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BETA PHOTO
Description
Nearly 1000 feet high, the best cliff (along with the Book) at Lumpy Ridge, but because of the long approach it sees relatively little traffic. Classics of all grades and types of climbing, including Kor's Flake (5.7), Mainliner (5.9), Turnkorner (5.10a), and Whiteman (5.11). To descend from all but the west-most routes, scramble along the top to a steep fourth-class gully that leads NE. The gully begins at the saddle between the Turnkorner Buttress (the steep, rounded section of cliff most visible on the approach) and the Guillotine Wall, an immense section of cliff which is not visible for most of the approach, but which can be seen clearly divided from the Turnkorner Buttress by a prominent chimney system when one stands in front of the rock. Downclimb the gully very carefully, or make several rappels from trees. Then follow the steep, brushy hillside (really a larger gully) around to the base of the rock.
Getting There
Sundance is the western most formation on the ridge; hike the Black Canyon trail from the Twins Owls (Lumpy Ridge) parking lot past the Book turnoff, through the cow fence, into the woods, and then keep a sharp lookout for a cairn marking the approach path on the right side of the trail (there is no sign). If you miss it, you'll be faced with a nauseating bushwhack straight uphill.
A 5.7 route of this length and quality is difficult to find. Hard, sustained, and exposed for the grade. Hike up west past the large overhang of Turnkorner Buttress to a point shortly beyond the deep chimney separating it from the Guillotine wall. Scramble up onto an outcrop below a deep, narrow chimney with some loose rock and a large chockstone about 30 feet up. P1-squeeze up the chimney, go right under the chockstone, and emerge to climb m...[more]
There is not a pebble at Lumpy Ridge not worth climbing. The rock is superb, especially the Sundance Buttress. A mostly flat trail through a beautiful valley to some of the biggest rocks and highest quality granite in the state might be too much if one is accustomed to pulling plastic. Some climbers climb for the absolute love of it. Some climbers climb because they think it makes them look cool. Lumpy is for the former.
Headlamps are useful if you ever have to come down in the dark.
An easy descent if climbing anything from Grapevine and to the left: walk easily to the summit of Sundance and go to the east, drop down slabs between opposing corners for maybe 50 feet and spot a rappel from a tree to the climber's left. Rap 100 feet to the ground, then downclimb a short 10' wall to the trail. Follow trail until it peters out in a boulder field. Boulder hop for a ways and pick up trail again, following it until it wraps around the bottom of Sundance and meets up with the approach trail.
Does anyone know anything about the route just left of the first pitch of Guillotine? It starts out as a lieback flake to a bolt. After that, the climbing looks very hard and runout to another bolt at least 25-30 up. There didn't appear to be any pro between the two bolts.
The line left of Guillotine is Bosch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. Most of the bolts are missing. It's possible to toprope the first pitch off the chain anchors left of Guillotine 160-170 feet up.Topher D established the route, placing the bolts on lead, but someone was apparently threatened by its existence and chopped it.
Does anyone know anything about the route just to the left of the first pitch of Guillotine up at Sundance? It starts as a layback flake to a bolt. After clipping the bolt I made a delicate traverse to the right and grabbed a downward pointing horn. Above the horn was a pretty good gear placement, however, the next bolt was about 25-30ft up with no pro in sight before reaching this bolt. Any info would be nice!
Sundance Buttress
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