This is the hardest climb I have ever done. I can offer a first-hand account of the first two pitches only (we rapped due to the onset of darkness).  However, the third pitch could not be more obvious, and if you can do the crux second pitch you should have no problems with it, according to my partner who had done the route previously.

Hike up the Gem Lake trail past a huge boulder, and take the left-hand approach path for

Bowls of the Owls

and

Hen and Chickens

Rock.  The crack is an obvious wide affair, in a nebulous corner, which runs the entire height of the East Owl (shortly right of a prominent, deep chimney which also reaches the top).  It is further recognized by a 30 foot pillar (the Rat's Tooth) which must be ascended to reach the crack's base.

P1. Ascend the hand crack on the left side of the pillar (5.9), or take either of two 5.10 finger cracks to the right.  Go up the off-width for about 30 feet, then step left onto the face (to avoid too much punishment!) and climb to a belay ledge with bolts (5.9, 80 feet).

P2. Struggle up past a bulging body jam section (crux, old bolts and a #5 Camalot) and then make a difficult undercling to the left. Fight into a 5.10 chimney and belay at bolts soon after its rear (70 feet).

P3. Continue up the crack with more 5.10 OW, though not as hard.  Belay or stretch to the summit, then go west to find the descent.

Crack of Fear

One of Life's Little Problems

Tiger's Tooth

Coyote

Turn, Turn, Turn

The Bowels of the Owls

Fist Fight

Thimbleberry Jam

Thin Crack

Twister

Black Lichen Streak

TR Flake-Right side start of W. Owl Direct

Jamesia Jam

Alignment of the Misaligned

The Cavity

Condones

Organ Pipes

Autumn Mist

Conan's Gonads (Conad's)

Senseless Meaning

West Owl Direct (aka Silly Putty)

Bloop

Caught in the Slaughterhouse

Peaches and Cream

Tilted Mitten

Sunset Arete

Wolf's Tooth

Hungry Man

Rather Fight Than Switch

Anaconda

East Ridge

Pin Route

West Chimney

The Prow

True American Pinch

Tighter Squeeze

Central Chimney

Parachute Pants

Bush-league Beefcake

Perhaps not as well known as

Anaconda

or

Viper

.  Autumn Mist is a fine outing including an airy roof on P2.

NOTE: some crazy hard climber is working (or may have already freed) the FFA on P1 of this climb.  So, you should know.... The anchors have been moved to facilitate a more convenient TR anchor.  However... for lazy aid climbers such as myself, it is now more challenging to reach the start of P2. without a stickclip. More info below.

P1. C1+, some people end up aiding the rotten crack out right. However, if you're looking to climb the three star route, make sure you aid the thin cracks on the face just left of this rotten crack. So, scramble up the spike of rock just to the right of

Central Chimney

, and climb up thin cracks on great rock until forced into the rotten crack (which isn't too rotten at this point). Continue up to the new anchors. 90 feet.

P2. C2+/C3-, from the new anchor, you need to get up and right to an old bolt which leads to the roof, but the old bolt is now a little way away. One way to do it is with a large hook and a long runner. Swing the runner with the hook on the end at the hanger. This may take a while, but it's better than rapping. Otherwise, bring a stick clip.  Anyway, once you've gained the single bolt, aid out the roof using your smallest TCUs and RPs until better (more secure) gear is reached. Climbers with belay slaves may want to belay shortly after the roof due to rope drag. 30 feet. Rope soloers may easily continue onward.

P3. 5.7 C2, pitch three is a mystery to me.  The guide books show to go straight up keeping to the left of Viper but it looks mighty unlikely. I went up and right joining Viper at its old A4 crux. After finishing, I even rapped back down to scope out this supposed finish to Autumn Mist, and it looked pretty dang bleak. If someone has actually done this, I'd love to hear about it. So, correct me if I'm wrong, but I would finish on Viper (see Viper C3-). It seemed like the only choice to me.

This is an interesting 2-pitch line on the right end of the Lower Twin Owls.  This is just right of a large right-facing dihedral and ascends an inviting crack/flake system on P1.  P2 climbs more like an adventure climb.  There are more lines to play on here (

Sunset Arete

,

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 ft up and right from the nadir.

