Jackson-Johnson was the first route up the Second Buttress, by Dallas Jackson and Dale Johnson in 1957. The route climbs enjoyable jugs, corners, and cracks to the top in 9 pitches. Most of the route is rated 5.4-5.6, with a 5.9 crux section. Although a moderate grade, the steepness and exposure makes it a bit more thoughtful and enjoyable than one would expect. To me, the route seemed fairly sustained at whatever difficulty it was, and the 5.9 crux didn't seem much harder than the "5.4" of the previous pitches.

I climbed this route with Sam Gerber, who is a friend of a previous climbing partner, and had contacted me earlier in the summer letting me know he was interested in getting out in RMNP if I ever had a day free. Thinks Sam for joining me on this adventure!

With the forecast for 50% afternoon thundershowers, Hallett can be a good choice. With an early start to beat timed entry and a steady pace, Sam and I topped out before noon. The thundershowers didn't end up materializing until around 5:15pm that day (well after I had finished this trip report in fact), but still it was nice not to be out by early afternoon.

The following page gives a trip report for the climb.