Lumpy Ridge CLIMBING

Lightning Rock, Checkerboard Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Batman Rock, Christmas Crag, Little Twin Owls

Category: Colorado (RMNP)Elev: ~9,000 ftRock Type: Granite
Dates: see main page for all days I've climbed at Lumpy RidgePartners: see main page for all people I have climbed with at Lumpy RidgeTrip Report #s: see main page for all trip report numbers corresponding to reports for Lumpy Ridge

11 Trip Reports

(formations and routes organized west to east, i.e. left to right)

LIGHTNING ROCK:

August 2023

CHECKERBOARD ROCK:

January 2021
November 2023

BATMAN PINNACLE:

January 2021

BATMAN ROCK:

January 2021
October 2023
October 2023
October 2023
October 2023

CHRISTMAS CRAG:

November 2023

LITTLE TWIN OWLS:

August 2021, April 2023, May 2023

This page is trip reports for Lightning Rock, Checkerboard Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Batman Rock, Christmas Crag, and Little Twin Owls at Lumpy Ridge. Go to Lumpy Ridge main page to access trip reports on other formations at Lumpy Ridge.

Table of Contents for this page

(formations and routes organized west to east, i.e. left to right)

Lightning Rock

Overlay for Lightning Rock
(Click image to open larger image file)

Short Circuit (5.9-, 3p) 

LIGHTNING ROCK
  • Date: August 22, 2023 (Tue)     Partner: Nate Arganbright

A fun mid-day work break.

Approach: 

~30 minutes on trail from parking lot to base of Lightning Rock. The turnoff is signed for Checkerboard Rock. Begin under a small pine growing fifty feet off the ground in the middle of the south face of Lightning Rock.
(other trip reports for the area may have more photos of the approach, but it is quite straightfoward)
(no photos)

Pitch 1: 

5.9-. Climb a thin corner using a tiny crack on the right for pro - bring RPs. Undercling left, and master a short slab. An easy ramp leads up and left from the pine.
Nate leading Pitch 1.
A good ball-nut placement.
A good RP.
Easy upper ramp on Pitch 1.

Pitch 2: 

5.8. Fire up a splendid hand crack and over a bulge.
The spendid hand crack.
Crux roof.

Pitch 3: 

5.7. Escape left after a second bulge or take the final bulge on the right with a hand crack.
Looking up the start of the pitch.
Belaying off a rock horn a the top of the route.

Descent: 

To descend, scramble down a gully to the west of Lightning Rock. We made a rappel off a tree.
Nate enjoying a soft bed of Kinnikinnick at the top of Lightning Rock.
Me enjoying a soft bed of Kinnikinnick at the top of Lightning Rock.
We made one rappel as we desceded a gully west of Lightning Rock.

Checkerboard Rock

Overlay for Checkerboard Rock
(Click image to open larger image file)
Overlay for Batman Rock area
(Click image to open larger image file)

Cragging at Checkerboard Rock (5.9-5.10d, 5 pitches)

CHECKERBOARD ROCK
  • Date: November 4, 2023 (Sat)     Partner: Nate Arganbright

Routes: Ziggie's Day Out (5.10d, 1p, toprope), Three of a Perfect Pair (5.10+, 1p, toprope), Ziggie's Brother Hank (5.10a, 1p, toprope), Rainy Day Women first half + Checkerboard Crack finish (5.9, 1p, toprope), Checkerboard Crack Pitch 1 (5.10a, 1p, toprope)

A fun, warm, and productive day of November cragging at Lumpy Ridge. My favorite way to spend a fall day.

Photos from November 4, 2023:
Bear scat on the trail. The bears are fattening up for their encroaching hibernation.
Looking up Start of Rainy Day Woman (5.9+).
Trail juncion.
Starting up Checkerboard Crack Pitch 1 (5.10a). A great pitch.
Ziggie's Day Out (5.10d, 1p). A classic.
Finishing Checkerboard Crack Pitch 1 (5.10a).
New bolt on Three of a Perfect Pair (5.10+, 1p), a nice new route on the wall with some cryptic face climbing at the crux.
ohn toprope soling Rainy Day Woman (5.9+) to Checkerboard Crack (5.10a). John put up Three of a Perfect Pair (5.10+, 1p).

