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The Bookend

Colorado > Estes Park Valley > Lumpy Ridge
Warning Access Issue: 2023 Seasonal Raptor Closures lifted 7/28/23 DetailsDrop down
Warning Access Issue: Closure Notice DetailsDrop down

Description

The Bookend, about 400 feet high, is the last cliff of the Book group, lying just to the west of the Book and the Bookmark (as seen from the Black Canyon trail). It has quite a variety of climbing, including the unique Orange Julius (5.10a); perhaps Lumpy's best slab route in Climb of Ancient Mariner (5.10a); and several long chimney routes on its south face.

The cliff is divided by a chimney known as the great dihedral; this lies on its eastern aspect, just right of the prow dividing the S and E faces. The chimney is very narrow at the bottom, and then opens up, reavealing a smooth wall inside with an obvious wide crack (Hot Licks). To the right is the long narrow slab of Ancient Mariner; to the left lies Orange Julius, which weaves a devious line up the aforementioned SE prow and is further identified by a large triangular roof near its bottom. The South face has three or four long chimney lines while the west face is fairly uninteresting and has one or two routes. The odd new-age bolted face route and 5.12ish crack test-piece can be found here and there throughout the cliff. The Bookend has some definite 3-star routes, though not nearly as many as the Book, and it is always less crowded.

Descent: quite uncomplicated for Lumpy Ridge: head NE from the summit, go down a short, easy gully/chimney, and then walk/bushwhack around down to the base of the cliff.

Getting There

From the new parking lot, take the west trail towards the old Twin Owls parking lot ~0.6 miles. Then, hike west from the old Twin Owls parking lot for about a mile, turn right for the Book, and then left after a little ways for the Bookmark. An unmarked spur trail leads west shortly before the Bookmark, ending at the SE prow of the Bookend. Orange Julius and the Great Dihedral should be visible above and right. Some tricky scrambling is necessary to reach routes from Orange Julius rightwards--see the individual route descriptions. ~40-45 minutes to approach.

Routes from Left to Right

5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b C1
 1
● Wide Gauge
Trad, Aid
5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b
 1
● Blood Feud
Trad
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 3
● Unknown Chasm
Trad 3 pitches
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 5
● Bombay Chimney
Trad 5 pitches
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 7
● Knight's Gambit
Trad 5 pitches
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b R
 1
● Knight's Gambit Variation
Trad
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 6
● Corinthian Column
Trad 5 pitches
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 3
● Sicilian Defense
Trad 5 pitches
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
 6
● Sun King
Trad 2 pitches
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 6
● Pineapple Juice
Trad, Sport
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
 11
● Strawberry Short Cake
Trad
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c PG13
 2
● Tarantula
Trad
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a R
 78
● Orange Julius
Trad 6 pitches
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
 1
● Summer Festival
Trad
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 74
● Hot Licks
Trad 4 pitches
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 83
● The Great Dihedral
Trad 3 pitches
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 29
● Handbook
Trad 3 pitches
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b X
 3
● Labor of Lust
Trad 4 pitches
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 121
● Climb of the Ancient Mariner
Trad, Sport 3 pitches
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
 1
● Sorcerer -- Mariner Traverse
Trad
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a PG13
 4
● Sorcerer's Apprentice
Trad 3 pitches
5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 80
● Sorcerer
Trad 4 pitches
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 1
● Grovelly Chimney
Trad
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 2
● Treebeard
Trad 3 pitches
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 4
● Winds of Fortune
Trad 4 pitches
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 3
● Southern Cross
Trad
5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a
 1
● Truth
Trad
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
● Wide Gauge
 1
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b C1 Trad, Aid
● Blood Feud
 1
5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b Trad
● Unknown Chasm
 3
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad 3 pitches
● Bombay Chimney
 5
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad 5 pitches
● Knight's Gambit
 7
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Trad 5 pitches
● Knight's Gambit Variation
 1
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b R Trad
● Corinthian Column
 6
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad 5 pitches
● Sicilian Defense
 3
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Trad 5 pitches
● Sun King
 6
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a Trad 2 pitches
● Pineapple Juice
 6
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Trad, Sport
● Strawberry Short Cake
 11
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b Trad
● Tarantula
 2
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c PG13 Trad
● Orange Julius
 78
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a R Trad 6 pitches
● Summer Festival
 1
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a Trad
● Hot Licks
 74
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad 4 pitches
● The Great Dihedral
 83
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad 3 pitches
● Handbook
 29
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad 3 pitches
● Labor of Lust
 3
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b X Trad 4 pitches
● Climb of the Ancient Mariner
 121
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Trad, Sport 3 pitches
● Sorcerer -- Mariner Traverse
 1
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R Trad
● Sorcerer's Apprentice
 4
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a PG13 Trad 3 pitches
● Sorcerer
 80
5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad 4 pitches
● Grovelly Chimney
 1
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad
● Treebeard
 2
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad 3 pitches
● Winds of Fortune
 4
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Trad 4 pitches
● Southern Cross
 3
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Trad
● Truth
 1
5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a Trad

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

[Hide Photo] untitled
Route overlays for some routes on The Bookend.
[Hide Photo] Route overlays for some routes on The Bookend.
[Hide Photo] untitled
Route overlays for some routes on The Bookend.
[Hide Photo] Route overlays for some routes on The Bookend.
Bookend, Bookmark, The Book.
[Hide Photo] Bookend, Bookmark, The Book.
The Bookend
[Hide Photo] The Bookend
Topo for some of the classic moderates.
[Hide Photo] Topo for some of the classic moderates.
Bookend from Bookmark. Climbers are visible on P5 Orange Julius and an alternate finish to P3 Sorcerer.
[Hide Photo] Bookend from Bookmark. Climbers are visible on P5 Orange Julius and an alternate finish to P3 Sorcerer.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Mike Carnes
[Hide Comment] I'm by no means anything better than a 5.10 climber these days, but I can talk shit at a 5.12 level, and when I do I don't need to reiterate everything said previously. So to Bob D., just let that shit fly, we're all up to speed on the previous remarks, you don't have repeat them. It's much more entertaining that way. For arguments sake, that slab would have been better at a place like Penitente rather than Lumpy, where almost everything's a bolted boulder problem. Oct 17, 2005
Nate A
Estes Park, CO
[Hide Comment] I guess I'm out of the loop, but where is this slab that Spanky bolted? I hope it's not just L. or R. of the Winds of Fortune 1st pitch. I toproped the L. hand line last spring, noting the holds probably wouldn't last more than a few ascents, [definitely] not worth adding bolts. The rock quality on the R. hand line didn't appear much better. Oct 18, 2005