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Routes in Sundance Buttress
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Adrenaline T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R |
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Banana Peels T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Betwixt'em T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Bonzo T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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Bushes T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Cajun Capers T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R |
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Chain of Command T,S 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
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Covert Action T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Curve Grande T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b C1 |
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English Opening T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Eumenides T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Firebird 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a C2 |
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First Lady T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13 |
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Grapevine T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Great Roof Bypass T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Guillotine, The T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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Hemp Necktie T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
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Hurley-Neri T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Idiot Wind T 5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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Jet Stream T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b R |
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Kor's Flake T 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Last Gasp T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b |
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Laura Scudders T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b R |
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Mainliner T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Mr. President T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b |
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Nose, The T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Precipitation T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a C2 |
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Progression T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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Redman T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Sidetrack T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Slim Pickens T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Turnkorner T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Turnkorner Direct T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b R |
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Under The Sundress T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c |
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Under the Big Top 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Upside Down Race Car Kitty T 5.12- 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a PG13 |
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Whiteman T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a |
Order Wrong?
Sort Routes
| Type: | Trad, 1050 ft, 7 pitches |
| FA: | Ed Webster, Pete Athens, 1986 |
| Page Views: | 14,356 total · 65/month |
| Shared By: | Nate Weitzel on Jan 9, 2001 |
| Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac |
Your Star Rating:
Access Issue: Season raptor closures
Details
Seasonal Raptor Closures March 1-July 31 or until further notice:
When closed, the closures include the named rock formations and the areas surrounding the base of the formation. This includes all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes, and climber's access trails to the formation.
Areas not listed are presumed to be open. These closures will be lifted or extended as conditions dictate.
For up to date closures visit: nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
When closed, the closures include the named rock formations and the areas surrounding the base of the formation. This includes all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes, and climber's access trails to the formation.
Areas not listed are presumed to be open. These closures will be lifted or extended as conditions dictate.
For up to date closures visit: nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Access Issue: Sundance Buttress is seasonally closed for raptor nesting but is NOW OPEN. Click for details.
Details
7/23/18 RMNP opened Sundance Buttress for climbers! Confirmed by Backcountry Off (970-586-1242).
RMNP
6/12/15
K.Patterson 970-586-1363
Sundance Buttress Closure Added Other Closures Removed Or Continued
To Protect Nesting Raptors in RMNP
Each yr to protect raptor nesting sites, RMNP officials initiate temporary closures in the Lumpy Ridge & Sheep Mountain areas of the park. To enable wildlife managers to gather info and ensure that raptors can nest undisturbed, specific areas within the park are closed temporarily to public use during nesting season.
Due to raptor nesting activity, Sundance Buttress in the Lumpy Ridge area has been added to the closure areas. The following sites will remain temporarily closed until further notice - Alligator Rock, Twin Owls, Rock One, Sheep Mountain, & now Sundance Buttress. These closures include all climbing, approach and descent routes for the indicated formations on all sides of those formations.
The following closures have been lifted - Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, Thunder Buttress, No Name and Parish. The National Park Service is committed to preserving birds of prey. The same cliffs that attract raptors also appeal to climbers. The cooperation of climbing organizations and individuals is essential to the successful nesting of raptors in the park.
Kyle Patterson
Public Information Officer/Management Specialist
RMNP
(970) 586-1363 nps.gov/romo facebook.com/RockyNPS
RMNP
6/12/15
K.Patterson 970-586-1363
Sundance Buttress Closure Added Other Closures Removed Or Continued
To Protect Nesting Raptors in RMNP
Each yr to protect raptor nesting sites, RMNP officials initiate temporary closures in the Lumpy Ridge & Sheep Mountain areas of the park. To enable wildlife managers to gather info and ensure that raptors can nest undisturbed, specific areas within the park are closed temporarily to public use during nesting season.
Due to raptor nesting activity, Sundance Buttress in the Lumpy Ridge area has been added to the closure areas. The following sites will remain temporarily closed until further notice - Alligator Rock, Twin Owls, Rock One, Sheep Mountain, & now Sundance Buttress. These closures include all climbing, approach and descent routes for the indicated formations on all sides of those formations.
The following closures have been lifted - Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, Thunder Buttress, No Name and Parish. The National Park Service is committed to preserving birds of prey. The same cliffs that attract raptors also appeal to climbers. The cooperation of climbing organizations and individuals is essential to the successful nesting of raptors in the park.
Kyle Patterson
Public Information Officer/Management Specialist
RMNP
(970) 586-1363 nps.gov/romo facebook.com/RockyNPS
Description
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. 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. Climbs 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.
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. 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. Climbs 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.
Combine pitch 3 (.10c) and pitch 4 (.9).
This eliminnates the manky belay (look for a small tri-cam placement before the station) and allows you to climb the route faster. Double ropes help eliminate drag.
Don't waste time looking for pro on the bolted face. The bolts are old but there are several. The exposure here is simply awesome. Enjoy it!
Bring comfy shoes for the descent. Jun 13, 2001
I am trying to contact the first ascentionist. However they are not on this site nor can I find an individual site for them, no luck so far. I am hoping the replacement of bad existing bolts will not be a problem on Idiot Wind. The real additions to the cliff would be two rap stations that get you from the big ledge to the ground. The middle station is the existing station below the 5.10A roof on Idiot Wind that is presently existing. The bottom of the three stations would be located at the top of the Icarus pitch which is presently a natural pro belay station. The upper station would be at the top of Idiot Wind on the big ledgewere many routes end. With the advent of these stations there would be an easy way to get back to the ground. If I only added the station on top of Icarus, it would afford an escape from the station under the 5.10A roof on Idiot Wind. The 5.10B pitch before this station goes up over a roof and then takes a steep left climbing pattern for the rest of the pitch, making it almost impossible to retreat if weather comes in. I spent a few hours last weekend at this station in a deluge, and had to pull the 5.10A roof in the rain. With the addition of the Icarus station, we could have been out of the rain and lightening in two easy raps.
