This route has access issues. Please read the note available on the Lumpy Ridge page.
The Bonzo dihedral is at the top left of the photo...
Description
Named [Mr.] President, so the story goes, for its "devious" nature. Kor had a way with route names. Pitch two is superb, with a crux which feels more like something in Eldo than Lumpy. This was devious enough it required two visits for me to figure out. A great climb, worth the effort! This route is on the far [left] of Turnkorner [Buttress], and starts up a wide-looking chimney. This chimney, though stemmable and only 5.9, is is still very awkward (being partly a blind flare), and not easy to protect. Best have your partner lead this. Pitch two is the business. Start up an innocent crack, which steepens up and then blanks out. Above, out of reach, the crack opens up and gets easy again, but meanwhile. . . . Not sure how much I should say about the crux. Ahem, well, the solution is not to keep throwing yourself at the blind section of crack right in front of you. I will say that. And the moves, once you commit, are strenuous and hard to reverse. Anyway, you reach welcome jugs after a few powerful moves (or next weekend for me), and steep 5.9 climbing gains easier (though exposed) ground, and a nice ledge. After this, the climb changes character and reverts to more regular Lumpy style. One more 5.9 pitch follows a crack system up. Wander to the saddle from here. Come to think of it, we may have rapped from the nice ledge back to the start of pitch two, then to the ground. Funny how I still remember the crux moves, but not the rest of the climb.
Protection
Regular selection of stuff up to fist size. Double ropes are nice for protecting the second pitch effectively.
My 1980 THATH-AA-AI-ATAH Lumpy guide by Chip Salaun and Scott Kimball says this:
5.10+ or 5.11. Layton Kor and Steve Komito, late 50's. FFA by Jeff Lowe and Ron Matous.
Originally rated 5.8+ or 5.9 with a 5.8 second lead, this route became the enigma of the ridge after dumping a half-dozen 5.10 and 11 leadeerers. The name seems to be of no consequence until one considers the rather political nature of the routee...that is, it is continuously misleading and never appears or acts like it looks... This is the first route I ever tried at Lumpy. Victor Creazzi, ex-Gunkie was into wide cracks. Rich Perch and I, also Gunkies, were on a road trip. Victor tooks us to Sundance to do Mr. President, 5.9. We did the first pitch and failed on the second pitch, which we figured was "real" 5.9.
Sundance Buttress
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