This is a great introduction to chimney climbing at Lumpy. Two full pitches up a chimney lead to a nice right-facing corner (with a Bombay slot), which takes you to the top of the Bookend. The route is moderate and the protection is plentiful. Bring kneepads and trail your pack from your harness for the first two pitches or leave it at the base.

This route begins about 15 meters uphill from

Orange Julius

in the large dihedral/chimney. Some easy scrambling is required to get to the base of this route. This route is easily viewed from the approach trail.

The Great Dihedral

Treebeard

Wide Gauge

Blood Feud

Pineapple Juice

Handbook

Tarantula

Unknown Chasm

Labor of Lust

Orange Julius

Truth

Climb of the Ancient Mariner

Southern Cross

Strawberry Short  Cake

Summer Festival

Sorcerer -- Mariner Traverse

Sicilian Defense

Sun King

Grovelly Chimney

Knight's Gambit Variation

Bombay Chimney

Corinthian Column

Hot Licks

Sorcerer

Sorcerer's Apprentice

Knight's Gambit

Winds of Fortune

This was my brother's and my first introduction to offwidth climbing.

The first pitch begins right of

Orange Julius

with a 5.8 hand and fist crack in a dihedral in a chimney. Bring several #3 and #2 Camalots for this section and the crux. Belay 50 feet up when the 5.8 section ends.

The second pitch climbs a wide flared 5.7 crack that peters out on 5.9 terrain into a face. Reach a good hold on the face, and traverse right on slightly runout 5.8 face climbing. The 5.8 traverse on this pitch is the same as the 5.8 traverse on the third pitch of

Orange Julius

, although it is better protected due to the crack below it. Squeeze up an easy chimney and jam a 5.7 crack to a belay alcove (same belay as on

Orange Julius

).

From here, you can see a 100 foot vertical offwidth to the right; this is the third pitch. Downclimb (easier than you think) to the base of the offwidth, clip a large pin and start climbing. The offwidth starts out in the #2 to #3 Camalot range. The first 40 feet look hard but are only 5.8 due a good crack in the side of the offwidth that can be used as a layback. Get to a stance where you can place some TCUs. Above this, the crack widens to #5 Camalot size. 30 feet above this stance is the crux. Slide the #5 up as you go, the crux ends when a good crack can be found on the right that you can place pro in. Here the crack stays wide, but is lower angle and easy to the top, it also has good small-cam protection on the side. This is a good offwidth primer.

This is a less-traveled, low-end difficulty route on the right side of the Bookend.  Its interesting and enjoyable 2nd pitch ascends the last signficant, left-facing dihedral on the right end of the cliff.  The first pitch (partially shared with

Sorcerer

and

Climb of the Ancient Mariner

) can be wet for a few days after a good rain or snow.  Its easterly aspect makes for a warmer warmup when west-facing or shaded south-facing aren't quite ready.

From the trail near the base of Orange Julius & Great Dihedral, scramble up and right (3rd to 4th class) up ledges and ramps to the base of the wide slot where Sorcerer and Climb of the Ancient Mariner begin.

P1. Ascend the slot with the crack on the left side (when dry) or the

chimney

on the right (when all other options are wet) to a comfortable area with a tree with rappel slings and a rap ring.  ~110', 5.6.

P2. Move up and left in a groove ~60' to a large, left-facing dihedral with a very wide crack.  Using a variety of techniques, ascend this corner.  Use pro on the right wall at times (wires, blue Alien), sling a chockstone, and get to a stance about 135' up.  Here, the wall gets smoother and the edge of the crack rounds out.  Find a short, leftward traverse (0 TCU) to move into the next crack left (can seep with water).  Make a belay in this wide crack (#9, 10 hexes, #3.5 Camalot).  ~160', 5.7.

P3.  Here you have a few choices.  You can angle right in a bushy groove (fixed #8 wire) to rejoin the left-facing dihedral or you can opt to move left into a 5.8 small, left-facing dihedral.  ~70' up, you can continue up the left-facing dihedral or move out right onto easier, coarser rock.  A 50m rope will not reach the summit.  ~200', 5.6.

