Tri-Burro Bridge, 5.10, 5 Pitches

Overview/Approach

Tri-Burro Bridge requires a bushwhack hump up a non-descript section of the lower east face of Bridge Mountain.  Like its upper neighbor, Fear and Loathing, 5.10d, it offers one fairly good corner pitch that barely justifies the effort to reach it.  Its first and second pitches are essentially approach pitches.  The corner itself offers stellar stemming and pro, reminiscent of Nightcrawler, 5.10c, which is a Red Rock classic.  Albeit the rock is not near that clean. 

Tri Burro is located between two patches of varnish on the east facing lower wall of Bridge Mountain that you see from the Pine Creek trailhead.  They each contain single pitch sport climbs:  Flight Path to the south and the Abutment to the north.  A break in the lower rock band allows one to follow a climber’s trail straight up to the wall between those two climbing areas.  From there, continue hiking north, gaining elevation and looking for a short gully as seen in the topo photo included. Bushwhack up to an easy chimney pitch with a boulder chockstone and tree atop with a cairn (2022) built at its base. 

Route Description

1^st Pitch- 115’- 5.6/ This pitch is shorter than the local guide and MP.com have it (2022).  An easy chimney pitch that was marked with a cairn as of 2022.  It has a boulder chockstone near the top and a tree up and left of that.  The first move or two off the ground is the crux.  Belay off of a tree on a comfortable ledge. 

2^nd Pitch- 100’- 4^th class-/ Burrow through the thick brush to the right end of the white face that contains a wide chimney behind it.  Scramble up this chimney to a fixed rap. 

3^rd Pitch- 80’-5.8+/ Climb up a short crack and turn the overhang above to the left.  Follow this corner up past a slung rap nest (2022) and belay on a ledge with small gear in a crack of good stone. 

4^th Pitch- 90’-5.8/ Walk across the broad ledge to the other side and climb the white wide crack as it leans right and finishes at rap chains with a pro bolt above. 

5^th Pitch- 130’-5.10c/ After all of this effort, it better be worth it and it was.  Face climb through the pro bolt via edges.  Move left into the wide twin cracks and climb the left one through a second pro bolt.  Continue up this chossy section through yet a third bolt.  Gain the nicely varnished inset corner.  Place gear at will from medium to micro.  Jam, stem and layback your way up the long corner.  The last several meters ease up; the majority of the corner is sustained.  Great pitch, similar to the last two pitches of Nightcrawler except a bit chossy. 

Descent

The guide and MP.com call for double ropes, however a single 70m rope can actually descend the route with great awareness on the first rap.  Rap down the corner back to the rap chains.  There is a bolt above the chains.  Clip into it and run a true 70m down to its ends and clip the chains, then unclip the bolt.  Rap down the 4^th pitch.  Rap down the 3^rd pitch via the slung nest which as of 2022 had good cord.  Rap the 2^nd pitch down into the trees and bushes and walk up to the tree that is the top of the first pitch.  Downclimb a meter or two and walk out onto an east facing ledge skiers right and locate a fixed hanger rap.  One more rap to the ground.

Essential Gear

True 70m rope or doubles.  Singe from #0 to #2.  Doubles from #.75 to #2. Wires and/or a set of small offsets.  Guide and MP.Com called for gear to #5 but I did not place anything larger than a #2.  Shoulder length slings.  Route faces mostly east.