Flakes and cracks lead up and left to a diagonal finger traverse.

El Guapo

Ankle Biters

B-Positive

Gran Hermano

Only Human Var.

El Chollo

Sidewinder

Blooddrive

Oye Cómo Va

Purple Horizons

Snowflakes

Route Left of Snowflakes

Clay, Like Dirt

Bloodline

Cabeza de Pollo

The Flakes

Plasma

Skilled Passage

Wild Things

Keelhaul

The Ripping Wall

Bloodsport

El Segundo

Christopher of the Everglades

The Super Ramp

El Camino Torcido

El Pipe Dream

Sidekick

To Air is Human

Stradler

Speed Of Life

Graying at the Routes

Narrow Horizons

Negro Modelo

Fun varied crack climbing that joins the upper slab of To Air Is Human and a great way to get to The Flakes. Climb a crack up into the wide slot and stem/chimney your way up to a rightward undercling to the left facing dihedral. (Under Fire 5.10 takes the direct line from the ground up this dihedral.) Beware of a loose block or two in the slot and some typical LCC kitty litter rock, but overall not too bad. Exciting moves take you straight up onto the beautiful slab, linking chickenheads for 3 spaced out bolts and some small gear. Continue up and belay from bushes or stop at the anchors to the right to rap. The splitter 5.6 first pitch of The Flakes is just above, you will need to move the belay up and left through the brush.

Basically an alternate start and finish to Bald Headed Babies. This route makes a more direct line up the wall, continuing up and right when BHB heads left to its belay.

Consistently engaging climbing! Tension crux getting past the first bolt, then a balance/slab crux moving past bolt two until you clip bolt three. The moves getting past bolt three to the end get a little easier, but are still very engaging. Optional tiny cam placement (smaller than a 0.3) might help ease your mind moving off the ledge past the last bolt. Bolted anchors at the top.

This is like a meaner brother of Mexican crack. The climbs are similar as they offer traversing cracks. Gran Hermano, however is thinner, steeper, and more strenuous...excellent climbing.

Set a belay on a ramp beneath a single bolt on a bulge. One reachy move past the bolt puts you on easy ground that leads to the obvious finger crack. Climb crack to a two bolt belay.

Face climbing past one bolt leads to this diagonaling splitter. The crack leads through a bulge (crux) and continues to a 2-bolt belay.

Rating is subjective based on finger size. The rock is gritty, bring tape.

This route shares the same start as Bloodsport, but goes left instead of right at the roof.  Let me be the first to say that the crux is ridiculous, but very short and fun!  It is right as you start going left from the roof. The granite guide says this is a 5.9 route, but I'm giving it a solid 5.10.  There is definitely a correct way to climb through the crux that will help you out tremendously.  Belay at anchors for Bloodline.  Be careful of rope drag.

Mi ritmo….  Named after an uber-classic Santana song, this tricky route takes a diverse line of features starting about 25 feet right of the start of

Bloodsport

.  Small cams protect moves off the deck to the first bolt maybe 20 feet up.  The rock here may still be in the sloughing phase, but it gets better quickly.  Blast up past the bolt to two more bolts and easier slab climbing intersecting

Bloodsport

, which at this point is a rightward traversing crack.  Continue up the headwall above

Bloodsport’s

traversing crack past two more bolts (“mi ritmo”) to gain another slab.  Following more bolts, paddle up until able to step right to power out a right-diagonalling rail to the anchors.  Trad gear can be used throughout to lessen insecurity between the bolts.

To clear the gear after leading, perhaps the best option is to use a second to follow the route due to its traversing nature.  However, if the line is to be seconded, the leader should consider supplementing the bolts with some trad gear along the diagonalling rail leading to the anchors so the second isn’t faced with a potentially bad swing.

Oye Cóme Va

can also be used to get the second tier of East Gate (holding

To Air is Human

, among other routes) by continuing past the anchors via essentially 4th class climbing to reach the top of the first tier.

Starts off with a romp up a shallow right facing corner that doesn't protect very well.  Step up to a stance below the imposing, steep, right angling dihedral and fire in a couple pieces.  Reach up and place a critical brass nut before committing to the crux: 10 feet of small underclings and smaller smears culminating in a reach to the thank god handjam.  Thing ease back from here but the climbing stays fun and engaging to the top.

Starts about 30 feet uphill from Plasma beneath a shallow left facing corner and crack. Pleasant climbing leads to a bolt at roof. From here, traverse right (strenuously) along underclings before pulling the roof onto the slab above. Clip a second bolt, and move up to a vegetated left angling crack. This leads to a 2 bolt anchor.

up a L facing corner, break out L and 2 bolts connect a smooth slab, via a savage rockover, to cool R facing thin flake. Anybody know anymore details ??

Variation to the final pitch of Ripping Wall. Starts off a block, following bolts up an arete.