Descend/scramble off the back of the formation.

First climbed by [Estes Park] ledgends Bernard and Crusty in '93. Wide Gauge is not well known but holds some great aid and is, in fact, included on the Lumpy-aid tick list. so check it out!

The crux of this climb may be the approach. Hike west past the front of the Bookmark until looking at its rarely climbed west face. From here devise a way to access Wide Gauge. Look for No Bozos, an ugly [crystalline], vertical crack and carry your overloaded pack through some classic 4th class to its base.

From here, aid or free climb No Bozo's nasty crack until the beautiful thin crack to the left is too much to ignore. Make a long reach, or short pendulum to this crack which is the start of Wide Gauge. Depending on how low you start in the thin crack, its thin aid for a ways (C2, C2+, RPs, beaks and cam hooks), yet it is also easy to stay with No Bozos until Wide Gauge cuts out left on a long leaning crack (C1 or 5.10). Either way [you'll] end up taking the nice leaning crack (C1+) for a nice diagonal ride to a belay in a chimney. From here, climb up the loose chimney to a sub-summit of the Bookend. Continue to the true summit with lots of 4th and 5th class or take the handy, but hidden, rap located on the ridge above.

This is a free variation of the route described in the [Gillett] Guide as Wide Gauge (5.7 A3) which starts on the route No Bozos (10c sandbag) and after 40 feet forks left into the Blood Feud.  No Bozos is the "price of admission" into this stellar pitch with three distinct cruxes and an enduro rating.  Redpointed with a couple of nuts in place (lodged after some hard falls), this is perhaps one of the best 5.12 cracks at Lumpy. This pitch takes solid gear the whole way.

The rounded arete downhill and left from

Orange Julius

. Start on the left and boulder up onto a detached block. Climb right onto the face and climb up past five bolts to a tree belay. Bring cams and small nuts for the flakes past the third bolt.

This is an excellent pitch, with a whole lot of hard climbing packed into its 100'.

This is another great route on The Bookend.  Right of

Orange Julius

and left of

Climb of the Ancient Mariner

, it starts on a ledge in a left-facing, wide crack.

P1 climbs the wide crack to a stance at 70 feet.

P2 climbs the somewhat flared crack (nothing new for Lumpy, eh?) through left-leaning moves.  I employed various body scums in addition to jams.  120 feet.

P3. Merge right with the arete and face of

Climb of the Ancient Mariner

(somewhat runout 5.6 face climbing) and the

Sorcerer

line to the summit.

Descend to the NE.

This pitch is a bit of a battle. It provides excellent meat and potatos crack climbing with a few drawbacks. I give it a PG-13 because it's one of those pitches on which it's hard to get out of the groundfall zone. As the crack angles out right, the ground underneath it rises with ledges. It's not dangerous, but you have to place more gear than you'd like to, given the overhanging feel of the climbing, to keep it safe. Where the flake/overlap turns horizontal, take the vertical crack up through the overlap to its end than angle over to

Strawberry Short Cake's

finish.

The second to last of the long deep groves on the west end of the Bookend, this unknown gem sees few ascents, which is too bad for such a fun route.

Start at the bottom of Bombay Chimney (the next chimney to the left) and climb up about 40 feet to a large ledge on your right. Walk across the ledge and set your belay in the chimney.

Climb the chimney (lots of good holds to augment your chimney technique) and stretch the rope out until you get to a belay stance right as the chimney opens up and becomes flared.

Either stem or squeeze your way straight up, or follow flakes and face holds up the right wall of the chimney until it narrows and you can get back in. Head up easier ground to the top.

Soon after leaving the belay, the overall angle of this pitch eases off a bit, and rumor has it that someone fell and got their butt wedged in the chimney, getting stuck for hours.

P1- Step around left, and jam two parallel cracks to a pleasant belay ledge with two new bolts, 5.7+ (75').

