PRINT: Rock Climb Thunder Buttress Route, Lumpy Ridge

Thunder Buttress Route

5.7+, Trad, 4 pitches,

Avg: 1.3 from 3 votes
FA: Scott Kimball & Mike Covington
Colorado > Estes Park Valley > Lumpy Ridge > Thunder Buttress

Access Issue: 2023 Seasonal Raptor Closures lifted 7/28/23 Details

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

All the way at the west end of Thunder Buttress, a short way left of a low roof, look for a water-worn chimney. Climb black-streaked rock to the left of this, and continue up two pitches of grooved low-angled rock, trending right and taking the line of least resistance, until you arrive at a large ledge at the base of the headwall arete or ridge. You can easily walk off west from here.

Follow the arete for two more longer pitches, looking for the crux roof at the end of the third pitch. Because it's not climbed much, the route is lichenous, sometimes loose, and somewhat difficult to follow.

Location

To descend, traverse the fourth class ridge north until you get to easier ground, heading down the west gully.

Protection

Standard rack

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Semicolin 1

5.7

The first two pitches would be a 3-star 5.6 route and then walking off to the west. The top pitches were so-so. P1 for us started 1/2 way between the low roof and chimney (not quite as described above) - 5.6 (PG-13) face/slab climbing with flakes and knobs interspersed and worked our way right and under a bulge, about 150' and really fun for the grade. P2 5.4 or 5.5 slab climbing about 190' to a small tree. P3 (5.7) up vertical fissures that sounded a bit hollow to base of a left-curving dihedral. P4 (5.7) left up a short (15') squeeze chimney and stepped left around the roof & continued over crumbly granite to the very top of the buttress. Adventure climbing for sure with some interesting scrambling to get off. Gear to 4" was helpful. Aug 7, 2014