Trip Report
Beggar's Buttress

by pitu
Thursday November 12, 2015 1:33pm
A few weeks ago I climbed Beggar's Buttress in Lower Cathedral with my wife. I drawed a topo since the only one I was able to found it's not very accurate. Sorry, no photos. The route is good, has the same technical difficulty as the Rostrum, but with almost no gear in place feels harder.
top left corner top right corner
Credit: pitu
bottom left corner bottom right corner
top left corner top right corner
Credit: pitu
bottom left corner bottom right corner

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pitu 		About the Author
pitu is a trad climber from barcelona, spain.

Comments
NutAgain!

Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
  Nov 12, 2015 - 06:29pm PT
Wonderful topo dude! I hadn't taken this climb seriously as something in my future, but this inspires me as a goal to work up to. I've long been fascinated with that area.

Edit: What are typical face runouts on 5.10 territory? 5.9? Is it the kind of climb where you can get yourself out of trouble if you initially commit to it but then later accept that it's too much? (aside from the yardsale of gear left for raps)

Edit edit: Gracias pitu for the feedback.
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
  Nov 12, 2015 - 01:57pm PT
Nice! The only climb I've been on around there is the North Buttress, first climbed by Powell and Feuhrer in 1956 or 1957, which it took me multiple tries to get up. It's dirty and scary (at least the A4 overhang pitch was with pins and first generation Stoppers and Hexcentrics). I don't know if I'll ever be back in shape to do Beggar's Buttress, but everything I've seen about it makes it appealing. Thanks for the topos.

John
ecflau

Gym climber
CA
  Nov 12, 2015 - 02:13pm PT
Cool thanks! I got to follow this route following someone who is much stronger than I am, and its probably 1 of my 3 favorite in Yosemite I've done. (but did not finish the route, did about half?) Good setting, in the shade, varied climbing with a sweet alcove pitch move and no crowds despite it being a few minutes walk from the road. I would love to give this route another go sometime.

EDIT : NutAgain, there is some fixed gear and a lot of tree's you can sling to bail if you needed to. A few bail nuts would help backup one of the belays to bail from.

EDIT #2 : Maybe Erik can provide nice fat belay bolts for each belays to make things cozy? Also clean up that manzanita bush at the 5th belay? just kidding...
RyanD

climber
  Nov 12, 2015 - 02:44pm PT
Thanks for the info
pitu

Trad climber
barcelona, spain
Author's Reply  Nov 12, 2015 - 02:58pm PT
Hi NutAgain,
There are no face runouts in that route. Actually there are almost no face moves, its a crack climb, mostly. In the Reid's book says that the 6th pitch (5.10c)is "scary, loose", but I felt this pitch no scary at all, protects very well all the way as I remember, althoug there are some loose flakes that demand a Little caution. The 4th pitch has some loose blocks that demand caution, too. The harder pitch is the 8th in my topo. The begginning it is very difficult to freeclimb, I aid it for 10 feet or so, using a good pin in place and good cams and nuts. After that it is a very sustained and clean corner 1" . I did not liked the next belay, its completely hanging and forces you to carry a third nš3 camalot just for that. (you may want two of those for the offwidth on the next pitch) The last bit of the last pitch is difficult too, but again you can aid those moves with thin but good pro.
FRUMY

Trad climber
Bishop,CA
  Nov 12, 2015 - 04:14pm PT
TFPU & the Topo
Larry Nelson

Social climber
  Nov 13, 2015 - 07:32am PT
pitu,
Nice topo, good effort.

The Warbler,
Excellent commentary and wise advice on loose stuff and the "wilderness experience".
Gyms just don't prep ya for that.
tarallo

Trad climber
italy
  Nov 13, 2015 - 08:15am PT
Hi ,
the first pitch from the big ledge is still full of ants?
WBraun

climber
  Nov 13, 2015 - 08:24am PT
Werner dislodged a frightening chock stone on the second pitch from the top on an early ascent.

I did?

I don't remember dislodging anything on that climb.

I think you're referencing to the huge monster block me and Shipley launched off the windfall .....
WBraun

climber
  Nov 16, 2015 - 09:43am PT
Oh by the way ....

On that topo above where it says B6 and shows going left with "NO" at the end is where me and Scott Coz tried to do a variation to the top.

We got a ways up there and it got dirty so we bailed.

I left a leave behind hex I believe with a biner on it.

It looked good and possible scoping it from the ground.