This is a fairly sustained route, but the crux is right above the second knifeblade. After you execute the crux you must climb a few feet above above the extruding knifeblade before you can get in reliable gear. I think the pins are solid, but you do risk falling onto them, hence the PG-13 rating.  The climbing sequences are tip-top. At times the cams impede the jams, so I found I had to climb through some sequences and place my gear below me.

At 2/3rds height, clip the bolt (new) and do the ninja move left to the right facing flake. Layback, romp up, and finish the low-angled slab to clip the chains. It is a little hard to communicate with your belayer from the top, so consider rappelling. Also, the climb is rated 12b in the Wasatch Guide, but I feel it likely warrants 12c.

A traversing finger and tight-hand crack that feels like a shorter, easier version of Sinsemilla Crack.

Climb around a flake and step right to get into the crack. Diagonal up and right to a two bolt anchor.

My all-time favorite at the grade in Little Cottonwood, this route can be "Quite a grunt to get to and tricky to find," according to the Ruckman guide, but it's well worth it. Approach via

Tingey's Terror

to

Tingey's Torture

--traverse east 25ft from the bolted anchor atop the third pitch of

Tingey's Torture

--for a fun, long link-up or bushwhack your way up ledges to the base of

To Air Is Human

(.10d) or

Under Fire

(.10), granting access to the low-angle, splitter first pitch (5.6), which is named

Trivial Pursuit

(FA" Pete Carney, Tim Wolfe) in the 2016 edition of "A Granite Guide." The second pitch, however, is THE pitch... Scramble up the easy ramp to the base. Jam the perfect handcrack. Commit to a wild undercling/lieback out the first flake left to a stance in a squeeze, then again back right along the top of the airy second flake--CLASSIC! Two sets of bolted anchors appear above; use the newer, upper anchor to belay/descend.

One of the few easier warmups for the area.  Well protected undercling that meets up with the best part of Bloodsport

Run up the ramp that leads to Modelo. Instead of climbing left, to continue up to some horizontal hand jams. Traverse right to an awkward mantel. Once in the slab work up to an oak tree about 100 feet up some 5.6 climbing.

Awesome route high up on the East Gate.  Steep hands  into a slot.  In the back of the slot is a hand to finger crack.  Work your way up the slot the best you can.  I think I spun 3 or 4 times on my way up trying to figure out what might be the best approach.

Up above, the slot narrows to a squeeze and the crack in the back turns into a horizontal finger crack.  Now is the time to get serious.  Make the decision which way to face and then change your mind a few times.  Work the finger crack, which has now slammed shut, out through the horizontal section.

Then figure out the beta to get to the nice, relaxing, less-than-vertical handcrack above the crux.

A good way to dispose of a trouble maker.  In the middle of nowhere, but quality- considering this is on a common descent route and an obvious line, I wouldnt doubt if this had been climbed before (see Glens

Axis of Evil Comment

, but it looked too good not to take a swing at.  A little short, but quality thin fingers, thin liebacking, and a detaching flake make this a fun end to a Tingeys Torture-ous day.

Start off a sandy ledge below (east) the Axis of Evil Arete and climb the obvious thin crack.  The first 20 feet or so are positive, but the following section is slightly more insecure, gear less trustworthy, and there is plenty of exfoliating lichen and granite.  A good steel brushing would be warranted if this were ever to get traffic.  Finish off and belay off a pesky tree or manky gear up in the nook.

If youve got previous ascent info send me a PM and Ill update it.

P1  Climb the green face and crack that starts just left of Sidewinder.   5.8, 80'

P2 - Traverse across slabs to a dihedral, angling towards the obvious finger crack splitting a small roof. Surmount this, then pass small overlaps towards the obvious roof. Pass another bolt, traversing right around the roof, then left to the anchor. 5.10c. 100.

P3 - Climb positive edges and rails via bolts leading to a flake (.75" piece optional). At the top of the flake, pull the crux on small edges past a few more bolts up to a 2-bolt anchor. 5.10d. 70.

The line of bolts to the right of P3 is "Clay, Like Dirt" 5.9

Pretty good route.  The first pitch consists of a short offwidth, then a traverse onto a nice handcrack.  Follow the handcrack up, then traverse right under a roof to nice holds.  Belay a little past the trees using natural anchors.  The second pitch is excellent, but short.  Belay at the anchors for Snowflake and Plasma.

The traverse left offers hard, balancy moves...the crux. An amazing finger crack follows, which joins the main route at the upper lieback.

Starts off with a thin, almost vertical slab past a couple chicken heads to a roof.  More steep slab climbing past the roof on sharp holds that leads to a thin crack.  The climbing backs off a bit before traversing to the right towards the anchors.  Make a reach into a little corner and make a awkward move to the anchors.  Quality rock with cool sustained moves.

Serious ramp-age up a steep face! From the alcove hang below the imposing shield, chunky terrain leads to a leftward flake traverse beneath the corner. A funky boulder problem brings you up into the corner proper. Advanced ramping maneuvers continue on until a final tricky boulder cuts back left, ending on a heroic rail traverse to the anchor. The hard climbing is unique, and the rock quality is reasonable. What a wild feature!