Batman Pinnacle & Batman Rock

Overlay for Batman Rock area
(Click image to open larger image file)

Crystal Catch (5.9, 2p) + Batman and Robin (5.6, 2-4p) + Hand Jive (5.9, 2p) 

CHECKERBOARD ROCK, BATMAN PINNACLE, BATMAN ROCK
  • Date: January 31, 2021 (Sun)     Partner: Nate Arganbright

This was a fun 6+ pitch link-up of the three main features in the Batman Rock area. We started off with Crystal Catch on Checkerboard Rock. From the top of Checkerboard Rock, a 5 minute scramble brought us to the base of Batman Pinnacle. We climbed the classic Batman and Robin route to the top of the pinnacle, then did a short rap off an anchor on top to the base of Batman Rock across the way, and climbed Hand Jive to the top of Batman Rock. It was one of those unusually warm and calm winter days where Lumpy is just the best place to be.

Approach: 

~30 minutes on trail from parking lot to base of Checkerboard Rock. The turnoff is signed.
(other trip reports for the area may have more photos of the approach, but it is quite straightfoward)
The approach is well-signed.

Pitch 1: 

CRYSTAL CATCH, CHECKERBOARD ROCK. 5.9. Climb the crystal-studded crack and face.
Looking up Pitch 1 from the base of the route.
Crystal-studded face.
Nearing the top of the pitch.

Pitch 2: 

CRYSTAL CATCH, CHECKERBOARD ROCK. 5.9. Make an awkward move or two at the start and continue to the top of Checkerboard Rock.
Start of Pitch 2. A bit awkward here.

Pitch 3: 

BATMAN AND ROBIN, BATMAN PINNACLE. 5.6.  Climb up fun and featured granite. (We linked pitches to climb the route in two long pitches.)
View towards Batman Pinnacle and Batman Rock from the top of Checkerboard Rock.
Start of Batman and Robin.

Pitch 4: 

BATMAN AND ROBIN, BATMAN PINNACLE. 5.6 (5.8 variation). Continue to the top of Batman Pinnacle. (We linked pitches to climb the route in two long pitches. We did a 5.8 finger crack to start off this pitch.)
5.8 finger-crack variation.
Fun 5.6 crack climbing.
Cool wind-formed bowls on the top of the pinnacle. There is a rap anchor up here.

Pitch 5: 

HAND JIVE, BATMAN ROCK. 5.9.  Climb the corner.
Corner of Pitch 1 of Hand Jive.

Pitch 6: 

HAND JIVE, BATMAN ROCK. 5.9. Continue up the corner system to the top of Batman Rock.
On Pitch 2 of Hand Jive.

Descent: 

To descend from the top of Batman Rock, scramble north and then east from the summit and follow a path down and around to the base.
(other trip reports for Batman Rock may have more photos of the descent)
Top of Batman Rock.
A little bit of snow on the descent but not bad. The descent is pretty mellow.
Pinecones.
Sublime view.

Station to Station (5.9, 2p) 

BATMAN ROCK
  • Date: October 15, 2023 (Sun)     Partner: Nate Arganbright

This route only gets one star in the guidebook, but is quite good. It climbs up into a nice right-facing flake system. There are some heady sections on the first pitch. This was our first route of the day (our second route was Bat Crack further to the right).

Approach: 

~45 minutes on trail from parking lot to base of Batman Rock.
(other trip reports for the area may have more photos of the approach, but it is quite straightfoward)
(no photos)

Pitch 1: 

5.9. Make an unprotected heady mantle above a spike up onto a slanting dike from some jumbled rocks just right of a pine tree. Do another bit of runnut into the flake system and climb thee right-facing flake, through yet another runnout section and finally to a nice belay stance.
View up the route from the base. Some nice stone.
The runnout section getting into the flake on Pitch 1.
Flake on Pitch 1. Fun climbing.
Old tat at the anchor at the top of Pitch 1.

