Lumpy Ridge CLIMBING

Twin Owls, Gollum's arch rock, Triangle Rock

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

6 Trip Reports

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

TWIN OWLS:

August 2022
September 2019
October 2023
September 2019, January 2021, July 2021, August 2022, October 2023

GOLLUM'S ARCH ROCK:

July 2021

TRIANGLE ROCK:

May 2024

This page is trip reports for Twin Owls and Gollum's Arch Rock and Triangle Rockat 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)

Twin Owls

Overlay #1 (of 2) for Twin Owls.
(Click image to open larger image file)
Overlay #2 (of 2) for Twin Owls.
(Click image to open larger image file)

Conads + Wolf's Tooth + Bowels of the Owls (5.9, 1p + 5.8, 2p + 5.0, descent solo)

TWIN OWLS
  • Date: August 14, 2022 (Sun)       Partner: Nate Arganbright

A moderate 3-pitch crack-climbing + chimneying link-up to the top of Twin Owls with an entertaining descent.

Approach: 

~20 minutes on trail from parking lot to base of Twin Owls.
(other trip reports for Twin Owls may have more photos of the approach, but it is quite straightfoward)
(no photos)

Pitch 1: 

CONADS. 5.9. This is the striking hand crack left of Organ Pipes. Stem up a wide, roof-capped slot and gain the crack and jam up the entire length to the ledge at the base of Wolf's Tooth. This is a great pitch of climbing.
Looking up Conads.
Splitter!
Taken while leading the pitch.

Pitch 2: 

WOLF'S TOOTH. 5.8. Climb up a wide jam crack and slip into the chimney after 40 feet. Grunt up to a belay at the top of the pinnacle.
Nate starting up the pitch.
Old piton en route.
Climbing between the main wall and the pillar.
View down into the gap between the main wall and the pillar.

Pitch 3: 

WOLF'S TOOTH. 5.7. Climb to the top of Twin Owls.
The start of the pitch.
Old piton en route.

Descent: 

BOWELS OF THE OWLS. 5.0. Scramble down the deep chimney/cave feature.
(other trip reports for Twin Owls may have more photos of the descent from the top)
The Bowels.
I went under here, Nate went over.
After getting back to the base we climbed one more pitch (Pitch 1 (5.9) of West Owl Direct / Silly Putty), and then decided to hike out. Just in time, since a hail storm moved in about 5 minutes from the trailhead and it got wet quick. Typical Colorado mountain weather.

Rooster Tail (5.9+, 1p) + Tighter Squeeze (5.8-,1p) + East Ridge Pitch 2 (5.8,1p) + The Bowels of the Owls (5.0, descent solo)

TWIN OWLS
  • Date: September 28, 2019 (Sat)       Partner: Nate Arganbright

A fun link-up to the top of the Twin Owls. This was my first time cragging at Twin Owls and also my first time to the top of Twin Owls.

Note: I climbed East Ridge Pitch 1 in July 2021, so that now I have climbed the full East Ridge route.

Approach:

~20 minutes on trail from parking lot to base of Twin Owls.
(other trip reports for Twin Owls may have more photos of the approach, but it is quite straightfoward)
Flaming aspen.
Flaming aspen.

Pitch 1: 

ROOSTER TAIL. 5.9+. Arching crack along the left margin of Hen and Chickens. Cut back left along an arching finger crack at the top.




Rooster Tail (5.9+).

Pitch 2: 

TIGHTER SQUEEZE. 5.8-. Prominent chimneny system on the left edge of the south face. Jam to a ledge below the chimney proper and struggle past an offwidth section. More secure squeezing past several chockstones gains a ledge on the southeast corner.
Tighter Squeeze (5.8-, 1p, trad). Yeah, a bit of a tight squeeze.
Tighter Squeeze (5.8-, 1p, trad). Bring a #6!

Pitch 3: 

EAST RIDGE PITCH 2. 5.8. The second pitch of a fine route on the exposed east shoulder of Twin Owls.
(no photos! what was wrong with me?)

Descent: 

BOWELS OF THE OWLS. 5.0. Scramble down the deep chimney/cave feature.
(other trip reports for Twin Owls may have more photos of the descent from the top)
The Bowels.
I went under here, Nate went over.

Tilted Mitten (5.8, 3p)

TWIN OWLS
  • Date: October 22, 2023 (Sun)       Partner: Nate Arganbright

This is an interesting climb on the Lower Owls, with a very short approach. For just getting one star in the guidebook, the route is pretty good, climbing behind the mitten (a large leaning block midway up the right side of the Lower Owls) and up an interesting slot to Roosting Ramp. After climbing this route, Nate and I had lunch and then did three more single pitch routes on the Lower Twin Owls to make for a low-key enjoyable autumn Sunday of cragging.

Approach:

~20 minutes on trail from parking lot to base of Twin Owls.
(other trip reports for Twin Owls may have more photos of the approach, but it is quite straightfoward)
Trail sign.

Pitch 1: 

5.7. There are a few posibilities here. We took the easiest/cleanest, which is a 5.7 crack to the left of a bushy groove that eventually enters the groove higher up.
Pitch 1.

Pitch 2: 

5.8. Climb the wide crack, go up the right side of the mitten, and tunnel through the roof at its top; belay just above.
Nate starting up Pitch 2.
Second half of Pitch 2.
Tunnel behind mitten.

