TR Cutthroat South Buttress

[Toast]

I climbed Cutthroat Peak yesterday with Mudslinger and two other friends. This was a full throttle adventure, and the Grade III rating should have tipped us off to that. It started out with a steep approach through lush alpine meadows. Early wildflowers were bursting and snaffle lairs abounded. Thin snow fingers lead up the gully systems to the southeast saddle. We took the leftmost one as indicated in a dubious route description. We trundled rocks and pebbles down upon one another in boots and full packs over sketchey 4th class terrain. In hindsight, it would have been better to have taken the gully to it it's right. They both lead to the same place. Intuition and simple routefinding skills led us up the path of least resistance. Most of this was scrambling over 3rd and 4th class terrain with lots of exposure. Ultimately we came to a narrow basin much like an old fashioned bathtub tipped up on end. Stemming was the key, and I feel sorry for any short legged hobbits who'd attempt this. Just at the point of sketchieness, there's an old trusty rusty just where you need it. A mantle move gets you up top to a knotch. There's a gap to the next peak that requires both long legs and the strength to highstep a thin shoe shaped ledge. Again, hobbits would be at a disadvantage. One more gap to the third peak takes you to the final face, a short affair with a double fist crack running off to the side. A nicely placed chockstone provides protection, then you're there. We just had time to tag the summit yesterday. I saw weather coming and rushed down to rig our rap. Ten minutes later as we scampered back across the Tarzan traverse, the temps dropped ten degrees with a ten knot wind, brrrr. I lost count of the raps, but we kept them all to single rope rappels to avoid snagging a line. We gathered our gear at the saddle and skedaddled back down to the cars before sunset. All in all, we nailed it in 12 hours car to car. This one was a goodie

[klenke]

Well done Toast.

Or, Toast well done.

Or, unburned Toast.

[catbirdseat]

Neato burrito. I am so jealous.

[Smoker]

Is there still a slung rock in the summit block to rap off of? Those steps traversing back to the summit are fun!

 

Nice work

[plexus]

Good show!!

 

I was given explicit directions of which gully to take and had it pounded into my head, use the right one (pun indeed). Tis a pretty climb and keeps you on edge most of the time.

[bobbyperu]

on a fun one, anyone wanna go lookie for route around the corner to the east? not burdo rt, but somethin' nuevo? or the long lost ('76)chouinard rt... also anyone done the "3 sheets to the wind traverse?"... wanna? climbs the molar tooth, north peak, cuttroat, and whistler... up to easy 5.9 along solid crest from north to south... anyway props doods

[NYC007]

that would be an interesting traverse.

[Weekend_Climberz]

That's one of my favorite routes.

 

Great location and pretty good rock. I think when I did it in '03 we took the same gully. I remember having to make a pretty sketchy step across a big gap uproped that really freaked me out.