The Temple (Methow Range), Southwest Buttress. On July 8, 1964, Norm Weber and I completed a new route on the southwest corner of this dome-shaped peak located near the south end of Kangaroo Ridge. This route is on the longest side of the peak and lies in the center of the sketch in the Cascade Climber’s Guide. The wall has a rounded apron shape at the bottom and narrows into a buttress above. We began from snow lying against the lowest slabs just left of the couloir adjacent to the south side of the peak. After one lead up the slabs we traversed horizontally on tension and pitons to a tree-filled alcove below a prominent chimney. This chimney went Class 4 and 5 for two leads before ending below a large overhang near the nose of the buttress. We traversed right to the opposite side of the buttress and climbed steep cracks and dihedrals for two leads to some trees on a sloping ledge. Here, we were delighted to find a deep cave which we called "The Gallery”, complete with a window near the rear opening out onto the other side of the buttress. From the window we continued up on Class 4 broken rock to the nose of the buttress, and then left to a pedestal and up a steep face which required one "rurp” for aid. One easier lead took us to where we could unrope and scramble 200 feet to the summit. The eight pitches took eight hours of climbing, going slow, and required about 14 pitons of which six were for direct aid.

David Hiser, unattached