Climb up various crack and flakes to join a lieback about 50 ft up.  This first section protects with wires and small cams to red Alien size.  You can protect the lieback with a #4 Camalot.  Continue up to a short section to a large sloping ledge system and find a belay up near a right-angling system with a fist-sized crack on its left.  Pitch 2 has two starts.  The left start begins here and works up cracks, flakes, and brushy chimney moves with a traverse right when you reach an bulge.  Move back up and connect with the same system.  The right start starts 30 feet to the right and goes straight up to this point.  Continue up with 2 more short traverses right to gain a nice ledge in a shady alcove.  You can belay here (especially if you belayed at the tree above Second Thoughts, if you TR'ed those 3 lines) with #3.5 and 4 Camalots.  Pull a funky move yarding on a chicken head with a #2 BD wire for psychological protection and gain easier terrain to the Roosting Ramp.  Walkoff right past

Central Chimney

&

Crack of Fear

.

See

Wolf's Tooth

for basic location.  This is the route that climbs the crack between the right side of the detached pillar and the main buttress of the Owl (

Wolf's Tooth

climbs the left side).

This is an excellent route, with very sustained climbing on the crack section of pitch one.  The bottom is somewhat overhanging hand/fist crack, which opens to offwidth after about 25 feet.  The offwidth continues to widen until it becomes a squeeze chimney after about 60 feet.  Shortly before the squeeze the crack is too wide for a #5 Camalot.  A #3-4 Big Bro could probably be placed here, but this placement may be difficult.  I found one section near this point particularly confusing (took two tries) so I would say this is the crux.  In general, the offwidth is steep and sustained, so people will probably find different points to be "the" crux.  At about 60 feet, the crack becomes a chimney, and you can fit inside.

The chinney has a reputation for being run out.  You can protect it with small gear IF you look around inside it and don't stay way out on the edge.  You will not get gear every few feet, but I got several pieces in here.

This pitch is easier than

Turnkorner's

offwidth roof, but it is not your "average" 5.9.  Placing gear and keeping it out of your way will be strenuous.  The thought of falling into the dihedral while leaning out of it is not exactly comforting.

Pitch two provides a couple of choices, a 5.7 to the left, or thin 5.9 crack / corner on the right.  I have not done the 5.9, but the 5.7 is a nice pitch.  Climb turns into a scramble from here.  Descend the

Bowels of the Owls

route (standard descent).

This is an incredible arete pitch which sits just right of the Tiger's Tooth offwidth.  The second pitch is rarely done but makes for a great summit adventure on the Twin Owls.  Approach the first bolt from the left and get ready for the exciting thin crux at the 5th bolt which is very thin.  Runout 5.10 climbing takes you to the first pitch anchor.

Expect standard chimney fare with numerous cracks for protection. This is not cruiser 5.7, but what else would you expect on the Owls?!

The chimney starts out wide and comfy, but after a small ledge sporting a pile of poop, it squeezes down very quickly. Thrash past some chockstones. I ended up having to take off my helmet for a few moves, because it was so tight. You have to get out of the chimney a bit here to pass the tightest spot, but there is an excellent hand crack on the right wall for protection. I thought this was the crux.

After a short reprieve, the chimney tightens again near the top. There is a well-attached flake on the right that takes finger-sized pro, but the bottom portion of it is alarmingly thin and perhaps not so reliable, so be careful.

We found a hodgepodge anchor about 10 feet above the chimney, consisting of a nut and a mess of cordelette and webbing. I'm not sure how much one can count on this being here. If it's gone, leave your own anchor material or do another pitch to top out on The Owls (like the second pitch of

East Ridge

).

This is typically used as the descent route for routes to summit Twin Owls.  It can also be used to ascend Twin Owls with reduced technical difficulty.  Due to the above uses, traffic jams may be encountered.  It is likely the technically-easiest way (vs Cheechako) to summit the formation.  It can be wet and/or cool.  In a wet winter, it can have snow or ice.  Also, it may be ascended by small climbers as young as six years of age.

Approach via the Gem Lake Trail from the Twin Owls parking lot, pass the Lower Twin Owls climbers access trail, go uphill at the Upper Twin Owls climbers access trail (also approaching Gollum's Arch).  Go past the trail that splits to the left (to the Roosting Ramp), pass Hen & Chickens, and pass the approach for the East Ridge.  Find a deep cleft near a standing, broken off dead tree around on the NE side of Twin Owls ascending a weakness between the East & West Owls.  High traffic down this cleft may also make it more obvious.  In the near future, access may be out of a westerly trail out of the soon-to-be-built trail from the new (further East) trailhead.  Pay some attention to the trail as you ascend, or you will wind up on the old (less preferred by the some) trail.

