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Mary’s Bust Climbing 2020-present: The Brown Palace (5.11a, 6p, sport), The Broadmoor (5.10b, 4p, sport), The Devil’s Backbone (5.11c, 3p, sport), Violet Blue (5.11c, 3p, sport), and others

Mary's Bust Climbing 2020-present

Routes:

- The Brown Palace (5.11a, 6p, sport)
- The Broadmoor (5.10b, 4p, sport)
- The Devil's Backbone (5.11c, 3p, sport)
- Violet Blue (5.11c, 3p, sport)
- Other routes

Region: Colorado
Elev: ~6,900 ft
Rock type: Granitic
Type: 
Trip Report 1:
The Brown Palace (5.11a, 6p, sport)
Date(s): August 3, 2020 (Mon), September 18, 2021 (Sat), June 28, 2023 (Wed)
Partner(s): Giles Eperon, Nate Arganbright
Trip Report 2:
The Broadmoor (5.10b, 4p, sport)
Date(s): August 3, 2020 (Mon), May 23, 2021 (Sun)
Partner(s): Giles Eperon, Nate Arganbright
Trip Report 3:
The Devil's Backbone (5.11c, 3p, sport)
Date(s): January 17, 2021 (Sun)
Partner(s): Nate Arganbright
Trip Report 4:
Violet Blue (5.11c, 3p, sport)
Date(s): April 16, 2022 (Sat)
Partner(s): Nate Arganbright
Trip Report 5:
Various other routes
Date(s): 2021(x2 days), 2022(x2 days), 2023(x1 day)
Partner(s): Nate Arganbright

Mary's Bust is a large south-facing cliff towering above the north side of US 34 about 8 miles east of Estes Park. The rock is granitic with lots of quartz intrusions and pockets of mica. The routes range from 1 to 6 pitches, with difficulties from 5.6 to 5.13. Most of the climbing is sport but there are some trad climbs as well. The approach is quite quick.

The first time I climbed at Mary's Bust was in August 2020, during a stretch of weather where early afternoon thundershowers were shutting down bigger alpine objectives. My partner and I climbed two of the longest routes at Mary's Bust: The Brown Palace followed by The Broadmoor. I returned in January to climb The Devil's Backbone, another great multipitch route in the area. I've returned since then to do more cragging in the area.

On this page, I present route overlays and pitch-by-pitch trip reports for some of the longer and more popular multipitch climbs I've done at Mary's Bust: The Brown Palace, The Broadmoor, Devil's Backbone, and Violet Blue. Below that, I have random photos from cragging at Mary's Bust, organized by date. At the bottom of the page, I keep a list of the climbs I've done at Mary's Bust.

Pitch-by-Pitch Trip Reports for Selected Routes

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Dates I've climbed this route:
- Date: August 3, 2020 (Mon)  Partner: Giles Eperon
- Date: September 18, 2021 (Sat)  Partner: Nate Arganbright
- Date: June 28, 2023 (Wed)  Partner: Nate Arganbright

Route Overlay

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The Brown Palace & The Broadmoor

Intro

The Brown Palace climbs the entire length of the 400+ foot southeast face of Mary's Bust. The route's six pitches range in difficulty from 5.9 to 5.11a and are entirely bolt protected. For the most part, the route follows a 4-foot wide dike.

Giles and I were up and down this route in a couple of hours. I led the odd pitches while Giles led the even pitches. It looked like the afternoon thundershowers would hold off for at least a few more hours (after all it was still mid-morning when we finished!), and we had enjoyed The Brown Palace and weren't yet ready to end the fun, so we decided to head back up via The Broadmoor.

The following gives a pitch-by-pitch breakdown for our climb of The Brown Palace.

September 2021 update: I climbed this route again in September 2021 with Nate, as a bonus route after climbing a short route at a more crowded Lumpy Ridge that morning. I led the even pitches this time.

June 2023 update: I climbed the route yet again in June 2023 with Nate, as a quick 6-pitch after-work cragging session. Two hours and ten minutes base to base.

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Photos:
Photo descriptions:
Approach 
About 5 minutes from the car, on the left side of the main buttress. You can see the route from the road. There is a climbers trail up to the base.
(no photos)  
  
  
 
  
  
 
   

Pitch 
1
5.9-, 70 feet, 6 bolts. 
1.    
2.    
1. Looking up Pitch 1, which heads right to a bolted anchor.
2. Looking down on Pitch 1 from the belay.
Pitch 
2
5.10c, 85 feet, 9 bolts. 
3.  3. Looking up Pitch 2.

Pitch
3
5.11a, 85 feet, 9 bolts. 
4.    
5.    
6.     
4. Looking up Pitch 3.
5. Looking up the crux section.
6. Giles nearing the top of the pitch.


