Cabron

Cabron is another good 5.10 climb in Echo Canyon; though it is a bit more serious than most of the other nearby 10s. It shares some terrain with Westeron Wynde and Pantomime. It was originally done solo with some aid, then later freed using a variation to bypass the aid crux to its left. A topo (which does not show the free variations to p3 and p4) was posted by the FA; it should suffice if you're aware of what's up on p3. The free route is shown in "Sandia Rock".

P1. Same as for Westeron Wynde. The left variation (5.10, recommended) pulls thin moves past 2 bolts. A right variation (5.9) climbs an ugly-looking wide crack in a left-facing corner. Both starts merge after 80' and follow easier cracks. Build a belay at 115' at a small ledge.

P2. Climb easy cracks, step right into a left-facing corner with bushes. Stem and/or climb the face to the right. Pass a small pine tree and move left to a belay stance with 1 bolt below a beautiful face (5.9, perhaps a bit runout, 115'). Alternatively, step out of the corner and left onto to the face a bit earlier, and follow a thin splitter crack/seam that goes directly up the face to the belay (5.10b). You can link the first 2 pitches with a 70m rope.

P3. This pitch is a gem but somewhat heads-up. Climb the finger crack splitting the beautiful face above the belay (5.9+). For the free variation (5.10b, not shown in topo): Just before you reach the roof, move left to the left edge of the face. Turn the roof, clip a pin, and angle back right. Follow a splitter 5.9+ finger crack to a stance belay below the big roof system at the top (150'). [The original aid line goes straight up to the roof and pulls through it on fixed heads (C2).] Pantomime starts up the finger crack, then follows a crack angling right, then gains the same finger crack above.)

P4. Step left to a bolt, crank the sweet roof (5.10d) and continue up featured low-angle face to a 2-bolt anchor (60'). The original route turned the roof right of the bolt, following a crack (5.10+). You can link p3 and p4 with a 70m rope.

Cabron is on the south face of the Bush Shark buttress, around the corner from the Bush Shark Spire proper and partly the side canyon which separates Bush Shark buttress from Yucca Flower Tower buttress. Its 1st pitch is shared with Westeron Wynde, then moves right of Westeron Wynde on the 2nd pitch.

Photo taken from between the second and third fir trees. The start of WW can be easily identified by the two bolts marked here by white X's. shows p1.

Nuts and cams to 2 or 3", including RPs. 70m rope useful