Early Access
| Type: | Trad, TR, 60 ft (18 m) |
| GPS: | 40.4029, -105.5188 |
| FA: | S. Kimball & T. Hansen, 1984 |
| Page Views: | 1,478 total · 6/month |
| Shared By: | Deb Thompson on Dec 9, 2005 |
| Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
From the Denver Post 7/21/24: some of the raptor closures have been lifted, officials announced.
Upper & Lower Twin Owls, Rock One, The Book and access trail, Bookmark, and Left Book were opened based on a park new release.
Closures have been extended for Thunder Buttress, access trail, The Parish, Cathedral Wall.
Closures above the Loch Vale-Sky Pond trail have been extended.
Per Brent Frazier: the raptor closures have been lifted in the Lumpy Ridge and Loch Vale Areas ( nps.gov/romo/raptor-closure…)
Each year, Rocky Mountain National Park initiates temporary closures in certain areas of the park to ensure that birds of prey will be undisturbed during their breeding and nesting seasons. These closures begin on February 15 and continue through July 31, if appropriate. Monitoring by park staff and volunteers have determined that all remaining closures can be lifted on July 28, 2023.
Per Matt Coghill: the Golden eagle nesting activity has extended Lumpy closures through Aug. 15, 2022 on Sundance, Thunder Buttress, and Needle Summit!
Per A.Eaton: the raptor closures have been lifted as of 6/4/2022 at Lumpy for the following formations:
Twin Owls
Rock One
Batman Rock
Batman Pinnacle
Checkerboard
Lightning Rock
Per the Denver Post: as of Feb. 15, 2022, Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Sundance, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Bookmark Pinnacle, The Left Book, Bookmark, Twin Owls, Rock One, and the Needle are closed for raptor nesting. These closures will continue through July 31, 2022 if needed.
All areas [were] OPEN to climbing for the 2021 post July season.
Closures ending July 31:
Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Lightning Rock, Checkerboard Rock - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Sundance - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
The Book Area: Left Book, The Bookmark, Bookmark Pinnacle, and the entire Book formation (including Renaissance Wall, Isis Buttress, Pages Wall Area, and J-Crack Slab Area)- nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Thunder Buttress and The Parish - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Twin Owls and Rock One - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Cathedral Wall - 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.
Description
This is an exciting line on the right end of the Lower Twin Owls. The 5.6 rating seemed miserly, and the rock seemed a bit scaly. This route starts just left of a large, right-facing dihedral and traverses out to a slab to a two bolt anchor. An Estes wind can make this more than exciting. You may be finish with the third pitch of Tilted Mitten. According to Gillett's guide, the overhanging arête has not gone free, yet. There are more lines to play on here (One of Life's Little Problems & its 5.8 variation, Black Lichen Streak, Second Thoughts, Alignment of the Misaligned, and Thin Crack) on a sunny, windless, late fall or winter day.
Find this line by hiking up the Lower Twin Owls trail to nadir of the Lower Twin Owls buttress (where Tilted Mitten starts). Continue up and right on a trail until you come to a large, right-facing dihedral which is described as an alcove in Gillett's guide and drawn in on page 212 of Rossiter's guide. It is probably 400 feet up and right from the nadir. You could TR this (with lots of directionals) after leading pitch 1 of One of Life's Little Problems.
Traverse left into this climb with a bulging, awkward start. You can sort of protect this with a large cam before you go left. Anchor your belayer. Make a long reach out left to a flake and get stable. Move up to a good stance. Now choose left (easier) or right (harder, 8?) until the holds run out. Now make slab moves (7?) above a small cam (blue Alien) placement to a #4 Camalot slot, sling a horn, and clip the two bolt anchor with links. It has a free hanging rappel.
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