Lumpy Ridge is the Best Worst Trad Climbing Area in the U.S.

PS- We should get out sometime Mauricio!

Lumpy is the bees knees! Thousand evil eyes upon the author calling it a choss pile! Heresy!

Is it just me, or is everything choss now? Nowhere is safe from that word these days. It's just like "epic" being used to describe mundane happenings at the sport park. I have never climbed in California, so I can only imagine how the rock might be better (steeper, less flared, more continuous cracks). But to call lumpy choss is to do injustice to the real choss piles of the world where every hold is suspect. Some desert pitches come to mind.

The quality of the rock at Lumpy is superb. It's so tacky and positive. Plus, the formations are beautiful. Not only that, but the climbing is interesting and varied.

Great article by Kalman. Interesting critique of how overly-reactive and cynical it can be in the Front Range, in spite of it being a truly blessed place for climbing. Also his commentary on a person's path from excessive hyperbole at two extremes- with the truth being in the middle.

Igneous wrote:Is it just me, or is everything choss now?

Especially Colorado. I hear it all the time. "A lot of climbing there, most of it is choss though, second rate", "The skiing really is not as good a Utah or Wyoming, second rate", then there's mountain biking, rivers etc.. Colorado is so second rate, why do I live here? Hah, hah, hah.

Anyone who liked this article should check out the author's blog, Fringe's Folly. There's some good stuff to read on his blog.

Rick Blair wrote: Especially Colorado. I hear it all the time. "A lot of climbing there, most of it is choss though, second rate", "The skiing really is not as good a Utah or Wyoming, second rate", then there's mountain biking, rivers etc.. Colorado is so second rate, why do I live here? Hah, hah, hah.

It comes from us folks in Wyoming and Utah being sprayed at all the time about how rad ColoRADo is. If it's so rad, why did you leave?

Moreover, a lot of mediocre climbing in Colorado is presented as world class just because a lot of people go there. Convenient climbing != quality climbing, and anybody who has climbed at both Golden Cliffs and Clear Creek can confirm that.

Brian Scoggins wrote: It comes from us folks in Wyoming and Utah being sprayed at all the time about how rad ColoRADo is. If it's so rad, why did you leave? Moreover, a lot of mediocre climbing in Colorado is presented as world class just because a lot of people go there. Convenient climbing != quality climbing, and anybody who has climbed at both Golden Cliffs and Clear Creek can confirm that.

We can't all have the sandstone they have in the Red and in Chattanooga. I hear the New is great, too.

But you mention Clear Creek, which to me is pretty great rock. I've come to appreciate good gneiss and think it produces some of the very best sport climbing. We also have a type of granite that forms what we call alligator skin or chicken heads. Now that rock is the shiznit, let me tell you. It's very difficult to find a lot of it, though. It's like that tasty crust on a good brownie.

My point was that Clear Creek *is* good. But Golden Cliffs really isn't

Brian Scoggins wrote:My point was that Clear Creek *is* good. But Golden Cliffs really isn't

Very good point.

After more than four decades of climbing around North America, most of my “weather stories” come from Lumpy Ridge. Here’s how they start: It was a warm and sunny day, hardly a breeze, and then at the start of pitch 3…”

Rob.calm

Brian Scoggins wrote:My point was that Clear Creek *is* good. But Golden Cliffs really isn't

True, but I've never really heard anyone say Golden Cliffs (NTM) is especially good. Most of the comments I've heard seem to overshoot in the other direction about how terrible it is: I'd say it's a decent little local area that has a big plus of having good sun exposure in the winter, with a few routes that are "surprisingly" good (if you're inclined to say how terrible it is).
I've never heard anyone suggest that NTM is a destination area or a world class (or any other class) area.

rob.calm wrote:After more than four decades of climbing around North America, most of my “weather stories” come from Lumpy Ridge. Here’s how they start: It was a warm and sunny day, hardly a breeze, and then at the start of pitch 3…”

It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents — except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the rock (for it is in Lumpy that our scene lies), rattling along the cliff tops, and fiercely agitating the scanty LEDs of the headlamps that struggled against the darkness. We had only been able to reach the anchors on pitch three the previous day.

Aye, I hear ya Stitch. I usually hike into Lumpy the evening before, climb the first several pitches, fix lines and rap off. I get there in the morning and jug up to pitch 3 for a fresh start. It would all probably go faster if I didn't bring so much stuff. The haul bag stays at home next time.

pfwein wrote: True, but I've never really heard anyone say Golden Cliffs (NTM) is especially good. Most of the comments I've heard seem to overshoot in the other direction about how terrible it is: I'd say it's a decent little local area that has a big plus of having good sun exposure in the winter, with a few routes that are "surprisingly" good (if you're inclined to say how terrible it is). I've never heard anyone suggest that NTM is a destination area or a world class (or any other class) area.

I've been told an awful lot by visiting climbers that there's just so much good climbing on the front range, and there's something for everybody and it's all world class and every climber should want to go there and so on. And it just ain't so. The vast majority of the climbing in the front range is good for after work burns. Yes, there's a lot of it, but most of it is like Poudre or Boulder Canyon. Convenient, but I wouldn't plan a trip for either (weather not withstanding).

Wyoming has its share of mediocre after work crags too. They don't magically become better just because they're in the same state as the Winds or Ten Sleep.

At one time I actually had some affection for Golden Cliffs. A friend's wife even said it was her favorite place to climb. Then one day I took a girl there and she admonished me for selecting that crag. "Don't ever ask me to come here again" I think she said. And get this, we have never climbed together again since that day. Can you believe it? I know, amazing.

Rick Blair wrote: Especially Colorado. I hear it all the time. "A lot of climbing there, most of it is choss though, second rate", "The skiing really is not as good a Utah or Wyoming, second rate", then there's mountain biking, rivers etc.. Colorado is so second rate, why do I live here? Hah, hah, hah.

Yep, I keep hearing the same. Have you tried Sierra yet? Skiing, biking, mountaineering, all better some place else. Only enough "choss" to last a lifetime. I'll take this 2nd rate, thank you very much. I love going to other places, but Colorado is home.

Stich wrote: I've come to appreciate good gneiss and think it produces some of the very best sport climbing. We also have a type of granite that forms what we call alligator skin or chicken heads. Now that rock is the shiznit, let me tell you. It's very difficult to find a lot of it, though. It's like that tasty crust on a good brownie.

Yeah, but the gneiss and chickenheads is soooo much better in Southern Arizona (Lemmon, Cochise), so Colorado is choss. Eh, just because something is better doesn't make the former crap. Odell beer is markedly better than Sam Adams, but I can get down on both. Oh look, another CO climber getting slightly offended by the words choss pile. I'm fitting the stereotype. Damnit.

Steven Groetken wrote: Yeah, but the gneiss and chickenheads is soooo much better in Southern Arizona (Lemmon, Cochise), so Colorado is choss.

So that would include Chochise Stronghold, right? Must visit!

You want real choss? Come climb the partially solidified turds that are the towers of Garden of the Gods or the rotten granite in Cheyenne Canyon. You don't know choss, my friend.

Stich wrote: So that would include Chochise Stronghold, right? Must visit!

Yeah, slings on chickenheads is your pro. Beanfest is October 7th. Whoops, getting off topic.