Pocaterra

Pocaterra is a modern-equipped mountaineer-style ramble up the lumpy southwest face of Crown Butte. The thin opening pitch and wide second pitch have some pretty funky crack climbing, while the upper two pitches are more of an adventurous wander to the summit. Decent routefinding skills and choss tolerance won't go unused here.The name is an homage to memories at the Pocaterra Lodge in the Canadian Rockies with my late grandfather Art Staniland, who passed away while we were working on this route.See annotated photos for starting location.Pitch 1: Climb an awkward fingercrack (5.10-) and pull a hollowed roof on good edges to surmount a mini-pillar. Place a 4" piece and face-climb low along the right-slanting crack (5.9) past one bolt. Trend up and right on scruffy ledges to a two-bolt chain anchor. (5.10-, 90 feet)Pitch 2: Move left off the belay into a wide gully (5.7), aiming for the obvious steep chimney. There is a burly move (5.9) through a bombay flare to exit this chimney. Take a couple steps right and finish with a crimpy boulder problem (5.8) in a seam with small pods for gear. Belay from the cordalette anchor around the tree. (5.9, 70 feet)P2 variation: "Malibu Sandblast" - This is the fingercrack to the right of the chimney. Begins in an eye-catching golden dihedral, passes a sweet angular roof, but eventually degrades to a horrendously flared tips crack. Steep climbing on thin fiddly pro. Finishes with a burly wide overhang below the anchor tree. Prepare to eat sand. (5.10+ PG-13)Pitch 3: The quest for the summit pushes onward with the Chossaneering Pitch. Scramble from the tree up past a few ledges to the next band of solid rock. Start climbing the most direct corner (5.7) but step left at the first minor ledge (~10 feet up the corner; total ~25 feet above the belay tree) and walk a short ways over to a neat little hidden tunnel. (Note: Take care not to miss the traverse left, as the initial corner becomes scary 5.9+ up higher). Squeeze through the tunnel and collect yourself atop the mini-pillar. Continue up a loose gully (5.6) to a small roof/overhang. When you pull the roof (5.7+), swing left to a good shelf with a two-bolt chain anchor. (5.7+, 90 feet)Pitch 4: Climb straight up off the belay (5.7 with hand crack on right wall) to gain a stance below a right-trending ramp. Enjoy airy climbing on the featured, low-angle arete (5.6) with occasional gear in the corner. Belay from the two-bolt chain anchor just below the summit ridge. (5.7, 80 feet)Scramble 3rd-class to the summit of Crown Butte and back down to rap anchors.Rappel the route with a single 60m rope.

Starts around the middle of the southwest face of Crown Butte. See photos.

Single rack to 4" optional 5" piece Single 60m rope