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| Green Giant Buttress | ||
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Darrington: Climbing Areas: Green Giant Buttress | |
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Green Giant Buttress has several
routes though Dreamer is the most famous. Driving Directions Drive about two miles past the Three O’Clock Rock trailhead on a rough road that is barely passable in a normal automobile to where there is room to turn around and the road deteriorates (some will drive 1/4 mile further). Approach Follow the overgrown extension of this road, then drop to an old mining road and follow it to where it ends at a side-stream. Cross the side-stream, bear left and follow the main creek to a three tiered waterfall. Just above the base of the falls, a gully leads into the bush on the right, and it soon opens a bit and climbs to the slabs below Green Giant Buttress. Stay right as you start up these slabs, scrambling to the highest erect tree among scattered bushes on the apron below the steeper part of the buttress. Descent The “walk off” on the backside is rather unfriendly and most parties rappel the route, a complex process requiring two ropes, providing ample opportunity to get a rope stuck behind a flake and frequently resulting in a tangle with other parties. Notes on Dreamer Dreamer (5.9) is deservedly popular. However, while only moderately difficult by modern technical standards, it is ten pitches long and surprisingly challenging. The original start of Dreamer has been replaced by two better alternatives: (1) from a blocky ledge just above the highest of the small trees on the “apron” beneath the Buttress, climb up to an anchor, hidden from below, and Dreamer Direct (5.7) leads to Urban Bypass (5.10b) and rejoins Dreamer at the top of the old fourth pitch; (2) from the same blocky ledge, scramble right then 180 feet up to the base of the Botany 101 dihedral, where two pitches of Safe Sex (5.8) lead to the old third belay of Dreamer. The two 5.9 pitches high on the route involve challenging face and crack climbing that wanders around overhanging flakes set to snag the rope: long runners and careful rope management are mandatory. Many climbers have difficulty here but these are spectacular pitches and are followed by three enjoyable pitches leading to the summit of the rock (the current finish does not follow the original line but the anchors are good and tales of mind-boggling run-outs are over ten years out of date). Other Routes Green Giant Buttress has other good climbs which should not be overlooked – especially if there are multiple parties on Dreamer you when you get there. Good climbing will be found on Urban By-Pass (5.10b), Safe Sex (5.8), and Boomerang (5.11a). The Fast Lane (5.11 b or 5.10c A3), is not climbed very often and would certainly prove quite an adventure – please send details if you climb it. In its original incarnation, Botany 101 would not make a pleasant outing. At present, Giant’s Tears is not recommended. Topo:  Dreamer/Safe
Sex/Urban By-Pass (pdf file 32k) |
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| Dreamer, photo by Steve Firebaugh | ||