Marmot Eater

In an attempt to establish a route on an untraveled part of Stump Buttress, we discovered at least one classic pitch. The part worth doing is a steep hand crack that is the first pitch of the Marmot Eater.

P1. It starts 20 to left of the base of the Needle below a large roof. Climb this awesome pitch and then exit right to The Crow's Nest, where you can rap from the top of the first pitch, or...

Continue up the face with either a hard move (11+ or 12?) protected by a small cam or do as we did and hook your way up on small edges. Devious aid moves get you around the corner on to the west face of the buttress. Belay.

P2: Continue up the west face. The climbing eases but the choss increases. Careful here, almost everything I touched was loose. There may be a crack system or two that's clean, so keep your eye out (5.8).

P3: Climb the clean right facing corner to the top (5.8).

Rappel

The Crow's Nest

with two ropes.

Standard rack to 3.5". Hooks and aiders if you're going to continue up via aid. Two ropes.