This route has access issues. Please read the note available on the Lumpy Ridge page.
Finishing the last moves of Zingando.
Description
This route is on the Left Book. Approach as for White Whale, Hiatus (there's a pretty recognizable trail leading around the west end of the Book). Trail takes you to the base of main slab where these routes begin. Zingando begins ~75 yds up and to the left of the main slab. Scramble along boulders and ground level slabs adjacent to main slab. Stop when you are even with the last two large trees on either side of you; here there's a ancient, large log lying across the slab, rack up here. Belay at the end of the log at a nice seat, just below a deep slot in the wall above.
P1-make junky, somewhat dirty moves to start, up past two flakes, and reach for jugs on top of the last flake, right by a small tree. Continue up left-arching flake to roof, go left a few feet, over roof and up a crack to tree belay on the right.
P2-Traverse on the large flake to the left, up a short crack, then take handcrack that angles off to the right; follow to the large ledge above. this last pitch is superb--great handcrack with gear anywhere you need it (although it is quite easy)!
This is a good alternative for a weekend when WW/Haitus/the Dog all have parties on them (as we found). I feel it's even a good destination climb for beginning Lumpy climbers. Heck, my partner and I enjoyed it a lot more than Batman and Robin; more continuous, although not as long and not a summit route. Nonetheless, a good route.
Protection
SR; #4 Friend useful in a couple of places, but not necessary. Hexes.
It is also possible to start farther up and to the left and then traverse back in to the right and avoid the junky start. Although easier, this is just as good as the other Left Book Slab routes.
I think I did a first ascent looking for this route. I couldn't really discern the features mentioned in Gillett's guide (big inset arch?) so I started a bit uphill from the White Whale area and headed up. After climbing about 100 ft of junk I got to a roof. The loose flakes and copious amounts of lichen indicated that the feature hadn't been climbed in a while, if at all. I traversed left to a slab, instead, and climbed that to a gully. I set a belay at a large tree (right next to a large dead tree) and I ended up beneath the cracks for the second pitch of the route. From our position some "interesting" face climbing was necessary to get on route so we looked around a bit for alternatives. The weather was starting to move in so we scrambled to the walkoff ledge and called it a day. I call the pitch "Searching for Zingando; 5.4". Not recommended.
Only two stars for me, It is not as cool as other routes on this formation, but a good option if there are crowds here. Simuled the whole route in one pitch. 14 minutes on route.
The first time I tried to climb Zingando, I couldn't find it and ended up doing a variation of Cottontail instead. The second time I tried it, I ended up with an experience similar to Dave's. I believe that lichenous roof is actually the right roof, but perhaps it looks like it doesn't get a lot of traffic because a lot of people end up doing what Jim did, which is what I did the third time I climbed the route.
A lot of people I've talked to never even end up finding the route at all, I think mainly because everything's so low angle that, when standing at the base, looks nothing like the topo or photo in the guidebooks. My advice for finding the route: Head across to the opposite side of the gully and get as high up as possible until the beautiful 2nd pitch crack becomes obvious.
When I arrived below Zingando in 7/95, other climbs were all taken. I did the same or at least very similar variation you guys describe. Anyway, local CMS guides told me it was a 1st ascent? I called it "5.5 my ass!", because that's what I yelled down to my party of four friends standing below when I almost came off at a particularly wet, lichen-filled spot in the grungy crack. When I slipped on the wet lichen, the small cam I'd placed just above my waist pulled, and I was a little shook up. But I sure like your name for the route better Dave. Now that I think about it, I must have gone higher than you before traversing over to the Zingando belay indicated on the topo. I ran out of large nuts before making the traverse and in order to find a slot that would take a good piece of pro, my second and I simul-climbed for at least 20 feet or more. Then I finally found a placement for a #2 Camalot and belayed him up. At that point, I was on a long, low-angle cushy stance below a very large crack. After a long, unprotected traverse over to the roof on Zingando I set a bomber belay with 2 Friends and 3 large nuts in cracks under the roof. I was happy just to be there with some pro in that I didn't think about going up above the roof to belay. Second pitch above the roof as described by others is the best, laid-back hand crack I've ever climbed and it takes anything on your rack. Unfortunately, weather moved in before we could do White Whale.
Left Book
RSS Feed
