| Armatron is a close to a perfect climb as you could ask for. We approached up Myster Z, which was very pleasant, if unspectacular (7 pitches, 5.6-7). From the top of Jackrabbit Buttress, it is indeed a ten minute walk to Armatron. As Myster Z tapers off to 3rd class, look for an easy bowl leading down and west past cairns to the wall below Armatron. Hiking in to Armatron is also a good option--the hiking time to the base would probably be shorter than the Myster Z approach (3 hrs for us on Myster Z versus about a 1.5 to 2 hour hike). The first pitch of Armatron is easy to spot--just look for the bolts. The second pitch crux is well protected with small units, and the climbing is fabulous. Then it is just gorgeous, plated varnish for 300 feet to the top of the wall. Small units, wires, and cams to 2.5" will do it. We topped out on Juniper peak instead of rapping off and would recommend this--it's gorgeous, easy, and safer. To be helpful, I'm including some specific beta for the walk-off, since it's a little tricky. From the top of Armatron's 4th pitch, climb two more nebulous 5.6 pitches (both bolted) to the top of the pillar (finishing on the last pitch of Requiem for a Tadpole), downclimb a short 3rd class step, scramble up and left on bushy 2nd and 3rd class ledges for 200 feet, then turn east and scramble 200 feet to the true summit of Juniper Peak (total from the top of the climb, ten minutes). DO NOT take the brushy gully immediately east of the top of the technical climbing--you will probably get cliffed. From the true summit, head northeast for just 50 feet or so, looking for an enormous pine (short, but 2 feet in diameter) and follow the obvious scrambler's trail back down east, then around to the north to the very base of the climb (20 minutes). Continue on down the cairned path and out the canyon, passing Crimson Crysalis. If Armatron was next to the road, there would be waiting lines every day. This climb deserves as many stars as possible. |