During the 1970’s Charlie Pitts had been one of my major go-to guys when it came to partners in crime for back country buffoonery. After that we moved to different states pursuing different goals, but by the early 1990’s were able to reconnect for some good old fashion phun. During one particularly long and glorious Indian summer weekend we decided to hike up Spanish Creek outside the town of Crestone, which would give us access to the rarely climbed flying buttress on the south side of Kit Carson Peak. This seldom traveled trail had experienced a wicked blow-down sometime earlier that summer and we felt like ants in a toothpick box. The blowdown affected approximately 2 ½ miles of the trail and it took us a couple of hours to traverse that section. By the time we got above timberline up in the basin, we felt like we had already passed the crux moves of the weekend. The following day we got a relatively early start and were at the base of the climb before the sun came up over the skyline formed by Columbia Point.


The starting moves on the Flying Buttress route are quite psychological and comprise the crux of the whole climb. Although the moves are only 5.8, it is pulling an overhang from a perch on the ridge no larger than a dining room table, with impressive exposure on either side of this perch. Also, the first few moves don’t protect, which adds to the mental drama. The rock is the same coarse conglomerate that the Crestone Needle and Peak are so famous for. Although this rock can be quite chossy, usually it is pretty solid and provides very interesting climbing on rounded cobbles and boulders sticking out of the sandstone matrix. Fortunately, the rock on the opening moves of the Flying Buttress is pretty solid, and after a few moves to get above the overhang there is a crack that swallows pro like a trout swallows midges. The higher one goes on this route the more it leans back and the easier the climbing gets. By the time we had completed the first pitch we were in solid 5.6 territory and in cruise control. The route is long but easy, protects well, and is very enjoyable, amounting to more of a great day in the mountains in a spectacular setting than anything resembling grand alpinism. The day itself was rather moody, with clouds and fog blowing in and out for the whole day. We had returned to camp by mid- to late afternoon, and decided that another night under the stars was vastly preferable to an early return to the racing of the rats.


Postscript: Charlies’ orbit in my life has always been characterized by much eccentricity, and after this climb he went from living in New Mexico to living in Missouri. We recently reconnected as he has moved back to Colorado, resuming our adventures this past summer, although they are much more geezer-friendly in nature. For anyone looking for a fairly easy, long climb on good but unusual rock that you can have all to yourself, I highly recommend the Flying Buttress. Beware of climbing it during the high country monsoon though, because you are totally vulnerable for long periods of time to lightning.