This is my name for the imposing rock buttress about 1/3 mile N of the Gore Trail where the trail flattens out above S Willow Falls. I have climbed it four times: the first time, with Jim Koegel, we went left of the prominent overhang that guards the top (this is the harder choice). The second time, with Jonathan Kriegel, we went to the right. In both cases the hardest pitch is the final pitch. On Sept. 15, 2016, a beautiful fall-like day with new snow on the north faces, Katie Larson and I did the route (right). I led all six pitches. On the last pitch (right of overhang), it took me a while to realize I must leave the dihedral and make progress out on the face to the right. Going right was no problem on great footholds. Coming back left was a bit thin with little for the hands, but adequate depressions for the feet. Protection is generally poor on this short crux section; just barely adequate. And in July 2017 I did the right-hand version yet again with Kim Clark and Eric Lashinsky, but this time we took a steeper line and the whole thing was four pitches, with the 3rd pitch being quite short.
Waterfall Buttress on East Red. The start angles from right to left (3 pitches). Then straight up to the trees (2 pitches and some walking). The finish has a short easy pitch, and then the final pitch (the crux) is just right of the dark alcove. One can also finish well to the left of the alcove, and it is harder (5.7). The first photo is a view from the slopes of Buffalo across the valley. The easiest start is at the right, under the pink rock. Photo by Katie Larson.The rock was beautiful, but cracks were rare. This route faces south and east so the overnight snow (see Buffalo on left) had melted for our climb. Photo by Katie Larson.Stan on the crux, at the very end of the climb. I had to get some protection in the crack and a small bomber nut worked here. Then, a little higher, I had to work hard to get a good large cam placement. And I got distracted trying to pull straight up in the dihedral, but that did not work. Finally I spotted the good footholds out to the right onto the face, where there were some thin but solid (if unprotected) moves back to easier ground near the dihedral. A solid cam there and some easy moves to the trees and that wonderful topping-out feeling hit me hard! This is steeper than it looks in the picture and definitely got my attention. Photo by Katie Larson.Kim Clark starting out on pitch 3.Here is Kim just past the crux move on the crux pitch, about to reach the end of the climb.This shows the overhang that is the decision point. Left is 5.7; right is 5.6.