Listed as the #25 project below The Flakes in the Granite Guide. This was originally bolted and cleaned by Drew Bedford and Clay Watson.

Last fall we started up this line thinking it was

Plasma

, relying on a photo-diagram in the 2016 A Granite Guide, but we backed off after finding it loose and dirty, with a kitty litter veneer and unreliable pro.  We later deduced that the 2016 guide's photo-diagram was wrong and

Plasma

actually started about 50 feet to the right – which Drew (who did the FA of

Plasma

) subsequently confirmed.  This spring while we were working on the nearby

Oye Cómo Va

, we took advantage of a fixed rope to scrub this line, producing a good albeit short trad route.  There is a chance that some other wayward party climbed this first thinking it was

Plasma

; if so, let me know and I’ll change this post accordingly.

Start up a slightly-undercut left-leaning crack past down-pointing flakes (some may flex but, as of 2021, seemed trustworthy) to a horizontal break, then move right to a right-trending crack.  Climb the crack until able to smear right to a suitcase-sized knob, then work up past an undercling to a left-leaning crack ending on an oak infested ledge.  Join the right-diagonalling

Bloodsport

above, either calling it a tick at the first set of anchors or continuing to the top of East Gate’s first tier.

Start below the layback flake. Pull through some easy moves and into the lie back. One bolt protects the fragile flake. Then head right along a seam, past a fixed pin. Finish on El Chollo.

P1 - Climb the first pitch of The Ripping Wall, just left of Sidewinder.  5.8, 80'

P2 - traverse west across slabs to join a line of left- leaning cracks, then up to a short  finger and hand crack to a 2-bolt belay at the bottom of Wild Things. 5.8. 60.

P3 - Climb the obvious left-sweeping ramp to the left of Wild Things on small cams and nuts to a hand-sized piece or two as the face arcs right and into a short easy chimney. At the top of the chimney, place a directional and walk 15 feet down and left to the belay for the Flakes. 5.6 PG-13. 60

This is a quick way to access The Flakes.

Killer edge climbing with closely spaced bolts above a roof. Turn the corner and pull onto a red, crystalline slab for 3 bolts.  Then a little gear in an easy crack and three more bolts up a perfect slab to the anchors of El Guapo.

Probably wont be high on anyones tick list, but we were there, and it looked fun.  Stradler climbs the off-fist to groping-chimney yawn left of Keelhaul directly behind an old pine that is occasionally used to rap the fourth class terrain into the East Gate Gully (see photo here:

mountainproject.com/v/10722…

).  Luckily the outer lip of the crack is positive and steep enough to avoid full body penetration into the granite grinder.  Liebacks and saddling are the play with a certain level of grit-groveling is to be expected.  Numbers 4, 5, and 6 C2s were all handy.  Belay from blocks on a ledge.  Rap from these same blocks with a chunk of webbing.

For me the most interesting line on the wall. A somewhat serious outing, expect technically demanding and thought(or anxiety!) provoking movement the whole way. The natural gear adds greatly to the experience! Carefully solo up for 20 feet (5.9) past a hollow sounding plate to a diagonaling crack/seam- you can get in a finger sized cam in a pod a bit to the right here that  with a sling protects the next moves getting to the first bolt at 25ft. Now climb the alternating seam/finger cracks up and slightly right, protecting with trad gear until you can clip the second bolt. At this second bolt it seems most obvious to climb left, but this way is deceptively difficult (V5 kitty litter (KL)friction?) going a few feet right at this bolt with a sneaky in-obvious sequence allowed for passage at about V4 KL friction. Get established on yet more intermittent seams/cracks at a stance above this final bolt and build of nest of decent, but not bomber gear. Finally, boldly finish up easier (5.10), but basically unprotected climbing for 25 feet to an ugly finish in a left leaning groove. There is a pillar you can sling a bit  before the finish, but if you manage to blow it here you're certainly broken- and you never would have made it here in the first place;) Speed of Life would be a 3 star route if not for the somewhat ugly finish, but the first half is unquestionably great.

This is a really good route with climbing that’s continuously engaging and fun.  The bolts are spaced far enough apart to get your attention but close enough that you call fall just about anywhere on the route and not get hurt.  However, you do have to pay to play.  The first bolt is 20+ feet up, but the climbing to the first bolt is relatively easy, maybe 5.9, with pretty good feet the whole way.  Once you get the first bolt clipped, it’s game on with a ton of variety and fun movement.  Side pulls, underclings, high steps, a small roof, the occasional jug, a really perplexing crux with a bolt at your hip.  All in all, it’s a great route.  This one should definitely see more action.

4 bolts up featured yet delicate friction climbing lead to a wild and rare crux move getting established into the right facing corner that is 2nd half of Purple Horizons. Fun and well protected.

Follows a pronounced black crack/water streak past bolts to ledge with fixed anchors

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in East Gate Buttress