Cochise Quickie #16

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Dreamscape Buttress
Dreamscape Buttress.
A Friday night to Sunday night quickie to southern Arizona’s premier climbing venue to soak up a bit of sunshine. On Saturday, we drove to the end of the access road on the west side and slogged up (not too bad, one hour roughly) to the base of Dreamscape Buttress (5P, 5.9) on Westworld Dome. Climbing was fun on pretty much every pitch with the last one being the highlight: a unique combo of slab and face climbing from one chicken-head to the next and relying on the chicken-heads for protection. Very Cochise indeed. On Sunday, we hiked up to the base of Muttonhead Dome and climbed the (sandbagged) Tour Buses Welcome route. That third and final pitch was quite a surprise since the hardmen of mountainproject call it a 5.10-. Small package but good climbing. Can’t believe that we’ve let more than 4 years pass by without visiting this special place.

Photos

Dreamscape Buttress
Shirley starting our approach to the “backside” of Westworld Dome. The usually dry washes were running this time around (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Nearing the start of Dreamscape Buttress on Westworld Dome (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Starting up pitch 1 of Dreamscape Buttress – yeah the start is runout but you hardly feel it as you’re semi-wedged in the groove (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Shirley topping out on pitch 1 (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Pitch 2 – the alligator plate nirvana starts here (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Views from low on Dreamscape Buttress…already quite spectacular (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Shirley on pitch 2 (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Starting up pitch 3 of Dreamscape Buttress. More of a groove than crack but sufficient for placing pro (Dec. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Shirley topping out on pitch 3 of Dreamscape Buttress (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Starting up pitch 4. Those last two pitches (4 & 5) really make this route into a worthy outing (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Looking towards Squaretop formation – home to the very fun Cragaholic’s Dream route (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Higher on the same pitch (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Shirley enjoying the highlights of the route!

Dreamscape Buttress
The fun culminates with this chicken-head hanging belay…iconic Cochise Stronghold (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Topping out on pitch 4 with the Squaretop and Rockfellow Domes in the background (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Starting the lead of the 5th and final pitch. Traverse right, place some bomber gear and aim for the large, solitary chicken-head directly above the (hanging chicken-head) belay. Shitloads of fun (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Shirley enjoying the hanging chicken-head belay (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Gunning for the chicken-head. Send the taller climber up to lead this pitch (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Looking back at Shirley from mid-way up the final pitch. Such unique climbing protected by slung chicken-heads (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Shirley atop the Dreamscape Buttress route near the summit of Westworld Dome (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Views of the Rockfellows. End Pinnacle is in the foreground; Rockfellow Dome is the larger one providing the background. There’s a climber on the left side – either rapping down from Rockfellow Dome or maybe at a belay on Abracadaver (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
A closer look…

Dreamscape Buttress
A climber and the Friendly Flake – a feature you climb on Abracadaver (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
Shirley searching for the first rap station (just below her; Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
The southeast buttress of Westworld Dome (home of Dreamscape Buttress) as seen from the hike down (Feb. 2017).

Dreamscape Buttress
View of Sheepshead and its neighbors during our afternoon drive out (Feb. 2017).

Cochise Stronghold
And the Sheepshead group as seen shortly after sunrise the following morning. Sheepshead is the largest formation, Muttonhead is to its left, followed by Mount Chaktar and Boot Hill (Feb. 2017).

Cochise Stronghold
We’ve done this approach maybe 8 times over the years but it’s always quite striking to be hiking through an ocean of yellow grass (Feb. 2017).

Tour Buses Welcome
Leading pitch 1 of Tour Buses Welcome – barely a warm-up for what lies above (esp. pitch 3!).

Tour Buses Welcome
Shirley on the first pitch of Tour Buses Welcome (Feb. 2017).

Tour Buses Welcome
More pitch 1 action (Feb. 2017).

Tour Buses Welcome
Leading pitch 2: very fun, varied face climbing!

Tour Buses Welcome
Shirley on the upper half of pitch 2 of Tour Buses Welcome…steeper that it looks in this photo (Feb. 2017).

Tour Buses Welcome
Looking back towards the parking lot (Feb. 2017).

Tour Buses Welcome
And the pitch 2 top-out (Feb. 2017).

Tour Buses Welcome
Leading pitch 3…calling it 5.10a/b (per mountainproject reviews) will leave most quite surprised (Feb. 2017).

Tour Buses Welcome
Shirley above the crux on the third pitch of Tour Buses Welcome (Feb. 2017).

Tour Buses Welcome
Topping out (Feb. 2017).

Tour Buses Welcome
Rapping down the colorful Muttonhead Dome (Feb. 2017).

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