Mount Sneffels North Buttress
North Buttress of Mount Sneffels
On June 15, my climbing partner Spence and I went for an outing in our backyard on Mount Sneffels. We went for the North Buttress, one of our favorite routes on the North side of the mountain.
We got a fairly early start for a guides day off, leaving town at the crack of 8ish. We rolled up Yankee boy basin in my truck, driving as close to the trailhead as I dared just a few hundred meters shy of the Wrights Lake trail.
By far the best way to get to the north side of Sneffels is the Chossmaster Couloir, just around the corner from Lavender Col. We began by climbing up the normal route to Lavendar Col then wrapped around climbers right to the top of the couloir. To get to this you will descend down the east side of lavender col approximately 100’, then climb up to a short couloir toward the right side of the double notch col. (Check out the screen shot below) Depending on the time of year, the north facing Chossmaster couloir can filled with snow (ideal) or can be 45° mud and rocks. Something that might help you is a 2 piton anchor I left years ago, that is very high and right on the north facing wall above the couloir. If it is steep mud, rappelling a little ways might be a little easier. Either way descending this couloir 1,200’ will put you right at the base of all the north side routes in great time. This is a far better option than hiking in on the Blaine Basin trail. Not only is it a much faster approach, when you reach the summit you can then zip down the normal route to your car in around an hour or less instead of hiking several miles back out of Blaine Basin.
The base of the North Buttress route starts just left of the mouth of Snake Couloir. It is easily identified with an old piton at the base, and a rotten old fixed line on the left side. There are several ways to start the route, and all of them are about a rope length of fun 5.7ish climbing. The beginning of the route is the steepest hardest climbing you will find. If you top out this pitch at the right spot, you will find a piton belay. If not, I find having a proper cordalette to be the most useful anchor material on Sneffels. It seems like on all of Sneffels routes, if there is a crack bigger than .75, it’s typically a loose block!
On this trip up the mountain, Spence and I decided to climb what I consider to be the standard start to the right of the fixed line. We climbed up blocky terrain that is steeper than it looks from the ground for a rope length. After this the ridge turns right and we climbed up snow to the base of another short steep section. I found belaying before topping this part out to the best spot as there is poor anchor options in the low angle terrain above.
After this, we put the rope away and climbed 500’ or so of snow and rock to the top of the buttress proper. From here you are looking down into the Snake Couloir. Continue up this until you find an easy way to climb into the Snake and then climb snow to the summit block. There are many ways to climb this final pitch. Choose your own adventure and rope up or not for another 30 meters to the summit. If you approached this via the Chossmaster you’ll pretty psyched right now!
Chossmaster Access route
Walking down the lower part of the Chossmaster Couloir
A good way to start the route. The Snake Couloir is to the right.
Heading up the first pitch. The rotten fixed line can be seen upper left.
The final ridge below the summit in September conditions
The top of the routes steepest climbing
Cumbre!