Pitch
4
5.11a, 40 feet, 4 bolts. 
7.    
7. Giles starting up Pitch 4. A short pitch with a short crux.

Pitch
5
5.10, 120 feet, 12 bolts.
 8.  
8. Looking up Pitch 5.

Pitch
6
5.10d, 70 feet, 9 bolts.
9.     
9. Giles starting off the final pitch to the top. 


Descent
Rap the route with a single rope (95', 90', 40', 85', 95', 70').
10.    11.   10. Looking down from the top of the route just before starting the rappels.
11. Rappelling.

Dates I've climbed this route:
- Date: August 3, 2020 (Mon)  Partner: Giles Eperon
- Date: May 23, 2021 (Sun) Partner: Nate Arganbright

Route Overlay

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The Brown Palace & The Broadmoor

Intro

The Broadmoor climbs four pitches of relatively sustained 5.10a/b bolted face. It is possible to continue up to link with the final pitch of The Brown Palace for a six pitch route to the top. But Giles and I had just climbed The Brown Palace so we just did the four pitches of The Broadmoor and then rappelled.

The following gives a pitch-by-pitch breakdown for our climb of The Broadmoor.

I climbed this route again in May 2021 and linked it into the final pitch of The Brown Palace for a nice 6-pitch route to the top. Photos below are only from my first climb of The Broadmoor in August 2020.

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Photos:
Photo descriptions:
Approach 
Approach as per The Brown Palace. Route starts about 100 feet right of The Brown Palace.
(no photos)  

Pitch 
1
5.10b, ~90 feet, 8-9 bolts. (This is the same pitch as the first pitch of Maternal Damnation. You could also climb Dynamite to these anchors.)
1.    
2.      
1. Quartz at the start of Pitch 1.
2. Looking down Pitch 1 from the belay. We climbed Maternal Damnation Pitch 1. 

Pitch 
2
5.10a, ~90 feet, 8-9 bolts. 
 
3.    
4.    

3. Pitch 2.
4. A nice stretch of rock on Pitch 2. This is some of the best climbing on the route. 

Pitch
3
5.10a, ~90 feet, 8-9 bolts. 
5.    
6.    
5. Looking up Pitch 3.
6. Giles topping out at the nice ledge at the top of Pitch 3.


Pitch
4
5.10a, ~90 feet, 8-9 bolts + optional #0.75 or #1 cam.
7.    
8.    
   
7. Giles starting up Pitch 4.
8. Large quartz crystals near the end of Pitch 4.


Descent
Rap the route with a single rope.
9.    
10.    
9. Rapping.
10. The afternoon thundershower. Yep, not the greatest day for the alpine.

Dates I've climbed this route:
- Date: January 17, 2021 (Sun)  Partner: Nate Arganbright

Route Overlay

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Devil's Backbone. Route overlay by Bernard Gillett, posted on mountainproject.com in 2009.

Intro

The Devil's Backbone follows the extreme right edge of the large buttress that sits immediately left of the main formation of Mary's Bust. The route follows the backbone of rock and is fairly well-bolted, with every pitch offering a cruxy 5.11 section and good movement throughout.

Nate and I climbed this on cool day in January. We had hiked up to the top and rapped into the route with plans to crag on the wall called Golden Hall which sits directly above Devil's Backbone, but it was cloudy and in the high 30's so we just did the single route.

The following gives a pitch-by-pitch breakdown for our climb of The Devil's Backbone. 

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Photos:
Photo descriptions:
Approach 
Take the standard approach to Mary's Bust, head left along the base, and then turn right around the corner. Scramble up the left side of the west gully for 100 feet, and then climb a 20-foot 4th class slab to reach a ledge at the base of the arete. Alternatively, you can hike up around left to the top and wrap into the route and then crag a bit on the wall above.
(no photos)

Pitch 
1
5.11a, ~100 feet, 12 bolts.
1.    
2.    
3.    
1. Start of Pitch 1. Steep!
2. Climbing the backbone.
3. Looking down at Pitch 1 from the belay.
Pitch 
2
5.11a, ~90 feet, 12 bolts. 
4.    
 4. Start of Pitch 2.
Pitch
3
5.11c, ~60 feet, 7 bolts. 
5.    
6.    
5. Nate nearing the crux of the route (11c) on Pitch 3. He cruised up it. As usual.
6. Rope management.