To approach from above, to use this as a descent, you go to the third class saddle area between the  summits of Twin Owls (separated by about 100 feet).  It can be less-than-obvious.  From here you go down a wide, steepening gully 4th class to the NE (towards Gollum's Arch) about 100 feet to a even steeper section, traverse left around a small rib on a slab to a chockstone and what looks like a cave or big rabbit hole.  Downclimb through this cave into a dark, narrow, left-angling chimney about 70 feet.  If it's too wet or whatever, you can rappel slinging a chockstone above the chimney (better) or the block that you hop over to get into the chimney (worse).  It's a funky, slithering rappel.

To ascend:

P1. Go up the chimney with some loose gravel in spots.  About 50 feet up, you reach the first technical challenge with a crack/flare on the right with slicker foot holds on the left.  Chimneying can be a bit of a challenge if you are large.  Reaching up can be challenging if you are tiny.  This can be funky if wet.  A hand sized cam works here.  Then, just above, you find the 'crux' with smaller holds on a slick slab for a short stretch to a bucket.  This, too, can be funky if wet.  A yellow TCU/Alien or cam be helpful to protect your second, especially if tiny & inexperienced.  Traverse left to the exit of the chimney & belay, 70 feet.

P2.  Traverse left about 15 feet on a slab around a small rib (exposed for the tiny or timid).  Ascend the gully 3rd to 4th class to the saddle.  About 120 feet.

P3.  From here, you can make a 3rd class scramble to the East summit or a more exposed, and somewhat more difficult bit to the West summit block.

To descend, downclimb back to the notch.  Downclimb the gully to the chimney.  Downclimb or rappel P1.  Be careful not to rap the outside of the chimney or your ropes may get stuck.

It has been rated 4th class in some guidebooks.

This is a two-star climb that is presently under one-star conditions, owing to one bush and a flock of birds. The bush you can fight through, but the birds left a disgusting sticky mess in the climb that was harder to avoid without cheating to the right and out of the crack. Luckily, the crux is relatively clean.

Climb up any pitch that will get you near the base of the 3rd pitch of the

Tilted Mitted

. This is on a huge ledge on the upper 3rd of the lower Twin Owls. To the right edge of this, you will see a wide low angle 10-meter-long crack and flake system that ends at a bush before intercepting a radically right-leaning, slightly overhanging, overlapping fist-crack. That is to say, a fist-crack if you have large hands. It might just have well have been called "offwidth fight" in some sections as far as I am concerned. The climb was distinctively reminiscent of two other climbs I have done in my life:

Horn's Mother

(Vedauwoo 11a) and

Original Sin

(Rock Of Ages, Fern Canyon, 10d).

P1 (40 meters, 5.10+): Climb up the low angle junk and fight through the bush to reach the striking crack, which for the most part is #2-3.5 Camalot, of which I hope you packed doubles. Once through the bush the climb starts in earnest at 5.9, with the relative ease owing to the holds withing the crack on edges and flakes, as well as positive jams. As the climb gets higher, first [the] flakes and holds go away, then the pump sets in. Continue as the climb gets wider and reaches a distinct bulge, where some tricams go solidly into good rock and save you a few cams on your rack. Power up solid 5.10 moves to get into the crack above and place a large cam (3.5 Camalot) and then start the real battle. I was in up past my elbows at times and felt the this was 5.10+ sustained. My partner with small hands who on-sites up to 5.11d in Indian Creek resorted to aid to follow it at all. This is size-dependent and the angle of the dangle makes it tough to stack in the crack. The feet on the right are pretty small slopers. Just as I though I was going to blow a fuse, the angle let off and I was able to rest on good jams, then do a few more moves and place pro and stem again. The easy moves to the top felt harder than they should, due to my exhasution.

"Fist Fight" eh?  Good name for it, I sure got my butt kicked.

It's been almost 10 years since I've done it, but since no one else is pushing their way to the front of the line to write a description, I'll volunteer even though the passage of time precludes me from giving a detailed description.

This route starts in a slot just right of the much more classic East Ridge, and takes the hand (and sometimes fist, if I remember correctly) crack past at least one bulge to the same big ledge as the aforementioned route. The main thing I remember is that it felt way harder than East Ridge, which I had climbed a few days before. Perhaps, this was because it was one of my first trad leads of that grade, or because I missed a bomber face hold and did an awkward jam instead? Either way, it's probably harder than East Ridge.

