Idiot Wind

Among the most thrilling routes at Lumpy Ridge, Idiot Wind offers incredible exposure and challenging face climbing complemented by enjoyable crack climbing forging up the right hand edge of the Turnkorner buttress. After hiking up the trail, look for a huge, leaning boulder which makes a tunnel to walk through. There are 2 starts used for this route. One is the first 2 1/3 pitches of The Nose. The other begins just uphill from the southeastern toe of Sundance Buttress, at a thin crack that does not quite reach the ground. These starts lie just to the east of the above boulder.

P1: Climb the crack to its end (9), and ascend the unprotected face (9+ R) beyond up and right into a left-facing corner formed by a pillar. Ascend the pillar (shared with Firebird, 5.9) to a ledge at it top, and belay just above at the base of a right-facing corner; 180 ft., 5.9+. The thin crack and runout face above can be avoided by following Firebird for the entire pitch.

P2: Move up off the belay briefly, and then face climb left (5.7 R), finding an open book that leads into a crack Jam this to the bolted belay station shared with The Nose; 80 ft, 5.7.

P3a: Climb straight up from the belay to beneath a roof - traverse left beneath this roof into a tight corner and make a heart-pounding step out to the very edge of the huge ceiling. From a reasonable stance, gird your loins and continue traversing left (5.10b), clipping two bolts on the way to a bolted anchor (two 3/8" belay bolts) at a nice small stance. 80 ft., 5.10b.

If you started on The Nose: follow The Nose until P3. Start with the same delicate traverse to the left edge of the ceiling band. Instead of pulling this lip and going right (Nose), continue left after the crux of the Nose and do a thin, ultra exposed traverse along the lip of the huge roof (Firebird roof).

P3b. The crux pitch. Climb a crack and traverse left to the edge of the ceiling band (delicate), - traverse left beneath this roof into a tight corner and make a heart-pounding step out to the very edge of the huge ceiling. Continue as for P3a.

These are thin moves (on P3a & P3b) that are protected by old bolts. Serious Exposure. Belay at the left end of this traverse at a small stance. The 3 questionable bolts and a pin here were replaced with 2 new 3/8" bolts (you used to use small nut & #1 Metolius cam to back this anchor up) (5.10c). Enjoy the view from here, it is a unique perspective on life.

P4. Climbs the blank face following discontinuous cracks up and left toward the left edge of the upper roof band. There are four widely spaced bolts (1/4") that you follow to a left-leaning seam that leads to a bolt and a fixed pin at the base of a right-facing corner. Balance up the corner, and lieback out the roof (5.10a) reaching a 5.9 crack that ends at a nice ledge after about 40 more feet, 120', 10a PG-13.

P5. Climb the left edge of the upper roof via a small crack and then continue up on easier rock (5.8), ~200'.

From here, one can rappel down the northeast face of Sundance into the standard descent gully (five rappels off natural anchors with a 50 or 60m rope, 4 rappels with a 70m - three with doubles) or ...

P6-7: Continue up 300' of easier climbing to the top of the formation and traverse east to follow the standard Saddle Descent.

Eds. note, at one point both The Nose & Idiot Wind were combined onto 1 page. To help with organization & clarity, we have split these into 2 separate pages with additional detail from Aaron Martinuzzi. Thus, some comments, photos, ratings, stars do not follow the page separations. Thanks for your understanding.

A standard rack. There [used to be] a number of questionable 1/4 inch bolts on the route, so the addition of Yates Screamers [used to] be wise, that or don't fall on these bolts. By 2019, new bolts were placed to replace these 1/4" bolts. Per Gabe Allen: small TCUs are useful for the seam on pitch 4.