After bailing on Blueberry Buttress two years ago due to a loose flake, we’ve been wanting to get back up there. We heard the loose flake tumbled, and decided to go for Blueberry with a group of FIVE! Alexis, Gary, Liv, Cole, and myself.
The road was in normal condition (no fallen tree anymore). Definitely need high clearance, and needed 4WD to get to the final end of the road. There was a group camping that morning when we arrived at like 4am, and another different group camping when we got back, apparently it’s a popular campsite (they weren’t climbers).
Approach
We got up to P1 decently quickly! The forest trail went very quickly (20 mins I think), but the sidewalk slowed things down. We belayed Gary and Liv up one section of the sidewalk as they weren’t feeling confident in their shoes. It was still less than 2 hours of approach though, not too bad!
Pitch 1 – 5.5, 130′
Alexis led this pitch, which starts off with an awkwardly wide crack that’s knee-to-thigh deep. Just awkward in general.
Pitch 2 – 5.7, 180′
This one starts off with the awkward leanback corner… it’s actually pretty easy climbing, but feels awkward and uncomfortable. It would have been easier if I placed less gear and simply moved through it.
The start of P2 
Gary following up the end of P2
Pitch 3 – 5.9, 150′
This one starts off with an unprotectable crux getting to a bolt. I placed a decent nut, and then finally was able to reach a spot for a cam and then eventually got to the bolt. After the second bolt, the climbing starts to get fun with excellent jugs on flakes. But then the flakes run out, and you have to pull a move over the corner to get back onto the face, which is the crux move. I placed a #1 and then had to use the juggy flakes for an overhanging pull up move, and heel hooked my left foot up onto the face. My right foot had a little slip, but the heel hook held. However, the rope was dragging around the corner and was making it extremely difficult to get up onto the ledge. I eventually got my body up, saddling the rock, however moving up past there was nearly impossible with the rope drag. It took me a good 5 minutes, but at least the saddling position was super secure.
Clouds started rolling in, but luckily they passed 
Look closely, those are my legs as I’m beached-whale-ing my way up onto the face! 
Exhausted after all that rope drag 
Looking down from the belay, can’t really see any of the route since it climbs underneath! 
Gary’s hands on the overhanging crux move onto the face 
Heel hook
Pitch 4 – 5.8, 180′
I believe we broke this up into two ~100 ft pitches. I think I stopped the first half at the base of the cruxy slab that has a bolt, as rope drag was getting bad.
The slabby move up and past the bolt was really terrible, with the smallest finger crimps, and you’ll still fall on the ledge above the bolt until you get even higher up to place a cam. I was very surprised I made the move, I felt I had a 50/50 chance of making it cleanly. We left the cam for Cole, he really appreciated having that fixed.
Pitch 5 – 5.5, 180′
Things were possibly getting easier, however rope drag was an annoyance and there were still probably a few unprotectable sections.
Pitch 6 – 5.6, 200′
From the belay, climb slab trending rightwards for 15 feet to a bolt, and then up and right to the summit. There were some unprotectable slabby moves once again that were thought provoking. Not as difficult, but worrisome with marginal gear opportunities. Full 200′ to reach a decent tree to belay from on the terrace.
The terrace
It stays a lot warmer on the terrace! Way less wind, a nice spot for lunch.
Rappel 1
From the climbers right side of the terrace, double rope rappel off a tree (or maybe someone else said there’s bolts? We didn’t notice any). The rappel takes you down to a gully, continue down onto the face, and then traverse climbers right quite a distance to find the bolt anchor near the end of your ropes. Decent ledge to stand on at the anchor.
Rappel 2
Another double rope rappel, ends at another decent ledge with bolted anchor.
Rappel 3
Another double rope rappel, ends at a slabby uncomfortable bolted anchor.
Rappel 4
Another double rope rappel, ends at a better ledge with a bolted anchor.
Rappel 5
Another double rope rappel, ends at a slightly slabby ledge with a bolted anchor.
Rappel 6
Double rope rappel back to the tree at the top of P1. Be careful pulling the rope though, as there’s a flake ours got stuck in… possibly try pulling the rope from the right of the tree ledge and then scramble over there.
Rappel 7
Single rope rappel from the tree to the base of the climb!