Type: | Trad, Sport, 300 ft (91 m), 2 pitches |
FA: | unknown |
Page Views: | 3,254 total · 12/month |
Shared By: | Kurt Johnson on Dec 19, 2001 |
Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
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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.
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
Neko's route is a great 5.7 alternative to either Chrome-plated or La Chaim, if either you've done both of those routes before or they've got parties on them, and it's conveniently located about halfway between the two.
Pitch 1 starts up the right side of the first large block left of Chrome-Plated. You can either lieback it or use good face hold to the right, using both the crack and a couple bolts on the face for protection. At the top of the block, take the line of least resistence up the face (the easiest way may not be immediately obvious) and head up towards an arching crack which leads to the belay ledge shared by both Neko's Route and Chrome-Plated.
Pitch 2 traverses left from the belay and out onto the face immediately left of the Chrome-plated dihedral. Once you're out on the face a little ways, you can get a couple pieces in a short flared crack and maybe a pocket (if my memory serves me right), and then head up the runout 5.6 face staying fairly near the edge of the dihedral. The only protection between the start of the pitch and the wide crack near the ledge at the top (or the ledge itself depending on how far to the right you're climbing near the top of the pitch) is an old quarter inch bolt near a small bush. But as the climbing's easy and positive, the lack of more bolts spices it up a bit and only adds to the fun. After passing the bolt, you can either climb straight up and head for the belay ledge's low point, or you can veer to the left towards a low-angled wide crack that takes you to the ledge a little higher up and left. Once at the ledge, there are several possible places to belay from, but I like to set my anchor at the first place the ledge becomes suitable to safely walk off from, in a shallow left-facing dihedral that takes small stoppers.
From here, either walk off left past the large ponderosa Pine and down the descent gully, or continue towards the top via Chrome-Plated's upper pitches.
Pitch 1 starts up the right side of the first large block left of Chrome-Plated. You can either lieback it or use good face hold to the right, using both the crack and a couple bolts on the face for protection. At the top of the block, take the line of least resistence up the face (the easiest way may not be immediately obvious) and head up towards an arching crack which leads to the belay ledge shared by both Neko's Route and Chrome-Plated.
Pitch 2 traverses left from the belay and out onto the face immediately left of the Chrome-plated dihedral. Once you're out on the face a little ways, you can get a couple pieces in a short flared crack and maybe a pocket (if my memory serves me right), and then head up the runout 5.6 face staying fairly near the edge of the dihedral. The only protection between the start of the pitch and the wide crack near the ledge at the top (or the ledge itself depending on how far to the right you're climbing near the top of the pitch) is an old quarter inch bolt near a small bush. But as the climbing's easy and positive, the lack of more bolts spices it up a bit and only adds to the fun. After passing the bolt, you can either climb straight up and head for the belay ledge's low point, or you can veer to the left towards a low-angled wide crack that takes you to the ledge a little higher up and left. Once at the ledge, there are several possible places to belay from, but I like to set my anchor at the first place the ledge becomes suitable to safely walk off from, in a shallow left-facing dihedral that takes small stoppers.
From here, either walk off left past the large ponderosa Pine and down the descent gully, or continue towards the top via Chrome-Plated's upper pitches.
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