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Routes in The Thumb
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Blame Canada S 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b |
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Brace Y'self aka Pin Job T,S 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Center Slot T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Confines of Power S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
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Descent Route T 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c |
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Epic Sushi Party S 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Green Thumb S 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Konichiwa S 5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c |
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Left Center T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 |
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Mind Over Matter T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Never Mind, It Doesn't Matter T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a |
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North Overhangs T 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c |
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Opposable Distraction T,S 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c |
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Pigeon Perch T,S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Pixie, The S 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b |
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Rest in Peace S 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a |
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Right Center T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13 |
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Rooftop Rodeo S 5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a |
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South Ridge of the Thumb T 5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a R |
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Sucker Punch S 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b |
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Thumb Up My Arse T,S 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b |
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Thumb's Up S 5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b |
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Uphill Cracks T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Vapor Trail S 5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b |
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Zig Arete S 5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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| Type: | Trad, 220 ft (67 m), 2 pitches, Grade II |
| FA: | unknown |
| Page Views: | 912 total · 3/month |
| Shared By: | Charles Vernon on Dec 31, 2001 |
| Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
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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: Temporary trail closure & Thumb and Needle Closures - resolved with The Thumb Open Space creation
Details
Temporary trail closure at The Thumb Trailhead:
Beginning Jan. 19, 2024, and lasting no later than Feb. 9, 2024, the Town of Estes Park will be temporarily closing the trailhead access at the Thumb Open Space due to required construction activity. This area will be blocked off and not accessible during the closure period. There will no parking or public access from the trailhead.
Brian Berg
Park Supervisor
Town of Estes Park
The Thumb and Needle are prominent crags (previously on private property) that are now on The Thumb Open Space, established in 2022 by the Town of Ester Park. Access to the crags is gained from a signed trailhead and small parking lot on Peak View Drive just west of Curry Drive. Do not park on Curry Drive or access the crags from anywhere along Curry Drive. From the Peak View Drive trailhead, the trail is well marked and approximately 0.75 miles long with an elevation gain of about 400 feet. Expect about 20 to 30 minutes for the approach to reach the Thumb and the Needle.
The Town of Estes Park worked on purchasing the property with the Access Fund, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, GOCO, and The Estes Valley Land Trust. The goal is to keep this area public with climbing access, so please respect private property rights of adjacent landowners.
For any questions about The Thumb Open Space, please contact Brian Berg, Park Supervisor, Town of Estes Park, bberg@estes.org, (970) 577-3783.
During 2022, major efforts were expended by members of the Boulder Climbing Community and Estes Park volunteers to replace over 100 old protection bolts and anchors on many of the sport climbs on the Thumb and the Needle. Many of the routes now have clip and lower anchors, and there are also new rappel stations on top of both crags and also the Thimble.
Formerly: The Thumb and Needle were on private property and the gravel road part of Curry Dr. is a private road. There was no public access to the Thumb or Needle until the Thumb Open Space was created. The Town of Estes Park purchased the property with our partners the Access Fund, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, GOCO, and The Estes Valley Land Trust. The goal was to make this area public with climbing access...success.
Any questions? Please contact me directly.
Brian Berg
Town of Estes Park
Park Supervisor
bberg@estes.org
(970) 577-3783
Beginning Jan. 19, 2024, and lasting no later than Feb. 9, 2024, the Town of Estes Park will be temporarily closing the trailhead access at the Thumb Open Space due to required construction activity. This area will be blocked off and not accessible during the closure period. There will no parking or public access from the trailhead.
Brian Berg
Park Supervisor
Town of Estes Park
The Thumb and Needle are prominent crags (previously on private property) that are now on The Thumb Open Space, established in 2022 by the Town of Ester Park. Access to the crags is gained from a signed trailhead and small parking lot on Peak View Drive just west of Curry Drive. Do not park on Curry Drive or access the crags from anywhere along Curry Drive. From the Peak View Drive trailhead, the trail is well marked and approximately 0.75 miles long with an elevation gain of about 400 feet. Expect about 20 to 30 minutes for the approach to reach the Thumb and the Needle.
