This route has access issues. Please read the note available on the Lumpy Ridge page.
BETA PHOTO: The Owls West Face Routes
Description
Viper is a quality line located just to the left of Crack of Fear. Look for a bolt leading to a scary-larry line of fixed heads and there you have it.
P1. C3-, fixed or A4 if the heads are gone (which they rarely are). Make a tricky move just off the ground to reach the bolt (or if youre not feeling all tough guy bring a stick clip). The head ladder above isn't super inspiring; however, there is a yellow TCU-sized pinscar half way up. After reaching the crack, it's all C1 stoppers and cams. As long as you have enough gear, skip the 1st belay mentioned in the guidebooks and continue onward switching to the crack out left and on up to a two bolt anchor(one good, one bad).
P2 5.7 C2 fixed. Aid a C1+ left-facing flake, then mantle or use a large hook to stand on a flake out left. The rock shoes may come in handy here as you make some mixed moves to gain the next flake above. Pull on fixed gear, and follow this flake until you're able to climb out left on a diagonal crack passing an old suspect angle. Then freeclimb up a 5.7ish corner until the rope runs out.
P3. 5.3, run to the top via easy cracks and ramps.
Protection
Bring the old Lumpy aid rack. Doubles from #0 TCU to #3 Camalot. One #4 Camalot, two sets stoppers, tri cams, one #1 Lowe ball, maybe a big hook and some rock shoes.
The first pitch isn't as hard as the second if you go to the anchors just to the right of the big roof above 'Copperhead'. The copperheads seem to be pretty sturdy, but the crux of the climb comes higher up in the "C1" crack with some hard to stick, yet well protected moves. All in all, probably C2 (2+on a high gravity day). Cool climb.
Twin Owls
RSS Feed