This inviting line is on the right end of the Lower Twin Owls.  It is just right of Second Thoughts and starts directly behind a dead pine tree.  It is an obvious crack system that looks easier than it climbs.  It is listed in Rossiter's guide as "Thin Crack" and is described as a "beautiful fingertip crack."  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

Sunset Arete

) 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 whose base is described as an alcove in Gillett's guide and on page 212 of Rossiter's guide.  It is probably 400 ft up and right from the nadir.

Gaston, lieback, occasionally jam, and then face climb through a shallow slot.  The first half is harder than the second half.  Belay at a tree.  60 ft.  No rappel anchor at this time.

You can also reach this tree by climbing the start to

One of Life's Little Problems

(to #4 Camalot) and then traverse right (#2 Camalot) to the tree.

The road to the

Crack of Fear

:

Tiger's Tooth

->

Turnkorner

-> Twister -> ??? - to

Crack of Fear

!

The day after ascending this full body workout you may wonder how it is possible, despite climbing and/or training as much as you do, to feel so sore after only three "moderate" pitches.

Ascends the obvious chimney system about 100' right of

Crack of Fear

.  The first pitch starts on a ledge about 50' of easy scrambling above the ground.

P1.  80', 5.10.  In your face from the get-go, the pitch starts with a difficult reach from a slot into a mantle. This is followed by approximately 20' feet of easy chimney which delivers you to the crux, 10' of "full body jamming" well protected by #4 & #5 Camalots.  I went left side in, employing anaerobic thigh-heel bars, hamstring stacks and solar plexus pivots.  My partner slithered right side in. After a while (time-long, distance-short) good edges appear and progress improves.  Above is some more moderate chimneying protected by a #3 Big Bro and/or a (back cleaned) #5 Camalot. After this, traverse left out of the chimney and establish an almost comfortable belay on a long narrow ledge system.  Note:  there are rap anchors at the left end of this ledge from which escape is possible; these anchors can also be used, now that you're warmed up, to top rope

Peaches and Cream

, an 11c off-width.

P2. 60' 5.9 or 5.10d.  The traditional, 5.9, way to do this pitch is to continue easily up the chimney for about 20', pass a chockstone and chimney about another 25' to ledges;  the last section, which is about 3' wide appears to have little or no pro.  Alternatively, just below the chockstone, move right into a hanging crack, make a couple of hard (~10d), Eldo-style moves (stem, pinch, jam etc), traverse right a few feet, then head up to the ledge above the chimney.  This variation, which had been seldom, if ever, climbed, involves stemming on thick lichen, but provides some good, decently protected climbing which might be upgraded to semi-classic if it ever cleaned up.  On the other hand, staying in the chimney is much more in keeping w/ the character/purpose of the route.

P3. 150' 5.9.  Continue up obvious cracks for about 50'. Traverse left under a long roof flake and continue more or less straight up (easy) for about 50' to a toothy bulge, "The Barracuda", which is defanged at 5.9.  Continue at easy 5th for another 30' to the top.

This line may entice you if you are already at the R end of the Lower Twin Owls.  This is a fun, short, TR problem between Second Thoughts and One of Life's Little Problems on the right end of the Lower Twin Owls.  The black lichen streak just beckons to all couch potatoes.  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 & R on a trail until you come to a large RFD is described as an alcove in the Gillett guides.  It is probably 400 ft up and R.

Climb up the crack just left of Second Thoughts/Alignment of the Misaligned or the crack directly below the black streak.  Gain the ledge below the black streak.  Move up to knobs with your left foot.  Use the shallow flake to a good left lieback hold.  Walk your feet up high and get a wide shallow edge (crux) and pull up.  Note, a red or yellow Alien can work as a directional just above the black streak.

You can reach this tree by climbing Second Thoughts,

Alignment of the Misaligned

,

Thin Crack

, or the start to (

One of Life's Little Problems

(to #4 Camalot) and then traverse right (#2 Camalot) to the tree.

This is the right side start to W. Owl Direct. It is referred to in the guidebook as a TR, but I know of several people who have red-pointed it, and even a recent onsight lead. It is a bit spicy, but not unreasonable.

The start is unprotected and bouldery, and I would recommend anchoring the belayer as to not lose the climber and belayer down off the Roosting Ramp in the event of a fall from the starting moves. The flake/block at the start of the crack is loose and you should not place gear behind it or pull on it too aggressively. There are several great stopper placement and shallow cam placements on the climb. The crux takes an OK .5 Camalot, but an equivalent sized offset cam would be ideal.

