Tourist Tragedy Too

If you've started early enough, combined with psyche for more climbing and good weather, this is a fun way to tack on a few more pitches of climbing to the top of "

Tourist Tragedy

"

vs.

hiking from the top of the buttress.

I've given this a Grade III, since it's a mini-route on the top of a moderately long, already-established climb. The pitches themselves are each only 100' long, and it's possible to walk off (north) via a grassy ledge system at the top of the second pitch if you're not inspired to do the third.

There are a couple cruxes, one on the first pitch and one on the second. Both are well-protected and check in around the 5.8/5.9 level. There's a variety of ways to do the third pitch (including not doing it), but the climbing checks in a little easier (5.7) via the more obvious line.

Overall, the climbing and rock are similar to "

Tourist Tragedy

," with small, short cruxes with easier climbing in between. There are loose holds and some holds that are better off being avoided altogether. The latter are easy to avoid but still require the climber to pay attention to what he/she is grabbing...like most other routes in the alpine. If it cleaned up, this would be a great way to top out. As it is now, it's good but still scruffy since we're possibly the first climbers on it.

P1 (5.9ish) - Start up a steep (vertical) section of rock that is juggy and rife with "turf" hummocks. This is the loosest part of the route with some holds needing to be trundled (since I was guiding today, we didn't trundle very much). After 30' or so, there will be an off-width above you; since a #3 was the biggest cam on the rack today, we opted for the thinner, right-hand line. This is a small, left-facing corner/flake that curves back towards the top of the off-width. This starts out easy enough, and protects well with finger-sized cams/nuts but becomes more difficult (crux) as the crack curves back left. Smear your feet and crimp on face holds to the left to easier terrain. Angle up and right another 30' or so (exactly 100') to a small, semi-hanging belay stance.

P2 (5.8) - Look up and right, you're headed for the small roof capping a left-facing corner system. The climbing is good and protection is thoughtful-but-adequate. There's good pro before the roof moves but not immediately afterwards. To climb past the roof, pull up and right on jugs/crimps and another 10' gets you to a nice ledge. Either boulder up a short headwall (iffy pro) or move left up easier climbing to a large terrace.

P3 (5.7) - Amble up and slightly left towards a blocky buttress. The climbing starts out easy enough but steepens near the top. There are a couple tougher moves here but good protection abounds.

This route is a small (3-pitch) extension to

Tourist Tragedy

. When you scramble up the final pitch of the aforementioned route, you'll be on top of the Second Buttress, with the gully separating the First and Second Buttresses between you and Tourist Tragedy Too. The start of the route is at the top of this 3'-wide gully on the steep wall now above your head on the left. Look for a line of weakness with mossy hummocks down low; also, the off-width above can be used as a landmark.

Getting down: either scramble off (north) after the second pitch or west after the third. We hiked down to The Gash bivy sites and Andrews Creek, but it's possible to find your way down to Sky Pond. If going into the Andrews Creek drainage, it's best to contour west (staying high) across the talus slope. Drop too low and you'll be cliffed out and have to hike up again. When you come to a large gully/cirque, angle down & left to find the easiest descent. Caution: this is loose scree, sand and talus, so travel accordingly. It's also possible to continue west, past this large gully/cirque and take the standard Sharkstooth approach route in reverse.

Standard alpine rack, but, as with most RMNP rock routes, small cams are helpful.