Bunny Bucket Buttress

Pierces Pass - Bunny Bucket Buttress (270m; 18, 18, 18, 8, 8, 17, 17 17, 14)
(Sunday 2/3/08)

BBB is one of those huge multipitch routes I’d had my eye on for some time, but always balked at, with fears of not being fit enough, or simply being overwhelmed by prolonged exposure (in space, no one can hear you scream). With my climbing fitness better than average, and the days rapidly getting shorter – and with a reasonable forecast – it was now or never. Anita was also willing and keen to swing leads. We departed from the Pieces Pass carpark at 9:10 and headed for the Mirrorball abseil. The walk in was punctuated by the sound of parachutes ripping the air. We counted 7 BASE jumpers who like lemmings threw themselves off Walls Lookdown – kind of made me feel ill. Fortunately didn’t have to witness any casualties. The Mirrorball abseil is precariously situated at the end of an ever diminishing slopey ledge with a few poxy-looking trees as anchors. One such tree serves as the anchor which drops you down 45m to the top of the Mirrorball pinnacle. A second double-rope abseil off rings gets you to the base of the cliff. I wasn’t particularly impressed by the number of large trees which had recently departed the ledge (most likely due to heavy rain) – some of which were considerably bigger than the tree we were to use. Hopefully someone will install a chain anchor soon before this tree does a number on someone. Despite my reservations (we were there) we slipped down the abseils to the base of the cliff and sidled along till we found the start of BBB.

After a bouldery start the first of 3 consecutive grade 18 pitches was under way. I led the first and the third (and all odds for the rest of the climb), whilst Anita led the 2nd and the rest of the evens. The first drops of rain started to fall as Anita started on the second pitch. “Did you feel that” was about as much discussion transpired about the weather – we pushed on hoping that if it were going to get ugly, it did it soon, rather than another 5 pitches up where escape would be a nightmare. Fortunately, it didn’t get any worse although remained overcast for the bulk of the day. After 3 great grade 18 pitches, a shallow slab (grade 8) led to a poxy belay from a tree which has definitely seen better days (surely this one will disappear soon too – along with the entire ledge it is attached to), followed by another pitch which is a bit of a jungle bash but gets you to the base of the big cheesecake section and final awesome headwall, which afforded lunch and Anita’s turn to lead through the roof (grade 17). This she did with aplomb (for me it was the hardest pitch of the climb – complicated by my left hand intermittently cramping). No sooner had she breached the roof (much sandy nonsense) she called down “jug city!” and raced up the rest of the pitch on one of the most amazing head walls I’ve seen. The following pitch was great fun – big jugging on good rock (bunny buckets!) in a very impressive position to a hanging belay. Next time it would be worth running this pitch together with the following (also 17) to eliminate the awkward belay. Finally, a loose and meandering grade 14 pitch lead to the summit. We wisely carried everything with us so didn’t have to return to the Mirrorball rap to retrieve gear. Followed the faint track along the ridge back to Bell’s line, and along this back to the car. Car-to-car 8 hrs 10 min. A thoroughly out-there but enjoyable day.

I suppose it was officieally no longer summer

The Mudge chillin at the top of the second pitch. The exposure is starting to kick in, although at least the rain has stopped.

Early during the 3rd pitch (18)

- which traverses a little before blasting up an arete. Many of the pitches benefitted from double ropes

Anita pushing through the mank to an awesome headwall (Pitch 6)

At the top of the pitch 6 belay

Topping out (?) at the 7th pitch hanging belay

The last serious pitch (#8, at grade 17) and the finish to the fantastic headwall (3 pitches long)

Pitch 8 belay

Finally some sun for the cruise back to the car.