The climbing is flared and sustained. The crux is a bit gymnastic and probably more difficult for shorter folks. This would be a proud start to Silly Puddy.

This fine route is both harder and steeper than it first appears. It is pretty sustained, and identifying the crux was hard for me. It has a nice rest just before the upper section.

This line may draw your attention with the glint of light off the lone bolt sitting above a crack on the right end of the Lower Twin Owls.  In Rossiter's guide, it is listed as a variation to Second Thoughts, 5.10a, with a more direct finish, hence the name.  There is an obvious crack system behind a dead tree just to the right, which can be liebacked.  There are more lines to play on here (

One of Life's Little Problems

& its 5.8 variation,

Black Lichen Streak

, Second Thoughts,

Sunset Arete

, 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 & R on a trail until you come to a large RFD is described as an alcove in the Gillett guides.  It is probably 400 ft up and R.

Fire up this deceptively-demanding crack which goes halfway up this short buttress just L of a dead tree (which lies 60 ft R of the large RFD).  This crack is awkward to start and requires jamming off a sausage-sized L index finger jam and R hand gaston to pinches above.  The difficulty eases until you can clip the bolt above.  Here you have choices of desperate, steep slabbing directly above with a crux above the bolt (rated 10+ but felt 11b) or perhaps moving right (Second Thoughts, 5.10a) on feldspar knobs to a shallow slot up and right.  Belay at a tree.  60 ft.  Currently, there is no rappel anchor.

You can also reach this tree by climbing the start to

One of Life's Little Problems

(to #4 Camalot) and then traverse right (#2 Camalot) to the tree.

"The outside (west) edge of the tooth holds a frightening aid line."  as quoted from Bernard Gillett in his guide to RMNP. Well said...  what made Bob Bradley climb this line in 1963!? I dunno.

Other than one old fixed head, the Cavity goes clean. The first 30ft presents the crux, and after that, it's all C1 to the top.

P1. C3+. make some hairy moves off the ground and clip the old head. Continue upward on thin aid until the base of the upper crack is reached. Make a move or two through rotten-ass rock until things get better and C1 it to the top of the tooth. 140ft.

P2. 5.9 or 5.7  go to the top via p.2 of Wolf's Tooth.

This all naturally protected route is a direct start to the almost forgotten multi-pitch route "Boots of Spanish Rubber" established by Kimball and Suzuki in 1984. It starts from the ground just left of the

Central Chimney

in a small, left-facing dihedral which turns left into an undercling roof.  After passing the roof on the left, it traverses right on a thin crack (#2 TCU) to reach the flakes where Boots has its 5.11 crux for a few feet.  This section of Boots is rated 11 R but protects well with small cams and nuts, although it is an insecure place to stop and place gear.  The route traverses left above the flakes to the bolt placed for a belay on Riders on the Storm.  This bolt was replaced and given a ring hanger which is equalized with a large nut in the crack just above to make a two piece anchor for this one-pitch test piece.

Organ Pipes is a very strange moderate route (with an excellent 5.8+ crack variation) on the Lower Twin Owls, which is the large buttress directly below Twin Owls, and essentially connected to them. The route [used to be] identified from the [old] parking lot by some steep looking grooves, left of a huge corner, which reach up to the center of the Twin Owls. Take the marked approach trail from the new parking lot, following the signs for Lower Twin Owls. When the trail reaches the broken rock at the base of Lower Twin Owls, head left along the base. You'll soon (~35') see a wide, forested gully (which ascends West of the Twin Owls) on your right heading uphill. Hike and scramble up the gully (steep & loose for some) for several hundred feet until you can see the distinctive Organ Pipes (huge corner) through the trees uphill to your right. The start is in an alcove at the base of the (now less-steep looking) grooves (next to a leaning tree) with the large wall of the corner looming to the right.

P1. Pick a groove fairly close to the corner, and use clever route finding to attain a perch in the corner about 100 feet up (insecure, Lumpy-style 5.6).

P2. Climb more of the same, to a ledge just below the top. Belay here, or climb the corner (5.6), a crack just left (5.7), or a beautiful hand crack left of that (5.8, recommended).

Descend by scrambling east along the base of Twin Owls, to pick up the eastern approach trail, or continue up a route above. If taking the easiest variation, the route is exactly 200 feet long.