P2- Face climb up the arete past two bolts, the crux is about 12' above the second bolt. More great face climbing takes you past some gear and one more bolt (5.9 X). Then locate belay some 30' or 40' above third bolt (natural belay) 140'.

P3- Continue up the arete (5.9 R), work up and right past a bolt used on the Mariner (5.8 X), pull over the Sorcerer roof at a finger crack (5.9). Belay after 150'.

P4- Easy rock finds the top (5.5).

Variation: A direct start right of the first pitch was put up in the 80s by Hidetaka Suzuki (5.11+). Climb a leaning, finger crack with a pin at 2/3 height. Pulling off the ground is the crux, but it will definitely keep your attention the whole way.

This is one of the classic climbs at Lumpy, it has varied spicy climbing the whole way. The first pitch begins at the southeast corner of the Bookend. Look for an obvious corner capped by a large  triangular roof 40 feet up.

P1. Lieback up the 5.8 dihedral to the bottom of the roof and undercling the entire length of the roof, .10a or b. The holds on this section are all really positive, but the feet suck, make sure to place pro after the crux for the second. Belay at a bolt anchor by an obvious tree on the left.

Variation: climb up until you're about 5' below the roof, place pro, and downclimb about 10'.  Then do a rising traverse left (5.9) to the edge of the roof.

P2. The second pitch is short. Continue up the crack on 5.8 climbing and angle up right on an easy face to the base of a large flake. Belay at some slings.

P3. For the third (also short) pitch head right around a blunt arete and do a 5.8 foot traverse. This part is pretty runout (30' or 40' fall potential) for both the leader and second. At the end of the traverse squeeze up an easy wide crack and jam a 30' 5.7 hand crack to a belay in a corner.

P4. For the fourth short pitch, traverse straight left on an amazing 5.7 flake. This traverse is about 40', really exposed, and really easy. Belay off #2 Camalots at the end of the traverse.

P5. For the fifth pitch, climb up a runout 5.8 crack. #3 and #4 Camalots could help on this section.

P6. For the final pitch do a typical flared lumpy chimney (the most strenuous 5.7 you will ever do) to its top.

Then scramble a rope length of 5.0 stuff to the very top of the rock.

This is an awesome varied route, although it is six pitches, they are all very short, we did in a couple hours. Be prepared for several spots of runout 5.8.

Truth may be the biggest roof crack on Lumpy so far, and lucky for you it's an offwidth! (If you like thinner and harder roof cracks, try its neighbor 8 ft to the right, Consequences 5.12.)

From the back of the cave, stuff your feet into the crack above you and work your way out on overhanging heel-toes. Continue out the roof through all the sizes, and then crank over the lip.

Quintessential Lumpy slab climbing.  Hike up to the Bookend (not to be confused with any other cliff involving the name Book), and starting from the southeast corner of that rock, scramble up slabs and grooves up past the obvious large triangular roof of Orange Julius, to a higher alcove.  Keep a lookout on the approach for the route's landmark, a clean, narrow slab with a green streak on the right side of the [Bookend]-- the alcove lies below it, though once you are in it you can't see the slab.

P1 - Climb up the left side of the alcove, turn the corner to the left and climb a right facing corner with a hand crack in the back.  Turn the roof capping the corner (bolt) and climb up the slab past two more bolts (crux) to a two bolt anchor (110 feet).

P2 - Head straight up the phenomenal slab past six bolts (5.9) to lower angle ground where one can belay from medium friends (25 feet to the first bolt) (160 feet).

P3 - Finish the climb up easy cracks and grooves to the left, and descend from the top of the [Bookend] to the northeast (160 feet).

Begin 25' right from the start of

Winds of Fortune

.

Climb up to a bolt 15' off the ground, step right, then up to an obvious flake (10d, thin).  Traverse left to the L-diagonalling finger crack of

Winds of Fortune

.  Climb this for eight feet to a jug, but then crank out right (10d) to a big flake.  Mantle up onto the flake, clip a bolt, then undercling up and right along a seam (crux, 11b).  Where the seam turns vertical, face climb up and left across another diagonal seam to gain the low-angle slab above.  Belay 20-30 feet higher on a ledge with a slung flake.