The Town of Estes Park worked on purchasing the property with the Access Fund, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, GOCO, and The Estes Valley Land Trust. The goal is to keep this area public with climbing access, so please respect private property rights of adjacent landowners.
For any questions about The Thumb Open Space, please contact Brian Berg, Park Supervisor, Town of Estes Park, bberg@estes.org, (970) 577-3783.
During 2022, major efforts were expended by members of the Boulder Climbing Community and Estes Park volunteers to replace over 100 old protection bolts and anchors on many of the sport climbs on the Thumb and the Needle. Many of the routes now have clip and lower anchors, and there are also new rappel stations on top of both crags and also the Thimble.
Formerly: The Thumb and Needle were on private property and the gravel road part of Curry Dr. is a private road. There was no public access to the Thumb or Needle until the Thumb Open Space was created. The Town of Estes Park purchased the property with our partners the Access Fund, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, GOCO, and The Estes Valley Land Trust. The goal was to make this area public with climbing access...success.
Any questions? Please contact me directly.
Brian Berg
Town of Estes Park
Park Supervisor
bberg@estes.org
(970) 577-3783
Description
This is a fun, steep route that skirts some large overhangs on the north side of the Thumb.
Hike around to the north side of the Thumb, and find the large, left-facing corner directly below a large roof about 2/3 of the way up.
P1. Climb this fun 5.8 corner past several bulges, but do not belay below the roof as the guidebooks recommend. This pulls you away from the line, but worse, there are incredible amounts of pigeon shit here and you will be sitting right in it.
Instead, about 20-30 feet below the roof (~80 feet up), step right and belay on a nice ledge with a 2-bolts.
P2: continue up the corner to the roof, and make an airy 5.9- traverse to the right, with tricky gear, to get around it. Continue up a steep easy corner, festooned with birdshit (most of which can be avoided) to the top.
It might be possible to do the whole route in one pitch with a 60 meter rope, although my guess is that the route is a bit longer than that. [Eds. it is possible with rope drag.]
Descent: 2 single-rope rappels from bolt anchors to the climber's left of where you topped out, or one rappel with a single 60m rope from slings on the west side of the summit. There is no walk-off; the easiest downclimb is long, convoluted, and about 5.2.
- note*: if you follow the guidebooks' beta, this is only a one-star route! Read on....
Hike around to the north side of the Thumb, and find the large, left-facing corner directly below a large roof about 2/3 of the way up.
P1. Climb this fun 5.8 corner past several bulges, but do not belay below the roof as the guidebooks recommend. This pulls you away from the line, but worse, there are incredible amounts of pigeon shit here and you will be sitting right in it.
Instead, about 20-30 feet below the roof (~80 feet up), step right and belay on a nice ledge with a 2-bolts.
P2: continue up the corner to the roof, and make an airy 5.9- traverse to the right, with tricky gear, to get around it. Continue up a steep easy corner, festooned with birdshit (most of which can be avoided) to the top.
It might be possible to do the whole route in one pitch with a 60 meter rope, although my guess is that the route is a bit longer than that. [Eds. it is possible with rope drag.]
Descent: 2 single-rope rappels from bolt anchors to the climber's left of where you topped out, or one rappel with a single 60m rope from slings on the west side of the summit. There is no walk-off; the easiest downclimb is long, convoluted, and about 5.2.
![Allen on P2 just before the crux. Cool orange lichen. It didn't feel as hard as described. Oddly, the last part of the pitch felt oddly reminiscent of the last part of the crux pitch on [[Capt Beyond]]105751744 at MMW.](https://mountainproject.com/assets/photos/climb/105858338_smallMed_1557864473.jpg?cache=1701314743)
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