The Love Route on Hallett Peak is the easiest 5.9 on the Second Buttress and perhaps the quickest way up this imposing 1000' high cliff.  The difficulty of the climbing increases in intensity up to the final crux pitch.

Hallett's "Love" Route

III 5.9

Description 

The North Buttress of Hallet Peak is one of the most accessible and imposing "north" walls in North America and some of the most popular routes in Rocky Mountain National Park ascend it's steep flanks.  This can be a popular cliff in the summer time due to the high concentration of relatively moderate alpine routes in a fantastic setting above Emerald Lake in the Tyndall Gorge.

         The Love Route takes a mostly direct line up the Second Buttress of Hallett Peak

Location 

The approach to the north buttress of Hallet's is the easiest of all the alpine rock walls in RMNP and from the Bear Lake trailhead, it is a straight walk for 2 miles up the Tyndall Gorge to Emerald Lake and another mile on talus and scree trails to the base of the route.  The route starts on the left-hand side of the second buttress, below a white quartz dike and a prominent right-facing corner system- the same start as for the Culp-Bossier, Englishman's, and Jackson-Johnson routes.

Looking down the Tyndall Gorge at the trail from Bear Lake and the approach from Emerald Lake to the base of the North Buttress.

Route Information

P1- 50m  Once the snow has melted from the base, step off the ground onto a steep white quartz band 30' high which takes one directly into the large furthest-right facing dihedral on this part of the face.  Follow this large corner system up to a two-pin anchor which can be supplemented with gear (5.6)

                                         The large dihedral of the 1st pitch

                                                     Mid-way up the first pitch of the Love Route

                                                          Anchor at the top of the first pitch

P2- 55m  Step-left off the belay ledge to a small dihedral then up for 15' to traverse left into another dihedral which can be taken directly up past some grass to a large ledge with a threaded rappel anchor.  Head straight up from here into a very small right-facing corner which after 15' is traversed out of to the left up to another grassy ledge then head straight left out of the center of this "chossy gulley" to a belay stance on a small ledge (5.7)

P3- 50m   Head-up the chossy gulley just left of center for most of the pitch until the rock becomes more quartzite and clean then after a left-facing corner, step up onto a nice ledge with a slung horn anchor which can be supplemented with gear. (5.6)

                                                              Near the top of the third pitch

                                                      Belay stance at the top of the third pitch

                                      Slung horn anchor with #1 camalot at the top of the third pitch

P4- 55m  Step right out of the belay and traverse across this ledge for 20' to pull a small overhang then head straight up to join a right-facing corner system with some large horns which after passing a few fixed pins, offers a break left onto large ledges where a button-head bolt can be used along with cams for an anchor.( 5.7)

                        Emerging from the right-facing dihedral into the sun at the top of the fourth pitch

                                    Anchor at the top of the 4th pitch

P5- 57m  This is the "money pitch" of the route and there are a few slight variations that deviate from a plumb line straight up the wall- but straight up is the best and most sustained option.   A few solid fixed pins will help along with the few cams and nuts which can be found on this somewhat steep, runout, and continuous pitch which crosses the highest quartzite band to a pin and cam anchor below the largest roof on this part of the face. (5.8R)

                           Near the end of the difficulties on the 57 meter headwall of the Love Route

P6- 55m Climb straight-up out of the belay taking the path of least resistance and avoid pulling too hard on the somewhat loose blocks just below the roof before breaking right to cliff a couple of very old pins (.5 camalot works great here) to a layback crux through the right side of the large roof.  Continue up and right throught another small overhang then up and right to a solid crack system on the edge of the top of the buttress  (5.9)

            Looking up into the crux of the Love Route where it bypasses the large roof on the right

       Dave Ryan pulling through the crux layback (5.9) on the Love Route on Hallett

Descent

From the summit plateau, walk easily east following the many cairns to the end of the escarpment  where you will find a relatively new two-bolt anchor.  A 30m rappel straight down brings you to a big ledge with a threaded sling anchor above.  Another 30m rappel off of this anchor takes you to the dirt and a short down-climb into a gulley which is followed down and skier's left to eventually another scree gulley which winds down and left to the base of the cliff.

           The beginning of the "walk-off" after the rappels from the east end of Hallett's 1st Buttress

Equipment

A standard rack to #3 Camalot, doubles of all sizes down to a .25 Camalot and extra shoulder length and double-shoulder-length slings are helpful.   One rope should be sufficient unless the weather is questionable, in which case a second rope, preferrably a tag line would be taken along to facilitate a retreat.  There are very few fixed anchors on this entire route.