This is a great crack pitch. A hard overlap 20' off the ground is the distinct crux and always feels hard for the grade to me. Insecure fingerjamming and  crafty stemming will get you through it and into 80' of deceptively awkward, but easier, handjamming.

Climb the

OJ

corner up to the roof and battle out the crack in the right side of the roof. The roof is somewhere around 18 feet long and starts with thin fingers and ends with a crux offwidth section turning the lip. Ive seen it done a few different ways, so I wont attempt to give technique beta, but I do suggest checking out the equipment beta.

Not really a route,

per se

, but in the event you're going to get weathered off of

Sorcerer

, this traverse allows for retreat without leaving a bunch of gear in that funky crack.

From points along the

Sorcerer

dihedral that are roughly even with the P1 anchors on

Climb of the Ancient Mariner

, it is possible to traverse the slab leftward and reach the anchors after about 20 or so feet of protection-free 5.9 slab climbing. From this bolted anchor, one can escape from the face with one ~33 meter rappel, or a 30 m rappel with a bit of 5.6 downclimbing.

Counting left to right from

Bombay Chimney

, this is the 5th chimney line on the Bookend.  It begins in a large chimney just left of a bolted route.  This is a nice route, though I did not find it as good as

Corinthian Column

or

Bombay

.

P1. Enter the fairly easy but grungy gully/chimney through the bushes or come in from the left (better), climb into a tighter chimney and through a pinch to belay, 5.8+ or so, 100 feet.

P2, crux. Continue up (past a crumbly crack) to the steep flared chimney.  Pass the flared pinch, insecure, 5.9+, which becomes much easier after about 20'.  I found this more difficult than the section of

Turnkorner

labelled 10a 12" Squeeze (below the roof crux pitch) on the Rossiter topo, so graded it 5.9+ instead of 5.9.  Also more difficult than other 5.9 chimneys in the area.  The extra gear mentioned is for this pitch.  I shoved a #4 Camalot along for quite a ways, sometimes leapfrogging with a mostly-tipped-out #3.  Belay at a ledge with a big boulder, or continue for 30 feet of handcrack with a couple of chimney moves to another good belay.

P3. Climb the crack just mentioned (if you haven't already) which turns into a chimney, and continue to a big ledge, 5.8 or so, 140 feet.

P4. Walk left along the big ledge and climb the crack that stops about 5 feet off the ledge (this pitch and the next are the same as for

Corinthian Column

).

P5. Cross to the main buttress and climb big jugs for 150 feet to the summit, one nice crack section in the middle of the pitch (optional).

Descend the trail in the gully between the Bookend and Left Book / Bookmark.

Sun King is located downhill and west of the

Orange Julius

area and just right of

Sicilian Defense

.  Begin in a thin crack underneath four bolts.  For those familiar with the Bookend this is just left of the Foxhead.

Pitch one (old school 5.10d) was bolted on the lead and consequently the easiest path is not always directly in line with the bolts.  This pitch is loaded with exciting 5.10 face climbing with the technical crux passing the first bolt.  Decent trad gear can be had at a couple horizontal cracks between bolts #2 and #3.  There is a new Fixe anchor at the belay and you can rap with a 60m rope to the ground from here.  According to Gillett, pitch two (5.11d) turns the corner left to a hidden bolt, then climbs back right past three more bolts to a two bolt belay.  This pitch didn't look so much like free climbing to me.

Descent is two single rope raps.

This is the chimney on the right side of the slot that goes up to

Sorcerer

,

Climb of the Ancient Mariner

, and

Treebeard

, among others.  You wouldn't opt to do this pitch unless you like fighting scratchy bushes, find the left crack running with water from rain or snow, or you're just a chimney lover.