Anyways the Begger's Buttress is a killer good route and I ended up doing it many times.
Tarheel

Trad climber
San Rafael, CA
  Nov 13, 2015 - 08:59am PT
On the 11b layback pitch you can belay lower down where it turns handsize in order to avoid having to carry the big gear on lead. It's the most awesome layback I've seen in the valley. On the 5.11++ starting moves you are on the opposite side of a sharp flake from the belayer. Could it cut the rope if you fell and the fixed pin failed?
Old&InTheWay

Trad climber
NC
  Nov 13, 2015 - 09:35am PT
Great to see this TR and reminisce. Climbed it in 2003 and we also belayed lower down the crack on P7. I recall there was a tiny sloping ledge and we belayed from #1/#2 cams. Also lower on the pitch I backed up the pin to make sure the rope never hit that sharp edge.
limpingcrab

Gym climber
Minkler, CA
  Nov 13, 2015 - 10:26am PT
That's awesome that you took the time to draw and share that, gracias!

I'm pretty sure I would be too destroyed after all of that climbing to do an 11c final pitch but I've got nothing against pulling on gear!
G Murphy

Trad climber
Oakland CA
  Nov 13, 2015 - 10:16am PT
A great route for sure.
deuce4

climber
Hobart, Australia
  Nov 13, 2015 - 01:18pm PT
Fond memories of swinging leads on that route with Coz. It opened up our eyes to what was possible around the valley. Soon after, Coz later went and did a number of first ascents of similar bad ass and wild free routes on the various cliffs of Yosemite. A visionary free route--hats off to the FA team!
Studly

Trad climber
WA
  Nov 13, 2015 - 01:23pm PT
This one has been on my to do list ever since I read in Mark Kroese's book, "Fifty Favorite Climbs", that this climb is Hans Florine's favorite climb. You know it has to be stout but tasty.
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Nov 14, 2015 - 10:50am PT
Good climb, I have done it. Thought the last two pitches were REALLY hard. The boulder problem off the belay, the enduro layback that makes the enduro corner feel like a 10b, the roof above the ow and the last moves of the climb are super sequency/thin. Kevin, just wondering on the FFA did it take the leader a few or more tries to fire the last crux free? I don't know anyone who onsighted those moves, from those that I asked....I am not friends with top notch climbers, but still know a few strong ones...great route with the 10c bolted var and the 11a fingercrack.
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Nov 14, 2015 - 02:34pm PT
Great story, thanks for sharing! One of the reasons supertopo is great - ability to find out about how some cool climbs went for the FA or FFA parties. Love it.
WBraun

climber
  Nov 14, 2015 - 08:18pm PT
The logistics of fixing a rope in the right spots are challenging.

The intelligent class just uses a "unmanned aerial vehicle"

Muahahaha .....
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Nov 16, 2015 - 09:40am PT
Wow. What a great thread!
Friend

climber
  Nov 16, 2015 - 10:36am PT
Yes. Thanks to the OP. I did half the route and bailed some years ago, we were moving too slow and running out of daylight. I always wanted to go back and this is stoking the fire for sure. Warbler, I'm loving your comments man. Priceless recollections.
Impaler

Social climber
San Francisco
  Nov 16, 2015 - 11:55am PT
Doesn't show any of the pitch, but this is the last hard move of the route. The 11c boulder problem. Road in the background is pretty close as you can see:


Here's one of the Tidbit:
MarkWestman

Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
  Nov 16, 2015 - 03:12pm PT
I've climbed this route twice and the topo posted above is spot on.
The boulder problem at the start of p8 is definitely one of the crux moves of the whole route- we couldn't solve it either time but it's easy to pull through. The last two pitches 9 and 10 can be combined into one long mega pitch, which is how we did it both times.
The 10c "Giblet" start variation is recommended (IMO), fun climbing directly to the awesome Tidbit crack.

Pitch 4 definitely requires some care with loose rock- at the start there are a bunch of rotten, shattered blocks. It quickly gets solid but then higher in the dihedral there's a triangular chockstone the size of a small backpack which blocks the way and which you have to pull on...as Warbler says, it's been there long enough it's probably not going anywhere. It doesn't move, but it's situated in a way (not a lot of contact area as I recall) that it feels spooky, like it could just pop out. Pull down...

The 7th pitch, which on the Reid topo says "scary, loose" didn't seem that the first time I climbed the route, the second time however, my partner broke off a good sized flake which had seemed solid. The rock is a little crispy here but otherwise it's a great pitch.

