[TR] 8 Mile Buttress Escape - Mr. Tremendous-Hello Kitty-Buzz Bomb 5/25/2013

[telemarker]

Trip: 8 Mile Buttress Escape - Mr. Tremendous-Hello Kitty-Buzz Bomb

 

Date: 5/25/2013

 

Trip Report:

It's springtime and you know what that means. As you enter Icicle Canyon, and the roadside is lined 3 Subarus deep until Bridge Creek Campground, you know it's time to find an obscure climb and to go up high.

 

8 Mile Buttress fits this bill. There are many options, but the link we've done over the years and keep coming back to, is the Mr. Tremendous-Hello Kitty-Buzz Bomb trio.

 

Mr. T is the harder next door neighbor to the popular Tree Route. It's two pitches are fairly sustained slab and edges with just enough bolts to ease your mind. Pitch one starts with a committing move over a small roof followed by smeary slab climbing up a blunt arete for almost a full pitch at 5.9+.

 

Kyle working his way up Pitch One

 

The second pitch is the business. Fun climbing surmounting overhangs on great holds and "okay" pro leads to a stance below the bulge offering a cruxy highstep onto tiny divots. The bolt's at chest level, so you can relax a little, but after pulling the move, it is runout. Move directly left after the crux, up positive edges then back way right to the finishing runout slab.

 

Kyle at the crux

 

 

Spoiler alert. Kyle shows you where the hidden jug is.

 

Surmount this and you're in slab heaven/hell, your choice.

 

 

Top out and hike a few hundred feet to Hello Kitty. Two pitches of 5.9+ climbing. Pitch one is a mix of bolts and gear on fun, positive edges and nicely cleaned granite.

 

Kyle working his way up pitch one.

 

Pitch two starts with easy slab that takes you to a hollow flake that graces the climber with perfect hands jamming for 30 feet.

 

Kyle following pitch two

 

When the positive edges end, you're bailed out by generous chickenheads that take you to the splitter crack.

 

 

Top out this section, and again hike a few hundred feet to Upper 8 Mile Buttress. Upper 8 Mile, outfitted by the hard work of Ron Cotman and company, is high quality. All the routes have new bolts and chain anchors. The best lines are scrubbed clean, and really, you can hike directly up to Upper 8 mile and easily spend the day there, as well as on Smorgasbord Crag. Swingline is one of my favorites up there, but today we chose Buzz Bomb, 2 pitches of 5.10b.

 

BB is located on the east side up the buttress. It's a bit of an anomaly for the Icicle, as the route features steep edging, i.e., no slabs.

 

Pitch one is a lesson in committing mantels. However, all the moves are nicely protected, and take gear as well as qd's.

 

Kyle following pitch one

 

One up here, you get a good look at how far above the morass you are.

 

Pitch two is more steep edge pulling as Kyle shows

 

Pitch two of Buzz Bomb interrupts the steep edges with a steep finger crack that will have you laughing. Reach the anchors to great views up valley to Axis Peak and Mt. Stuart. It's like being in the alpine without being in the alpine.

 

Two raps off brand new chain anchors back to your pack and the easy hike back down. But before bounding down back to your Subaru, do take a moment to drink in the silence and contemplate the Rat Creek crags and beyond.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 26, 2013 by telemarker

[Woodcutter]

That last one is a tremendous photo

[telemarker]

That last one is a tremendous photo

 

Gracias.

[JensHolsten]

Cool guys...so much fun stuff up high on the south side...

[stevetimetravlr]

Man, I love the Icicle but don't get there as much as I used to or would like to. Thanks for a great TR and some cool photos.

[Sol]

You and Kyle should give The Nose on Bridge Creek Wall a shot. Bring a hammer and a couple of knifeblades, slam them in above the 11b roof to get rid of the R rating, rave on the internet about it, and maybe people will actually climb it.

[Darwin]

Thanks; Nice climbing and TR. Maybe next time all the way up to Value Village?

 

Darwin