From the starting ledge, stem out right to the chimney.  Fight, scratch, grovel, chimney upwards.  A #3 Camalot and #4 Camalot (old size) were useful early in this pitch.  There are still some loose blocks in here.  Fired off one fist-sized bugger that pretended to be a foothold.  You'll find at least 4 scratchy bushes to fight in here.  It sort of reminds you of

Organ Pipes

with added bushes.

This variation to

Knight's Gambit

is a great one pitch route with a good mix of different sytles of climbing. It should be adding to your one pitch cragging list for the area.

Follow a short, right-facing dihedral and then angle right to a short chimney with a hand crack.  Follow the thin hands crack to the obvious traverse left at an old bolt.  A 3 foot sling on your last piece in the crack is recommended.  A 5.9+ face traverse past an old bolt (smallest TCU) leads to a fun, Lumpy-style, hand crack.  This will deposit you below the final crux slab moves.  They are protected by a 25 year old 1/4 incher, which is below you as you pull the crux.  If this fails (R rating), a nice sloping ledge awaits your ankles.  This is probably not a good route to push your limits on.

A modern 2 bolt anchor will put you on the ground (100 feet).

This is the farthest left of the major chimneys on the Bookend, very noticeable from the ground.  The crux is sustained though most of the route is much easier.  A fun route for those who enjoy chimneys (hopefully there are still a few of us out there).

P1. Climb crack/dihedral system (mostly 5.4-5.6) about 80 feet to the base of the main chimney.  Climb about 20 feet up the chimney / crack to a nice stance (5.8?).

P2. Climb the deep flare for about 120 feet.  This sustained and fun chimney pitch protects well with normal gear on the inside. 5.8, 120 feet.

P3. Continue up much easier chimney system with many ramps and features inside to another good stance.

P4. "Walk" through to where you can join the main wall to the summit, or pick a variety of other mostly-easier but fun options.  Climb low 5th class rock for 150 feet to the top (this can be pitch 5, depending on what you did for pitch 4).

The route described here is a variation of the route described by Rossiter, noted where this route breaks off from the main.  At least four chimney systems run up the Bookend left of the Foxhead.  This route starts between the 3rd and 4th (from left).

P1. Start left of the

Sicilian Defense

chimney in either of two flared cracks (we took the left, and I believe the guidebook route avoids these by working in from the right).  Climb to the base of another flared crack (again there are two, and we took the right this time, which seemed more protectable).  Continue up the flared handcrack (bring stoppers especially for the top), go left at its end to the base of a large chimney (good belay, hand/fist cams useful here).  5.9, 120ft.

P2. Climb the chimney/crack, fun and generally easier than it looks.  Belay at a large ledge (end of chimney, big pieces useful for comfortable belay).

P3. Move the belay 20 or 30 feet to a stance in the Pinch chimney (belaying here on P2 probably difficult due to rope drag).  Here we took a variation and climbed the Pinch chimney, mostly because it looked like fun (the crack on the right wall, standard pitch looked less appealing, but maybe it is nice). 5.8, 140ft or so to a good ledge.  Again save a few hand and larger pieces for the belay.

P4. Go up a little and right along a big ledge to a hand crack that stops about 5 feet off the ledge.  Climb the crack, which quickly becomes very low angle, and continue to the top of the formation. The crack mentioned here puts you back onto the regular route.

P5. Walk across to the main wall (hard to describe but obvious when you are there) and jump or climb to the final section of the Bookend.  About 150 feet of low fifth class rock gets you to the top.

This is a great climb, classic Lumpy flared crack. Three pitches (each about 100-120') of pretty consistent 5.8, followed by one pitch of easy rock to reach the summit. The first 40' or so of this climb are shared with '

Climb of the Ancient Mariner

'. From the approach trail, climb the ledge systems up until the ledges change to rock....