Descent
Rap the route with a single rope. Or, if you hiked to the top and rapped in as we did, you can just walk off.
(no photos)

Dates I've climbed this route:
- Date: April 16, 2022 (Sat)  Partner: Nate Arganbright

Route Overlay

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Violet Blue

Intro

Violet Blue runs up an old aid line on the west face of Mary's Bust just adjacent to the gully that separates the two main crags. The route was installed ground up, solo, and on the lead using hooks and some other related tricks. But now it is fully bolted, providing a quality 5.11 line on steep featured rock. Nate led all of the pitches, cruising through the 5.11 with ease. This is my favorite route at Mary's Bust to date.

The following gives a pitch-by-pitch breakdown for our climb of Violet Blue. 

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Photos:
Photo descriptions:
Approach 
Take the standard approach to Mary's Bust, head left along the base, and then turn right around the corner. Scramble up the left side of the west gully to the base of the route.
(no photos)  

Pitch 
1
5.11c.
1.    
 1. Looking up the route from the base of the route. The roof is the 11c crux of the route.
Pitch 
2
5.11b. 
2.    
 2. Nate starting up Pitch 2. Lots of steep jugs ahead. An awesome pitch!
Pitch
3
5.10b. 
3.    
3. Looking up the start of Pitch 3.

Descent
Rap the route with a single rope.
4.    
4. Lunch break after the climb. There were hundreds of raisins on the ground. Nate enjoyed a few of them on his Ritz crackers.

More Photos

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More Photos

SOME RANDOM PHOTOS FROM OTHER DAYS OF CRAGGING AT MARY'S BUST


More climbing fun!
Date: May 16, 2021 (Sun)
Partners: Nate Arganbright, Bernard Gillett, Paul Bodnar
Climbed at: Left Buttress
Nate and I had planned to go to Lumpy Ridge for the morning, but a last minute phone call from Bernard asking if we were interested to join in a first ascent of a new 3 pitch-route at Mary's Bust caused us to change up our plans. We joined Bernard and Paul on the first ascent and climbed a couple of other pitches as well, and then called it a day before the impending rain moved in.
Pitch 1 (5.9) of the Pegmatite Privilege.
Pitch 2 (5.7) of the Pegmatite Privilege.
Pitch 3 left finish (5.8) of the Pegmatite Privilege.
Pitch 3 right finish (5.9) of the Pegmatite Privilege.
Finishing off the day with Dirty Mary (5.9).

More climbing fun!
Date: May 23, 2021 (Sun)
Partners: Nate Arganbright, Bernard Gillett, Paul Bodnar
Climbed at: Main Buttress
Spring weather had been so wet that the best place for a short dry window of weather was Mary's Bust. We climbed Broadmoor into the last pitch of The Brown Palace and then capped off the short day with Deceiver, a surprisingly fun 1-pitch climb with a crux undercut but well-protected start.
Finishing off the day with Deceiver (5.10a/b).

More climbing fun!
Date: March 12, 2022 (Sat)
Partner: Nate Arganbright
Climbed at: The Sugar Cube
We had tried to climb at Palisade Mountain, but bailed due to too much snow at the base of the rock and on ledges. We salvaged the day by climbing 3 pitches at The Sugar Cube and then four more at Performance Park (a crag in Estes Park).
Nate cruising up a 12- called Match-Up at The Sugar Cube.

More climbing fun!
Date: April 16, 2022 (Sat)
Partner: Nate Arganbright
Climbed at: Main Buttress
Climbed Violet Blue (5.11c, 3p) and Crusty Old Curmudgeon (5.12a, 2p), for 5 awesome and challenging (at least for me) pitches of climbing. Photos and trip report for Violet Blue are given earlier on this page.
Nate heading up Pitch 1 of Crusty, Old Curmudgeon (5.12a, 2p).
Roof on Pitch 1 of Crusty, Old Curmudgeon (5.12a, 2p).
Nate starting up Pitch 2 of Crusty, Old Curmudgeon (5.12a, 2p).
There were hundreds of raisins on the ground. Nate enjoyed a few of them on his Ritz crackers.

More climbing fun!
Date: July 4, 2023 (Tue)
Partner: Nate Arganbright
Climbed at: Main Buttress
The forecast was for "heavy rain" so we squeezed in a few morning pitches at Mary's Bust.
Mary's Jugs (5.7).
Base of Main Wall.
Pitch 2 of Out of Time (2p, 5.11).

List of Climbs I've done at Mary's Bust

LIST MAINLY FOR PERSONAL RECORD-KEEPING | DATES I'VE CLIMBED THERE ON SECOND TAB

Previous and Next Adventures

(August 2020: First time cragging at Mary's Bust: The Brown Palace & The Broadmoor)

Cragging at the Hot Pocket, RMNP, CO
Ypsilon Mountain (Blitzen Ridge), CO

Comments Pertaining to this Page / Trip Report

Useful beta. Updated route information. Corrections. Historical notes. Interesting facts. No fluff please.
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