Chimney Masterclass: The Great Dihedral (5.7 II) on Lumpy Ridge

 The air was crisp still with the overnight chill as I shouldered the small pack carrying the rope, our rack, my harness, and my helmet. Through the trees beyond in the eastern sky the sun hovered with a sort of ambient heat. Soon the chill of the earlier morning air would be long gone. Sarah, my significant other and partner, and I finished our last preparations, made sure that Jasper, our dog, had enough water and was comfortable enough to entertain herself for a few hours in the camper, and we were off across the meadow in front of Twin Owls. We were to be climbing on the legendary Lumpy Ridge today, an area of Rocky Mountain National Park lying dead north of Estes Park, and what made up the northern border of the Estes Valley. It had been about three years or so since I last climbed here. Three years too damn long.

Sarah had never climbed on Lumpy before, and we had a trip planned for the week following to go up to Vedauwoo, Wyoming, so I figured what better way to kill a couple of birds with one stone by climbing a classic chimney on Lumpy I had yet not done, while also giving Sarah a proper introduction to the training grounds of the alpine legends of the past? Flipping through both the Rossiter guidebook for the valley, and the Gillet guide which was left on the truck tailgate and lost about a day after (RIP), a classic 3-4 pitch climb came to my attention. None other than “The Great Dihedral,” an absolute classic for the grade (5.7 II) and discipline (offwidth/chimney climbing mostly), I figured that this slightly-sandbagged jaunt would get us more than properly ready for the week to come up in the Voo. By the end of the route I would be more than pleasantly surprised that it would accomplish more than that.

We made our way through the initial rise and run difficulties that the beginning of the Lumpy approach trail holds in the beginning, and began clipping along at a nicely quick pace through the meadows of MacGregor ranch. Through the stillness that the lack of wind that morning provided, I could hear the cows in the pasture beyond mooing at a melodic tempo, each one of them taking turns bleating loudly so the wranglers would get the message that they were all hungry. I looked up at the different pinnacles as we approached the Bookend, the large feature that The Great Dihedral went up. It had been too damn long of a time away from here indeed. While the grades were respectively sandbagged, the routes were quality and the ego could use a beating every once and a while. Climbing grades in the modern age with the differentiation of style, technique, and individual discipline were nearly arbitrary anyways. Who gave a rat’s ass what grade a chimney was? To me, they nearly all felt the same amount of breathless getting into them, with more than enough grovely fun to be had all the way up. Little did I know, the chimneys we’d ascend today would prove me rightly wrong.

Coming to the Y intersection in the trail that marked our deviation into the trees before the Bookend cliff, I took a moment to take in the grand escarpments of Longs Peak. With the double-pointed summit of Meeker to the left, and the nearly indiscernible pile of talus marking Mt. Lady Washington to the front and right, I traced the large lines of chimneys and cracks that I could make out on the Diamond. “Soon,” I muttered to myself loud enough for only me to hear, “you’re next.” We were to be climbing the Casual Route soon, and the only thing stopping us was the right time and weather. The snow up there would be gone, minus Mills Glacier, and we’d be making our way up. Turning my attention back onto our approach, I stepped up the all-too-familiar steps leading on the trail to the book formation, and took note of the slight lactic acid build-up in my legs. From the meadow one makes quick work through on the approach to the formations at Lumpy, the last sections of the trails always went straight up.

After glancing behind me, I was confident that Sarah was still quick on my heels. We took another intersection to our left, following signs and social trails, and before we could look up, the dihedral that marked the entirety of the route hung before us. While raptor closures this time of year prevents many from getting on many of the other moderate (and not so moderate) classics of the Book, Left Book, and Pages Wall areas of Lumpy Ridge, the Bookend formation remains open. My guess is as accurate as any to why the Raptors prefer the formations to the immediate looker’s right as opposed to the lone point at the top of the Bookend. Perhaps they hate walkoffs? Jokes aside, I was thankful our chosen formation for the day never closed.

We roped and racked up quickly, as there were two other parties we could make out in the parking lot with climbing gear. They could be right behind us. From the ground, I could make out a party above, but they sat on belay two pitches higher. At a moderate pace, I could manage any “traffic jams” that may occur above. With a nod and a smile from Sarah, my end of the rope was threaded through the Gri-Gri and I was off. Though the climbing of the first pitch was entirely manageable, the sandbagged nature of the route immediately made itself known. I was happy to be climbing here regardless, and after a few grunts, some stemming and creative jams, I found myself at a nice belay alcove below a very large chocked boulder above me. Sarah quickly followed. She met me at the anchor and we couldn’t help but smile wide. In our area, farther to the middle of the state between two subranges of the Rockies, chimneys like this with striking crack systems were hard to find. Have to savor one while you’re on it.

Sarah quickly handed off gear, and I glanced up at the boulder-roof that I would have to surmount in order to continue the next pitch above. There were a few key footholds and fantastic gear placements that made the couple squeeze moves getting into the second chimney system more than manageable. Though, I would heavily recommend pulling one’s pack up after finishing the few tricky moves getting into the second chimney. For the remainder of the pitch, I made my way up steadily over broken rock until coming to another overlap that needed to be contended with. I could see the aforementioned party above us with the follower still belaying the leader even higher from the ledge I intended to reach with this pitch. While it was slightly annoying, nothing at this point could ruin my mood, and I went to work constructing a comfortable hanging belay. There was a nice large fixed hex in the crack marking the start of the overlap above me, and I used that as a backup for the rest of my anchor. A #2 and 0.4 cam, and a bomber nut, I really don’t think I could have conjured up anything better at that spot. It was solid and I was confident in it. Before I could call down to Sarah, she was already up to meet me at the anchor. After the party above topped out on the last pitch, We quickly climbed up to the large ledge that marked the end of the last pitch.

With enough room to be comfortable, Sarah settled into a nice sitting view while belaying me on the final money pitch. By money pitch, compared to the rest of the route, this one was the fucking jackpot. There was never a spot on this one where the climbing, placing of gear, or rare need for a rest did not flow. I felt more like I was running over a trail after hitting my stride, than I felt like I was topping out on a classic chimney route. I cannot give the final pitch of this route more stars, and now understand why it is so popular, if not just because it is one of the few classics open from raptor closures in June. After following the petering chimney/crack system through a series of laybacks and stems, the final pitch hits easier terrain and quickly tops out on the final point of the Bookend formation. From this perch, one has commanding views of the pastures making up MacGregor Ranch, town, the rest of the valley, and the expanding continental divide rising beyond. Through the blowing wind, I took a minute for myself to take it all in again once more, and then called down to Sarah that she could climb up. We took pictures at the top, smiled, and enjoyed the moment with each other. Not a bad introduction for Sarah to climbing at Lumpy Ridge. We honestly couldn’t have chosen a better route for the day if we tried.

Coming down off of the backside of the formation is very straightforward, with the walkoff trail following the weakness in the gully between the Book formation and the Bookend. I relished in the aura of Lumpy on the return back to the trailhead. We will make more time to climb here, and soon. But as for today, the deeper innards of the park beckoned. There were boulders to find and problems to climb.