P1. Climb the corner for the first 40 - 50 feet, then continue straight up where

Climb of the Ancient Mariner

goes left to the bolt & roof. Continue up the cracks / flakes for the better part of a ropelength until a 'good' belay spot is found. Take your pick - jam deep in the crack, lay it back, or find features on the face. There is no real ledge to be found, so I suggest just finding the best place to build the anchor and go for it.... Gillett's guide says to belay 'level with a roof on the left'.

P2. Continue straight up from the belay, working a classic Lumpy flared crack. Try using the crack for the right side & face / edge with your left side. Aim towards the right side of a small roof. Find a belay somewhere below or at the roof. Again, no real ledges to speak of, so pick the best spot. Referencing Gillett, this pitch is 'hard to protect'. Since I followed I cannot give too strong an opinion; I think gear is there, but you might have to hunt for it.

P3. If the belay was below the roof, climb to it, then traverse left under it. I felt this part to be a bit tricky. As soon as you exit the roof to the left, climbing becomes much easier but you'll probably enjoying some rope drag. Continue straight up until the drag becomes a drag. Still no great belay ledges, but cracks abound - pick a spot & build a station.

P4. Climb easy terrain to the summit.

Descent - walk off to the back, then wrap around climber's right down the gully. There are great views of the Left Book climbs from the descent.

Sorcerer's Apprentice is a minor variation to the

Sorcerer

that adds ~150 feet of high quality climbing, some of which is shared with

COTAM

and

Labor of Lust

.

P1: (5.8+, 55m) Climb

Sorcerer

for 55m to a good stance just below the left-leaning corner on P2. The anchor consists of nuts and a 0.5 C4, so you can dump your rack in this long pitch.

P2/3: (5.10-, 70m) Climb the left-leaning corner system off the belay to a thin section where the corner ends.  Thin slab moves (crux) lead to a rest and good gear. Climb left on runout jugs to the bolt on

Labor for Lust

. Then climb straight through the overhead roof crack (5.9) and finish up moderate rock to the summit.

With a 70m rope, you can make the summit in one long pitch!

This route ascends the south face, a short way around the corner from

Orange Julius

. It appears to not see a lot of activity even though it has a sweet hand crack and three different 9+ cruxes. Look for the first chimney (as you move east to west), just west of the Foxhead, a large squarish formation at the southeast corner of the Bookend.

P1. Find an easy start behind a tree up to a short easy handcrack. Surmount that to a ledge that leads into the chimney. Climb the chimney past a bolt on the face and get good gear at the left edge of the chimney and traverse left (or clip the bolt and traverse lower) for a spooky 5.9 move or two to the base of perfect Lumpy hand and foot crack. Jam for 40 feet to a stance. Traverse right and downward (9+) to a belay inside the chimney. (The bolted line tempting you up and left to chains is a 10d variation).

P2. Climb a wide easy flare (with lots of fat gear placements) until the crack closes at an overhang and obvious 9+ crux. A comfy belay pod is to the right after you solve this.

P3. Wander up and left (west) through wide flares and discontinuous cracks (5.7 or 5.8) to the base of an all too obvious chimney.

P4. Grunt on up the 5.7 chimney and then run the rope out as far as possible on easy ground.

P5. Another pitch (or simul-climbing) on easy ground is required to top out and descend as for

Ancient Mariner

.

This is perhaps not as classic as other Bookend 3 star routes but a very good varied route with a thin 1st pitch crux and a burly 3rd pitch roof.

Start 200 feet around and right uphill of

OJ

following below the base of the offset buttress forming the Bookend's east face. Begin at a flat spot below a hanging flake and above that a small pine that marks the 1st belay station.

P1. Up the hanging flake (creaky) hand traverse right at a horizontal break to a stance. Cut back left via a thin crack to the belay pine, 5.10a, 100 feet.

P2. Easy up and left over a chasm to a belay at a juniper. This is only several ft right of

Sorcerer

/

Mariner

dihedrals.

P3. Climb into a pleasant chimney then handjam over a roof with a double crack 5.10a and complete a long pitch to a belay in a dihedral system.

P4. 200 feet of low 5th class to the summit.

Description

Protection

Routes in The Bookend