Adam's Rib
5.11b R trad · 140 ft · ★★☆☆
Route 8 of 13 from left to right on Disappearing Buttress, with Pricks and Ticks on its left and Vanishing Act on its right. Disappearing Buttress has 13 routes, from 5.6 PG13 to 5.11b R; this is the hardest.
First ascent: unknown
Description
Adam's Rib takes a nice, smooth brown corner system a hundred yards up the hill from Prime Rib and just down from the start of Vanishing Act. Climb up a loose but easy face and corner to get to the good rock. Here, balance up below a small roof to clip the first of two bolts. I'll note that this is a reachy clip from an insecure stance and blowing it could easily result in injury (hence the R rating), but the rest of the climb is well protected. Now established in the good rock in the corner, clip a second bolt and climb a series of thin crimps with tricky footwork (cruxy fun) to gain better holds and more gear. Follow flakes up to a bolted anchor.
Protection
A single set of cams from 0.3 Camalot to #4 Camalot... You could get away without the #4 but it's nice to have. A few small stoppers. An 80m rope allows comfortable lowering but a 70 would probably work with careful down-climbing on easy ground.
Access
The 13-mile Scenic Drive requires a timed-entry reservation October to May and has seasonal gate hours. Calico Basin and Kraft Mountain sit outside the Scenic Drive and need no reservation.
Wet rock: Aztec sandstone loses much of its strength when wet. Do not climb for at least 24 to 48 hours after rain or snowmelt, or holds break off and routes are permanently damaged.
More routes on Disappearing Buttress
- Escape Plan 5.10a
- Ms. Management 5.8
- Sunday Cruise 5.6 PG13
- Missing Nothing 5.8+ PG13
- Haul for Nothing 5.10+
- Pricks and Ticks 5.9
- Vanishing Act 5.9-
- Prime Rib 5.7
- Maraschino Crack 5.9
- No Country for Young Men 5.8
- Mr. Garvey 5.9+
- Substitute Teacher 5.10a/b