Pitch 2: 

5.7. Move leftwards and up and throught the hedwall at the top of the Hand Jive dihedral. Traverse righta the top. The traverse is common to a few routes.
Pitch 2.

Descent: 

To descend from the top of Batman Rock, scramble north and then east from the summit and follow a path down and around to the base.
(other trip reports for Batman Rock may have more photos of the descent)
View from the top. A beautiful fall day.

Bat Crack (5.9, 2p) 

BATMAN ROCK
  • Date: October 15, 2023 (Sun)     Partner: Nate Arganbright

A classic climb on the right side of Batman Rock. This was our second route of the day (our first route was Station to Station further to the left).

Approach: 

~45 minutes on trail from parking lot to base of Batman Rock.
(other trip reports for the area may have more photos of the approach, but it is quite straightfoward)
(no photos)

Pitch 1: 

5.8. Face climb up to a finger crack that does not quite reach the ground (either directly or by way of easy knobs on the left) and traverse left at its end, committing 5.8. Wander up an easier face to a hanging belay below a prominent notch in a long roof band. Be prepared for run out 5.6 sections, with the hardest move just before the belay. A 0.75 and 1 are nice to have for the belay.
Nate starting up Pitch 1.
Crack on Pitch 1.
5.6 runnout to the belay. The hardest move is at the end.
Giant roof at the top of Pitch 1.
Giant roof at the top of Pitch 1.

Pitch 2: 

5.9. Lieback through the double-tiered roof, classic 5.9. Finish with a nice finger crack.
Nate pulling the crux roof. He made it look easy.

Descent: 

To descend from the top of Batman Rock, scramble north and then east from the summit and follow a path down and around to the base.
(other trip reports for Batman Rock may have more photos of the descent)
Pinecones and
pizza.

Spaziergang (5.8, 3p) 

BATMAN ROCK
  • Date: October 14, 2023 (Sat)     Partner: Nate Arganbright

One-star route on the right side of Batman Rock with decent rock, interesting movement, some tricky route-finding, and a couple of heads up 5.8 sections. We did this route as a warm-up for the day, but due to cold temperatures and some route-finding issues on Spaziergang, we just ended up climbing Backbone Arete afterwards before calling it a day.

Approach: 

~45 minutes on trail from parking lot to base of Batman Rock.
(other trip reports for the area may have more photos of the approach, but it is quite straightfoward)
Checkerboard Rock and Batman Pinnalcle left, Batman Rock right.

Pitch 1: 

5.8. Boulder up to the crack. Move right above the tree to a belay stance.
Pitch 1.

Pitch 2: 

5.8. Continue right to a short dihedral and overcome a final headwall a bit to the right.
Pitch 2.
This was a bonus pitch traversing left when we couldn't find the correct way to finish Pitch 2, when the terrain seemed harder than 5.8. Upon reading mountainproject beta after the climb, we had been in the correct spot and people report a punchy move directly up that feels more like 5.10 than 5.8.

Descent: 

To descend from the top of Batman Rock, scramble north and then east from the summit and follow a path down and around to the base.
(other trip reports for Batman Rock may have more photos of the descent)
(no photos)

Cragging at Batman Rock (5.11c, 1 pitch)

BATMAN ROCK
  • Date: October 14, 2023 (Sat)     Partner: Nate Arganbright

Route: Backbone Arete (5.11c, 1p)

Right-leaning, white dike with five bolts is a fine face and friction test piece. We climbed this after Spaziergang. Then a wave cloud obscured the sun again and we hiked out.

Photos from October 14, 2023:
Looking up the arete.
Nate leading the route.
Anchor at top is a vaguely hollow-sounding-but-likely-solid slung horn. Makes you not want to bounce much on the rope as you lower/rappel/toprope.

Christmas Crag

Overlay for Christmas Crag
(Click image to open larger image file)

Cragging at Christmas Crag (5.5-5.10, 5 pitches)

CHRISTMAS CRAG
  • Date: November 5, 2023 (Sun)       Partner: Nate Arganbright

Routes: Tree Crack (5.5, 1p), Precambrian (5.9, 1p, toprope), Face to left of Tree Crack (~5.10b/c, 1p, toprope), Botany Crack (5.9, 1p, toprope), Men in Granite (5.9, 1p, toprope)

A fun fall day of cragging on some underrated routes at Lumpy Ridge.

