Route:  Argonaut, NW Buttress
Climbed:  May 13, 2001


Approach:  We approached via the Colchuck (-Dragontail) col.  This
route is scenic and straight forward, but made for a 5,500 ft day.  A
common approach is via Mountaineer's Creek.  (There is reportedly a faint
trail along the west side of the creek, which you may pick up at the
first small switchback on the way up to Stuart Lake.)  There is great
camping at the Argonaut-Colechuck col.   From the col you can descend
to the North basin via a steep (loose) gully a bit to the east.

From the north basin climb the snow slope (or finger) which leads to a
small col at the base of the steep slope of the NW buttress.  (You
can't see this from the Argonaut-Colechuck col).  I'll describe the
pitches as we climbed them, though there are ample opportunities for
variation so your experience may vary.  We had a 60 meter rope, but
seldom climbed past 50 meters on it, I think.

Pitch1:  From the col climb down, then up through the tree.  Climb up
blocks back toward ridge crest.  The final step to crest was tricky.
Follow easy ground a ways then climb easy blocks to belay at a large ledge
below a right facing corner.

Pitch 2: Climb the corner.  The exit is a bit of a layback.  Above,
walk over easy ground to the base of a face.  From the lower left of
the face traverse right, working up ledges where possible, until you
end on the right, below a steeper face.  There are a couple possible
variations.  We climbed one with a layback off a small flake.  This
did not offer good pro up high and I would try the crack further left.
Above, climb a little higher and belay from a ledge, still in sight of
the belayer down below.

Pitch 3: Traverse left along the ledge then climb a 6 ft step to a
ledge.  You'll be at the base of another slab (15 ft) with several
cracks.  I climbed one of the middle ones, then exited to the right
and up some blocks.  Above I walked across easy ground to a
gully/corner near the center of the buttress, climbed 15 ft up that
and belayed from the highest large ledge.  (I also looked around the
corner to the left and found a moderate ramp (~65deg) with large crack
systems which may have made for good climbing.)

Pitch 4: From the belay climb up a steep corner with good holds.  Stay
a bit left then climb up a small gully (there were some old rap slings
near the top) and belay at the base of another right facing corner.

Pitch 5: The corner itself becomes very steep and would be hard
climbing.  Fortunately, there there is a broad crack which exists to
the right which looks like easy terrain.  Climb up the corner until
you can move right toward the crack.  Move around the chock stone.
From here there are several large flakes leaning against a wall to the
left.  Traverse the flakes to a steep corner.  Climb the corner (good
pro and good holds in the cracks then up high) and exit on to a ledge.
Here there is a route choice.  I choose to climb a gully that went
directly up from the ledge.  First climb the face to the left then
move right and into the gully.  Here there are are two options.  If
you continue straight you'll enter a section that looks moderate, but
lacking of hand holds and protection.  I moved left 5 ft and climbed a
corner that looked harder, but was good climbing with good protection.
Above, continue up the gully on easier climbing.  At the top step right and
climb up to a ledge to belay.  

(The other option from the ledge above the corner is to continue across
the ledge drop down 5 ft, you can enter what looks like a moderate
gully.  You'll probably want to turn left when given the chance.  This
will also probably take two pitches to reach the same belay ledge.)

Scramble easy terrain to the summit.  From the summit continue
traversing east.  When you can, traverse down the large NE face and
look for rap slings on the east ridge.  Our first rap took us to the
top of a gully which leads to down to the north basin.  The second rap
took us down the gully to a notch in it's right side (SE).  From the
notch scramble down to the lowest tree and from that rap down the
blocky gully.   Two raps down that gully takes you to slopes near the
Argonaut-Colechuck col.  

We returned to the cars via a series of post holes through soft snow
in Mountaineer's creek.  The A-C col to TH was 13 hours, 45 minutes.




[Route description written by Tom Unger]