Type: | Trad, 450 ft (136 m), 3 pitches |
FA: | No |
Page Views: | 2,568 total · 10/month |
Shared By: | XOG on Jun 13, 2003 |
Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
Your To-Do List:
Add To-Do ·
Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
Access Issue: 2023 Seasonal Raptor Closures lifted 7/28/23
Details
Per Brent Frazier: the raptor closures have been lifted in the Lumpy Ridge and Loch Vale Areas ( nps.gov/romo/raptor-closure…)
Each year, Rocky Mountain National Park initiates temporary closures in certain areas of the park to ensure that birds of prey will be undisturbed during their breeding and nesting seasons. These closures begin on February 15 and continue through July 31, if appropriate. Monitoring by park staff and volunteers have determined that all remaining closures can be lifted on July 28, 2023.
Per Matt Coghill: the Golden eagle nesting activity has extended Lumpy closures through Aug. 15, 2022 on Sundance, Thunder Buttress, and Needle Summit!
Per A.Eaton: the raptor closures have been lifted as of 6/4/2022 at Lumpy for the following formations:
Twin Owls
Rock One
Batman Rock
Batman Pinnacle
Checkerboard
Lightning Rock
Per the Denver Post: as of Feb. 15, 2022, Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Sundance, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Bookmark Pinnacle, The Left Book, Bookmark, Twin Owls, Rock One, and the Needle are closed for raptor nesting. These closures will continue through July 31, 2022 if needed.
All areas [were] OPEN to climbing for the 2021 post July season.
Closures ending July 31:
Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Lightning Rock, Checkerboard Rock - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Sundance - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
The Book Area: Left Book, The Bookmark, Bookmark Pinnacle, and the entire Book formation (including Renaissance Wall, Isis Buttress, Pages Wall Area, and J-Crack Slab Area)- nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Thunder Buttress and The Parish - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Twin Owls and Rock One - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Cathedral Wall - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
When closed, the closures include the named rock formations and the areas surrounding the base of the formation. This includes all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes, and climber's access trails to the formation.
Areas not listed are presumed to be open. These closures will be lifted or extended as conditions dictate.
Each year, Rocky Mountain National Park initiates temporary closures in certain areas of the park to ensure that birds of prey will be undisturbed during their breeding and nesting seasons. These closures begin on February 15 and continue through July 31, if appropriate. Monitoring by park staff and volunteers have determined that all remaining closures can be lifted on July 28, 2023.
Per Matt Coghill: the Golden eagle nesting activity has extended Lumpy closures through Aug. 15, 2022 on Sundance, Thunder Buttress, and Needle Summit!
Per A.Eaton: the raptor closures have been lifted as of 6/4/2022 at Lumpy for the following formations:
Twin Owls
Rock One
Batman Rock
Batman Pinnacle
Checkerboard
Lightning Rock
Per the Denver Post: as of Feb. 15, 2022, Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Sundance, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Bookmark Pinnacle, The Left Book, Bookmark, Twin Owls, Rock One, and the Needle are closed for raptor nesting. These closures will continue through July 31, 2022 if needed.
All areas [were] OPEN to climbing for the 2021 post July season.
Closures ending July 31:
Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Lightning Rock, Checkerboard Rock - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Sundance - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
The Book Area: Left Book, The Bookmark, Bookmark Pinnacle, and the entire Book formation (including Renaissance Wall, Isis Buttress, Pages Wall Area, and J-Crack Slab Area)- nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Thunder Buttress and The Parish - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Twin Owls and Rock One - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Cathedral Wall - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
When closed, the closures include the named rock formations and the areas surrounding the base of the formation. This includes all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes, and climber's access trails to the formation.
Areas not listed are presumed to be open. These closures will be lifted or extended as conditions dictate.
Description
This is one of the prominent natural lines (i.e. not contrived) on the Bookmark, lying between Romulan Territority on the left and Backflip on the right. The climb really starts on Library Ledge, sharing the belay with Backflip. Technically a 5.7 pitch 30' left of Backflip (recognizable by an old bolt 30' up) is the start, but we got to Library Ledge via Marginal Line (9+), which looked nicer to us than the traditional way.
The 2nd pitch is what makes the climb great. It is however very runout 5.6 at the beginning, climbing up on the face just to the left of the Backflip dihedral on knobs and crystals. The leader can place a piece above the belay by climbing up the Backflip dihedral about 15' and setting a nut with a *very* long sling, and then downclimbing back to the belay before beginning the lead for real. This can at least protect against a long fall directly onto the belay, as you lead over 40' off the belay on completely crackless but clean rock.
Above the runout section is a beautiful section of 10a in a finger size crack dihedral thing (typical Lumpy fare with the crack hard to reach at times and many lieback moves). The guidebook gives this the 10a rating, but we both felt it was more like 5.9. In any case this is certainly no Gollum's Arch!
Belay just after the 10a section in an alcove just below a steepening crack. The first section of the next pitch is awkward 5.7 with good jams. Above this there is some fun easier crack climbing, followed by some vegetated V-shaped crack climbing reminescent of George's Tree. I didn't enjoy this section very much, but I didn't particularly care for George's Tree either. Out to the right after a stretch of this you can cross over to easy climbing on fun chickenheads to avoid the last section of this crack.
Above this there is one fun move moving right at the end of the cracks and then immediately foot traversing left above an overhang, with one kind of fun move getting established above the overhang (maybe 5.7+ or so).
Then easy climbing finishes the route.
The 2nd pitch is what makes the climb great. It is however very runout 5.6 at the beginning, climbing up on the face just to the left of the Backflip dihedral on knobs and crystals. The leader can place a piece above the belay by climbing up the Backflip dihedral about 15' and setting a nut with a *very* long sling, and then downclimbing back to the belay before beginning the lead for real. This can at least protect against a long fall directly onto the belay, as you lead over 40' off the belay on completely crackless but clean rock.
Above the runout section is a beautiful section of 10a in a finger size crack dihedral thing (typical Lumpy fare with the crack hard to reach at times and many lieback moves). The guidebook gives this the 10a rating, but we both felt it was more like 5.9. In any case this is certainly no Gollum's Arch!
Belay just after the 10a section in an alcove just below a steepening crack. The first section of the next pitch is awkward 5.7 with good jams. Above this there is some fun easier crack climbing, followed by some vegetated V-shaped crack climbing reminescent of George's Tree. I didn't enjoy this section very much, but I didn't particularly care for George's Tree either. Out to the right after a stretch of this you can cross over to easy climbing on fun chickenheads to avoid the last section of this crack.
Above this there is one fun move moving right at the end of the cracks and then immediately foot traversing left above an overhang, with one kind of fun move getting established above the overhang (maybe 5.7+ or so).
Then easy climbing finishes the route.
Protection
Protection is mostly straightforward ranging from yellow alien to 3 camalot, with plenty of mid-size stopper placements. However, there is a serious runout section on 5.6 at the beginning of p. 2. This gets 'R' in the guidebook, but since it's over 40' directly off of Library Ledge with absolutely no protection possibilities, 'vs' is more accurate.
13 Comments