Jackrabbit Buttress is located at the mouth of Juniper Canyon and offers up one of the better collection of easy routes at Red Rocks including Rose Hips- 5.7, Myster Z- 5.7, and Geronimo- 5.6. Climbing to the top of Jackrabbit buttress offers a more interesting option to reaching the much better rock of Brownstone Wall, North and Brownstone Wall, South. The folks who developed these routes are from all over the place. Several of the climbs face southeast making them prime early day winter destinations. The approach via crossing Pine Creek also makes for a fantastic spring or fall hike.

Park at the Pine Creek trailhead. There are two approaches to Juniper Canyon. Either hike down the main Pine Creek trail and traverse around the old home site to intersect Oak Creek Trail, or locate a more indistinct trail at the Fire Ecology Loop. They both require crossing Pine Creek ascending up to the south bank. In any regard, you hook into the Oak Creek trail and leave it at any number of trails that make their way towards Jackrabbit Buttress. You can also use the Oak Creek trail head (versus Pine Creek) and head north out of the parking area for the Juniper Canyon access on the north side of the wash.

Route Description(s)

The Routes are Listed Left to Right as you Face the Buttress

Rose Hips- 1000’- 5.7/
The first pitch is the crux of the climb, a full 200’ of 5.6-5.7 climbing. The last bit of this pitch can be a little tedius in approach shoes as I found out. The easy face and chimney climbing turn into an off width crack which can be climbed at a higher grade or sparse run out 5.7 smearing on the right sandy face. The 2nd pitch offers the only other eventful climbing, an easy roof pull. The 3rd pitch can suck you too high as evidenced by gear left behind. The 4th pitch involves an aesthetic traverse on a varnished ledge. On most of the route you are treated to the view of climbers on Crimson Chrysalis. From this vantage point it makes Crimson Chrysalis look like a much grander route than it really is. Dow

Myster Z- 1100’- 5.7/
Myster Z is a relatively new route or it would probably be as popular of Olive Oil and Geronimo. Jimmy Newberry and Phil Broscovak put it up in 2003. It runs to the top of Jackrabbit Buttress and then you can traverse the summit of Jackrabbit on the south side to reach the Brownstone Walls. We simul-climbed the last three pitches. The 5th pitch has the only climbing resembling Red Rocks 5.7 and it is short lived (couple of moves up an exposed crack). The first pitch is probably the most exciting overall as a long (160’) 5.6 pitch following a wide crack up into a chimney. The 4th pitch was good climbing at the grade (5.6) as well. These are all long, but fast, pitches. Dow

Crazy Horse- 450’- 5.8/

Geronimo- 560’- 5.6/
”Cute" route on good rock with fun cracks....super place to learn trad lead. RPC’s notes are all anyone needs to climb this route, great guide work as usual. I took his advice on the single raps after the first double rap. All goes smooth, good tat everywhere as of 2009. Dow

Nauterjugg- 90’- 5.11d

Juggernaut- 90’- 5.10d

Monday Funnies- 300’- 5.9

Cottontail- 180’- 5.8

Don’t Touch that in Front of Grandma- 90’- 5.7

Stuffed Animals on Prozac- 190’- 5.8

Aquarium- 1000’- 5.9R

Essential Gear

These are all trad lines and will require an assortment of gear as spelled out in Jerry’s Handren’s “Red Rocks, A Climbers Guide. The routes leading to the top of the buttress allow for a walk off descent. If you chose this option it makes sense to leave your packs down at the mouth of the canyon where you will circumvent back around to them. Most routes are south or east facing and thus would not make good summer objectives at Red Rocks.

External Links

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, BLM

Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association

DowClimbing.Com

Red Rocks

Images