This route has access issues. Please read the note available on the Lumpy Ridge page.
Casual on the crux.
Description
This is an excellent pitch to the left of [Thindependence]. It takes an elegant thin crack next to an arete and has a fixed pin 30 feet up. A first crux (.11a) is encountered just of the ground and is a tad on the hairy side (10 feet up, bad pro). A second crux (.10+) is encountered after the pin on delicate liebacking and is well protected. Follow some 5.9 cracks after the arete peters out up to the second pitch on [Pear Buttress]. This route is hard to toprope without a 200 foot rope, better to continue on to the top or rap off near [Toot].
Protection
RPs, small stoppers, a red Metolius TCU, for just after the crux, a few medium sized pieces for the belay.
Hmm, the crux is getting to the finger jam, not incredibly hard but definitely a little scary, I couldn't get a very good RP, a fall off this move would not be great, if the RP ripped it would be disasterous. It's a little spicy after the crux also on .9+ terrain with bad RPs, but its over quickly and the upper .10+ climbing has good pro. A very fun pitch.
Charles and I were meaning to climb this today, but neither of us were feeling quite up to committing past the first section. We did boulder up past the crux though and got a good RP below the finger crack. I think it would have definitely protected a fall moving to the finger jam where the TCU could be placed.
Beta from an ascent 7/27/01: don't be scared off by the first moves: the RP is good and right at your waist. Bring two blue Metolius TCUs for the seam above this, however--it offers only intermittently good protection on still hard climbing (~10d).
This short route can serve as an excellent link-up to Visual Aids, to Loose Ends, and then to Cheap Date for a fairly sustained, spectacular alternate route to the top of The Book on busy days!
Yeah, I thought just after the pin was really the only potential place for gear to rip--all I could get until the end of the 10+ sequence was a purple TCU basically sticking out perpendicular. I might have missed something. The pin seems decent but not great. Fantastic climbing.
This has got to be one of my favorite Lumpy pitches, but I hate to say that it is not 5.11a. It feels more like 5.10a. The moves are dicey and the pro is a marginal, but the climbing is just not that difficult. All I brought to lead this pitch all the way to the top of the Thinstone was a #2 RP, 3, 4, and 5 stopper and 2 smaller TCUs and a couple med sized Aliens. The last chimney section up to the anchor is kind of strange, but the pro is great. One of my favorites at Lumpy!
Well, the first move just was an easy lieback on the flared crack to a no-hands rest. There I placed the RP. Then, it was just a short few crimps to the larger part of the crack where I placed my #4 stopper right before I clipped the pin. From there, the climbing was great and just ran it out to the slabby crack and used TCUs and Aliens. Sorry if I pissed anyone off, but that was just my opinion.
Nate, I'm unwilling to go along with your downgrade of Stretch Marks to 5.10a. It feels harder to me than Thindependance right next door at 5.10c. I am willing to upgrade your climbing ability however. Your email moniker is 'climbhardV10.' If your climbing v10 I'll bet Stretch Marks feels like 5.9. I'm climbing v3 and it feels like 5.11a. Keep crankin'!
By Jeff Giddings From: Fort Collins May 28, 2008 rating: 5.11a
A great combination is to do Stretch Marks directly into the second pitch of Loose Ends. Step left near the top of Loose Ends to the nice belay ledge on Pear Buttress. This makes for a very long and enjoyable pitch with no rope drag issues. A 60m rope is plenty.
The Book
RSS Feed