Photos from November 5, 2023:
Side profile of Christmas Crag. The tree of Tree Crack (5.5) is obvious.
Looking up Tree Crack (5.5).
Looking up Tree Crack (5.5).
Tree on Tree Crack (5.5). There was some tat on the tree, but we climbed higher since the route ends with a nice wide crack.
Wide section above the tree on Tree Crack (5.5). A #4 or #4.5 cam is nice to have.
Old fixed cam on Tree Crack (5.5).
Nate following Tree Crack (5.5).
Next we toproped Precambrian (5.9), just right of Tree Crack (5.5).
After that we toproped the face just left of Tree Crack. This is not a route, but it was high-quality face climbing at the 5.10b/c level.
Looking up Men in Granite (5.9) and Botany Crack (5.9). Both are impressive steep crack systems.
Botany Crack (5.9). This route gets no stars in the guidebook, but Nate and I concluded it deserves just as many stars as any classic 5.9 pitch at Lumpy.
Men in Granite (5.9). This chimney is a good calorie-burn. Another underrated route that deserves the maximum amount of stars.
Men in Granite (5.9).
Men in Granite (5.9). About to eat me alive.
Midway up Men in Granite (5.9).
The leftmost route on the wall, Neanderthal Slide (5.9). This was the only route we did not climb on this day.
Tunning through a cool chasm at the base of Christmas Crag, between Tree Crack / Precambrian area and Botany Crack / Men in Granite area.

Little Twin Owls

Overlay for Little Twin Owls
(Click image to open larger image file)

Cragging at Little Twin Owls (5.6-5.11c, 4 pitches)

LITTLE TWIN OWLS
  • Date: August 11, 2021 (Wed)      Partner: Nate Arganbright
  • Date: April 9, 2023 (Sun)      Partner: Nate Arganbright
  • Date: May 1, 2023 (Mon)      Partner: Nate Arganbright

Routes (Aug 2021): Undercling Right (5.9-, 1p, toprope), Knee Catcher (5.6, 1p, toprope), Little Twin Owl Crack (5.11a, 1p, toprope)

Routes (Apr 2023): Little Twin Owl Crack (5.11a, 1p, toprope), Southeast Corner/Arete (5.11c, 1p, toprope)

Routes (May 2023): Little Twin Owl Crack (5.11a, 1p, toprope), Knee Catcher (5.6, 1p, toprope)

Aug 2021: We had hiked up to the Saber early in the morning to climb the Southwest Ridge, but bailed when there were already two parties roping up ahead of us. As a consolation, we did a bit of afternoon cragging at Little Twin Owls. It is simple to set up a toprope via an easy scramble to the top, and we toproped three fun crack routes.

Apr 2023: Most of the main features are closed for birds in the spring and early summer. But not Little Twin Owls. We spent a few hours cragging on a couple of classic 5.11 pitches.

May 2023: A quick midday work break to toprope Little Twin Owl Crack and Knee Catcher while Nate installed a new anchor at the top of Little Twin Owl Crack (it needed it so thanks Nate for over an hour spend hand drilling those two bolts!).

Photos from August 11, 2021:
Knee Catcher (5.6, left) and Undercling Right (5.9-, right).
Looking up Undercling Right (5.9-).
Little Twin Owl Crack (5.11a).
Photos from April 9, 2023:
List of bird closures along the trail. More formations seemed to be closed for longer every year.
Little Twin Owls Crack (5.11a).
Toproping Southeast Corner/Arete (5.11c).
Photos from May 1, 2023:
The pasque flowers are out. 
The pasque flowers are out. 
Toprope soloing Knee Catcher (5.6).
Toprope solo setup. (I used Nate's single-micro-plus-backup-knots, but my usual setup is two microtraxions and no backup knots.)
The new anchor Nate hand-drilled at the top of Little Twin Owls Crack.
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