Without a doubt, the 11b lieback is one of the better sections of climbing on any route in the valley. It's clean, hard, and pumpy.
The 5.9 OW above followed by the roof/flake also serves up a good grunt, very physical climbing.

A great adventure!
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
  Nov 17, 2015 - 09:53pm PT
Really neat topo, thanks for sharing. Did you do it just recently, like in November?

Do other agree that Beggars is about the same difficulty as the Rostrum? Had always heard that BB was harder.
chappy

Social climber
oakhurst
  Nov 18, 2015 - 02:51am PT
Always stoked about doing the FA of this route with Kev. Also wished I had taken the time to rap back down and lead the last pitch free. Oh well...its as Kevin said--we had just finished a long satisfying climb, it was late and we still had a new decent to negotiate. Our first attempt ended at the start of the lieback. I believe in addition to wanting a pin to protect the boulder move a light drizzle started coming down. My best recollection is of the 11b lieback. Powering through the initial boulder move, getting to the alcove and then pulling the strenuous moves out of the alcove and moving past Kev's high point and launching up the lieback proper. I ran it out a ways and found some small foothold on the left wall where I managed to stop and place a 6 hex (or so I remember). I clipped it--not sure if the thing would hold a fall--and just took off for the hand jambs above. I was either going to make it or take a spectacular fall. Gradually the crack widened to tight hands as the pump started to come on. Not able to stop and place any more pro, I fought through this to the sinkers. I believe I shouted down to Kevin, "I got it!" or some such thing. I set up a belay with large hexes a little higher up. To me, this was the heart of the 70's free climbing renaissance. True adventure climbing--on sight, two inch swami, a rack of hexes (with the odd pin now and then) EBs. This photo of Kev racking up for our ascent says it all.[photoid=434852]
chappy

Social climber
oakhurst
  Nov 18, 2015 - 02:56am PT
WBraun

climber
  Nov 18, 2015 - 08:50am PT
The Rostrum is easy .... you don't have to think.

On the Beggars Buttress you have to think.

One note on the First Ascent history, me a Dale Bard almost got the First Ascent.

Dale got sick at the top of the buttress and we had to bail.

We found Warblers and Chappys pack with their gear in it there.

We had no clue they were working this route until we got back to camp 4.

They freaked (LOL) when they found out we were up there and went the next day I think it was and finished the route.
WBraun

climber
  Nov 18, 2015 - 09:01am PT
I thought you guys tried to do that nasty lichen infested off width off the ledge to the left and it dead ended?

Yep ... lol

Me and Dale found your pack hanging in the tree on the buttress.
pitu

Trad climber
barcelona, spain
Author's Reply  Nov 18, 2015 - 10:19am PT
Hi, Bruce.
Thanks for your comment. We did Beggar's buttress during the last days of october,just before the weather turned cold and rainy. The technical difficult is similar or less than the Rostrum, but the route feels harder beacuse there is almost no gear in place, the routefinding is more tricky, you need some stategy of placing the anchor belays, and you should climb with caution around some loose blocks and flakes. That is the feeling of the route, more adventurous than the Rostrum, a route on cleaner rock and very well defined line where you can easily bail from any point. I felt particularly tough the hanging belay at the end of the eight pitch, with a non trivial offwidth at the continuation. I hope the topo helps a bit on the adventurous factor.
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Nov 18, 2015 - 10:36am PT

Beggar's is way harder than the Rostrum. Especially the last 2-3 pitches.
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Nov 18, 2015 - 01:17pm PT
Great climb! WOOT!
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Dec 30, 2015 - 09:18am PT
Bump for a cool thread
WBraun

climber
  Dec 30, 2015 - 09:20am PT
Beggars that go on this buttress will experience the w00t of all happiness ..... :-)
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
  Dec 30, 2015 - 01:56pm PT
When's the last time any Valley 5.11 was sent without cams? Partly because, well, why, but also b/c who has the skills any more?

Who could send Valley 5.11 with this rack today. Not many.

A ground-up licheny .11+ FA on this rack. Fewer!

Stepping up to a steep and imposing wall with unknown climbing/difficulty and all you get to take is this shitty rack? Only the twisted.


Lost arts. When the 70's climbers retire, that ability goes to bed forever. Respect to the masters.
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Jun 19, 2018 - 01:58am PT
da-bump
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