Please reply too this issue. Again thanks, and I am treating this issue with kid gloves. I am trying to reach all that I can. The last thing I want is to have a "Wanted Poster" posted in rock and Ice and the Climbingboulder site. I will keep seeking the orginal ascentionist. Any help would be appreciated. If I do not hear from anyone in two weeks, I will start this project. Jul 29, 2003
Replacing old bolts is fine. But, with all due respect, please do not install the rap station bolts you're suggesting. I agree that it is a bummer to be caught in the rain and lightning, yet that is a risk we all assume when we leave the ground. Adding the rap stations reduces the commitment for one and all. And that is contrary to the Lumpy experience. Climbing on Lumpy Ridge requires more chutzpah than most single pitch / crag-type areas. Let's keep it that way. The first ascentionists and Lord knows how many subsequent parties over the years have not felt a compelling need to add rap/belay bolts. I don't feel you have presented a compelling need either.
My guess is that if you and your partner wanted off you could have rigged anchors with your own gear and headed down, lickity-split. I'm not suggesting you would have liked that but if a very intense storm were ripping through, you would have found a way to get down.
It was good of you to go public and encourage comment before wielding the hammer. Jul 29, 2003
However, I'm opposed to adding a bolted rappel route. I have climbed the Nose route twice and the first time we were caught a few pitches from the top as the afternoon thundershowers moved in. We raced to the top to be greeted by lightning strikes and a wicked down pour. It was wild and scary. This happens to me at least 50% of the time I climb at Lumpy and sometimes I'm lucky enough to have completed the route before it lets loose.This is never a surprise and part of the adventure of climbing at Lumpy. An easy retreat would diminish the commitment. The climbing at Lumpy feels like alpine climbing rather than cragging to me, so I always get up early, bring warm clothes, climb fast and mentally prepare myself to part with my rack if necessary.
If you can justify adding a rappel route to hasten stormy descents to this route, why not add rappel routes to the hundreds of classic routes where people might get caught in an afternoon storm? To me that's not what Lumpy is about. Jul 29, 2003
New rap anchors: not in the tradition of Lumpy climbing. Tough luck on the weather, but you could have left a few stoppers if you had to bail. I suspect that new bolted anchors will get chopped. Jul 29, 2003
mind & body in Colorado, he…
I'm also confused about where you want to put these acnhors. I can't see any benefit to intstalling a bolt anchor on the big ledge where Turnkorner, Idiot Wind, the Nose, etc. meet. It's about one pitch of 5.6 to the top from there, and there is a rap route off to the side already--2 raps on natural anchors I believe, though I've never done it.
On a related note, I wonder whether these nice bolted rap routes are ultimately safer. As an example, about 6 months after I started leading, I twice went up to climb the Diamond in late September. Both times, conditions and the weather report were dubious, but we headed up to Broadway anyhow, knowing we could just zip down Crack of Delight if things got nasty. In both cases, things did get nasty (first time, lots of falling ice from the chimneys on top of the wall, second time, complete white-out), and we would have been much better off if we had never gone up to Broadway in the first place. Which we *never* would have done in those questionable conditions had we known our only escape route would have been the North Chimney! Food for thought. Jul 31, 2003
Estes Park, CO
Fort Collins, CO
Nose: 2 stars May 25, 2006
Boulder, CO
The first pitch of Idiot Wind follows a crack 100' left of the start of the Nose which does not reach the ground. Climb a thin crack and then face climb up and right to reach the base of the main crack (runout 5.9, which is why the start is not often done, I guess). Then climb the surprisingly awkward crack to a belay. The second pitch is only about 60 feet long, 5.7ish and lies just left of the second pitch of the Nose. The crux is a slanting crack which leads back right to the bolted belay. These two pitches could be combined with a 70m rope, a 60m might make it too. Sep 6, 2006
Fort Collins, CO
Also, no matter how much you've dealt with exposure in the past, climbing out on that traverse will have you thinking about taking up golf. An unbelievable pitch! :D Jul 13, 2009
Innsbruck, AT
Also, it is possible to retreat from above the roof with a 60m rope, as we did because of the weather. Jun 17, 2010
BOULDER CO
Loveland, CO
Vail
General info: comfy belay on top of P1 but no bolts. Nice bolts on top of P2. The crux pitch has one old and nasty "button head" and one old 1/4 inch bolt. Both could use replacement. At least there is some protection options if one is a bit creative. Small TCUs, stoppers and Lowe balls are useful. Nice bolts at the end of the pitch. The second traverse pitch has 4 old small bolts that really could be replaced. No options for any other gear until the end of the traverse. The second roof is really fun!! Continue up to a nice ledge (no bolts). The final pitch is easy but super fun. We chose to rap from the ledge as we were completely soaked by the time we got here, plus we have already climbed the upper pitches during previous adventures. Two long (60m) raps take you all the way down to the bottom. Aug 22, 2011
Colorado Springs
Not a single other party on the entire wall the whole day! Warm and sunny, then cool and breezy, but very mild weather, especially considering it's November! Nov 5, 2016
Lakewood,CO
Everyone else climbing on Sundance (adjacent routes) reported less wind than we experienced on Idiot Wind. Oct 1, 2018