth-ness of the crack, or throw a heel in there and mantle off of the crimps out right and stab for the pod to the left of the crack. Throw in a hand jam, pull one last hard move, then follow the wide crack to the EF anchor.

Englishman's Crack

This route climbs up the striking arete just to the right of Dresden Corner. You do the same start as Dresden, but past the roof with big horizontals, move right away from the corner to clip the route's only bolt. Make a tenuous and reachy step past the bolt to get established on the arete. Do a few bouldery arete moves to get to a stance where you might want to move onto the right side of the arete. Use delicate slab moves to  continue up eventually reaching a cruxy exit section. Hold it together and resist bailing left into the Dresden finish. Use Dresden anchors.

A Touch of Tango

Whammy starts by climbing up juggy flakes at the base of a trad crack. Placing a piece of gear here may make you feel a bit safer. Mantle onto the ledge and clip the nut that is stuck in the wall. From here to the end (20ft or so) is sustained and feels like a long boulder problem. Make your way to the crimps just past the third bolt and do the hardest moves right near the end of the route. Surf up a few jugs to the double rope sling around the tree.

Whammy

This route is named after the "mega" climbing shoe that gave the climbers of the time enough edging power to actually pull the super thin edging moves that are required to send this thin face line.

Start as for

Angel's Arete

the move up and right on some very thin moves for about 15ft. After you make the crux clip at the second bolt the rest of the climb goes at 5.10+.

This is a good one to practice on TR, get dialed and then lead.

Mega Magic

Start off on a good flat hold that is often wet, and move into sequential fingertip laybacks (probably the crux moves). At the top of the corner is a slam dunk move out right to a sloper then traverse left on good jugs. A sharp fingerlock or a crimpy sidepull gets you out of the mini-roof. Deadpoint to a great jug. Fight the pump with big moves between jugs to the top.

Marionette

Starts with 5.11- crimps and continues up to second bolt, then switches to 5.10+ big moves on drity jugs with bad feet until you get back into 5.11- laybacks on sharp crimps then in the rux section where you have to squeeze the juice out of a sloper with your left hand and stand up on your right foot (hip height) to gain a crimp that you can feel comfotable with. then pull up to no-hands rest and relax because you are about to pump out again on the slippery upper slab section(5.10+  5.11-). Pull one especially reachy move on the slab to gain a better hold and clip the anchors from a decent ledge.

Stretch Armstrong

Sustained Hands in a slick corner.

Classic for hand crack/corner lovers.

Start on easy ground, and the climb keps getting harder and harder as you move up closer to the tree, once you get tot he tree is eases up a bit.

Jaws

Interesting short climb. Good, square-cut faceholds. Dirty and odd topout due to location of the anchors.

Dogfight

off-width. a wide crack, often wet. big gear, or can take big bro's.

Penalty Situation

Tight hands and face holds lead to a right-arching finger crack. From there figure out how to get to the top of the block so you can clip the shuts to the right. Use the same anchors as Let the Wind Blow. The second pitch doesn't get done very often. First pitch goes at 10c and is one of the area's better short, pure cracks. Second goes at 5.11-.

High Times

The short, dirty, green face at the base of the stone steps climbs better than it looks.  This route is named after a local guide that suffered a broken ankle (only!) from a fall off the top.  A few horizontals, pockets, and some balancy moves make this a good choice for a new climber.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in 2 Bridge Buttress