Pitch 3: 

5.7. Walk over right, then climb a square cut, right-leaning chimney with good hand-sized protection. Belay on Roosting Ramp.
Looking up the slot of Pitch 3.
Following the slot. Kind of unique and fun climbing.

Descent:

Either continue upward to the top of Twin Owls or descend Roosting Ramp back down to the base of the route.
(other trip reports for Twin Owls may have more photos of the descent from the top)
Descending Roosing Ramp.
Looking up Crack of Fear. Someday I want to get on this sandbagged offwidth.
Lunch.

Cragging at Twin Owls (5.7+-5.12b, 13 pitches)

TWIN OWLS
  • Date: September 28, 2019 (Sat)      Partner: Nate Arganbright
  • Date: January 10, 2021 (Sun)      Partner: Nate Arganbright
  • Date: July 15, 2021 (Thu)       Partner: Nate Arganbright
  • Date: August 14, 2022 (Sun)       Partner: Nate Arganbright
  • Date: October 22, 2023 (Sun)       Partner: Nate Arganbright

Routes (Sept 28): Cackle Crack (5.8, 1p), Hagakure (5.12a, 1p), Rooster Tail (5.9+, 1p), Tighter Squeeze (5.8-, 1p), East Ridge Pitch 2 (5.8, 1p), The Bowels of the Owls (5.0, descent solo), Yosemite Crack (5.9-, 1p), Coyote (5.12b, 1p), Tiger's Tooth Pitch 1 (5.9+, 1p)

Routes (Jan 10): Yosemite Crack (5.9-, 1p), Cackle Crack (5.8, 1p), Rooster Tail (5.9+, 1p), Hagakure (5.12a, 1p)

Routes (July 15): East Ridge Pitch 1 (5.8, 1p)

Routes (Aug 14): West Owl Direct / Silly Putty Pitch 1 (5.9, 1p)

Routes (Oct 22): One of Life's Little Problems Pitch 1 (5.7+, 1p), Second Thoughts (5.10a, 1p), Thin Crack (5.9+, 1p)

What a great place to spend a fall or winter or summer day.

Photos from September 28, 2019:
Cackle Crack (5.8, 1p, trad). Fun stuff.
Twin Owls on the hike out.
Tighter Squeeze (5.8-, 1p, trad). Yeah, a bit of a tight squeeze.
Flaming aspen.
Tighter Squeeze (5.8-, 1p, trad). Bring a #6!
Flaming aspen.
Yosemite Crack (5.9-, 1p, trad). Started pretty mellow but began to feel like Yosemite 5.9 about halfway up....no reason to bring anything but a #3 and #4's on this climb. I love this kind of burly crack climbing.
Tiger's Tooth (5.9+) follows the corner. Coyote (12b sport) follows the arete.
Photos from January 10, 2021:
Wintery approach but dry sunny rock!
Wintery view.
Yosemite Crack (5.9-, 1p, trad). Fun stuff.
Cackle Crack (5.8, 1p, trad). My first lead since knee surgery four months previous.
Rooster Tail (5.9).
Photos from August 14, 2022:
Pitch 1 of West Owl Direct / Silly Putty. Fun 5.9. There is a sling anchor on the top of the flake to easily lower off this pitch and avoid the 5.12a terrain above.
Photos from October 22, 2023:
Looking up the One of Life's Little Problems Pitch 1 (5.7).
The arching crack of Thin Crack (5.9+).

Gollum's Arch

Overlay for Gollumn's Arch Rock
(Click image to open larger image file)

Cragging at Gollum's Arch Rock (5.7-5.11a, 3 pitches)

GOLLUM'S ARCH ROCK
  • Date: July 15, 2021 (Thu)      Partner: Nate Arganbright

Routes: Gollum's Arch (5.10a, 1p), Frigidaire (5.7, 1p), Facial Hair (5.11a, 1p, toprope)

The Twin Owls area had just reopened from being closed for falcon nesting, so we decided to head to Gollum's Arch Rock and nab some pitches before the afternoon thunderstorm hit. Gollum's Arch is a classic burly 5.10a crack climb and well worth the trip for just this pitch.

Photos from July 15, 2021:
The route Gollum's Arch (5.10a) climbs the obvious crack system.
Gollum's Arch (5.10a).
Gollum's Arch (5.10a).
Frigidaire (5.7).
A toprope lap on Facial Hair (5.11a).

Triangle Rock 

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

Cragging at Triangle Rock (5.8-5.10a, 2 pitches)

TRIANGLE ROCK
  • Date: May 20, 2024 (Mon)      Partner: Nate Arganbright

Routes: EB Jeebies (5.8, 1p), Stud Pile (5.10a, 1p)

Triangle Rock is a small crag about 80 foot tall lying about 400 feet SE of Gollum's Arch Rock. It has a handful of routes on the NW to SW faces. Nate and I had a few afternoon hours to spare, and climbed a couple of routes here. 

Photos from May 20, 2024:
Nate starting up EB Jeebies (5.8, 1p).
Nate starting up Stud Pile (5.10a, 1p).
To descend, scramble (exposed 4th) down the back side of Triangle Rock.
Jefferson shooting stars along the trail.
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