This is a long, excellent, one-pitch hand crack which makes the preferred start to the classic

Wolf's Tooth

.  It lies on the Lower Twin Owls, the large buttress which, suprisingly enough, lies directly below Twin Owls.  In fact, when viewed from the parking lot it is difficult to distinguish them.  "Conad's" is on the small west face of the Lower Owls, and is not visible from the parking lot.

Take the Gem [Lake] trail, but branch left after about 50 feet on a marked approach trail that disintegrates all-too-quickly.  Bushwhack and scramble up the steep hillside, aiming for the west face.  The route is easily identified by a roof-capped inset, about 20 feet high, out of which emerges the long, slightly left-leaning hand crack.  Climb it (sustained 5.9) to a belay directly below the

Wolf's Tooth

Pinnacle on the Twin Owls.

Descend to the east and find a steep trail on the east side of Twin Owls, or better, continue with

Wolf's Tooth

(or another route).

If you need to return to the base of the climb, you can scramble directly down the East Side of the Lower Owls, which is faster than going over to the approach trail; otherwise, the trail is far more pleasant. If you continue on Wolfs Tooth or any other Twin Owls route, you can descend on the west side of the Owls to get back to the base of Conads--the scrambling is very confusing and annoying, however. Take care not to get cliffed.

This is an interesting route that should only be lead by people who have reached the Journeyman status on 5.10s. It is runout to the point of danger, and the moves are both insecure and complex in spots. The available gear is not necessarily of high quality, and the rock is questionable in a few places, making indiscriminant power moves a bad option. Nonetheless, the climb is good fun and the moves are unique and interesting. To locate the climb, find the [base] of the

Tilted Mitten

up & right from the low [point] of the lower Twin Owls rock.

P1 (5.8, 80' S/VS): Climb up a steep seam/shallow corner on a few positive flakes on the left, using features [on the] right as needed for feet, a few small nuts (brass, #4 BD stopper) may protect the flake you climb to on the right, provided that they don't blow out the shallow placement in the granulated flake. About 5 meters up you will reach a one-meter hanging crack section in which you can place a hand-to-fist-sized cam just before passing a rectangular, hanging pillar. Head up and left on easier territory and run it out to the ledge above. Most of this pitch will be runout with ground-fall potential, albeit from easy (5.4?) moves on the upper half. On the large ledge, move right and belay below an obvious, broken roof.

P2 (5.10a, 100' S/VS): Just a meter or two to the right of the left edge of the flake/roof you will see a solid section of rock. A foot-tall pile of black bird-poo sets on a [pedestal] just left of this point. Avoid it. Climb up and over the bulge onto solid holds, You could sling a positive horn here, but I didn't see any other pro, so this might be your only decent pro before mantling up onto the flake and small ledge. Check that horn again and make sure the sling will stay. Traverse left (easy) for a few meters, then continue traversing left (5.9, but secure) until you are on a single positive hold over-head and some bad feet. A crux flake is out to the left. You are now a few meters up and over from the slung horn and not too far from the ledge you started on, so don't fall. Make the move to get established on the flake and into it well enough to place gear (crux, S/VS). Rest up and start climbing upward with solid gear and solid moves. The climb is OK from here. After a few meters the climb goes right again on a shoulder of rock and over to a low-angle 40' hand-to-fist crack and up to the ledge above.

Better yet, TR the darn thing from the top of the crack above, which is almost directly above the crux anyway. That's what I did, [because] I am a big sissy.

Located between

Coyote

and

Anaconda

, West Owl Direct was 1st free climbed by John Bachar and Douglas Snively in the '70s and renamed

Silly Putty

. As a freeclimb, it's still a Lumpy Ridge runout testpiece, but it's still an enjoyable aid climb, as well.  West Owl Direct is a step up in difficulty from

Anaconda

; however, the quality of the rock is not as good. Much of the way you're dealing with banged-out pin scars, yet this climb also places you in one of the best positions on Twin Owls.

Find the dirty gully with some loose blocks to the left of

Conad's

.  If you are like me, note that later on, you will be looking up at

Conad's

wondering why you weren't up there instead.  Note that this climb is much more difficult than it looks from below and, at times, is downright dangerous.

P1. Pick your way through the stovepipes on the left with large stems out to the right, through vegetation, until you find yourself at the base of an offwidth.  Squeeze yourself inside and reach around to find a good rail while you squirm your way up.  Notice the arm-chopping detached flake slanting precariously across the path of least resistance as you gingerly make your way by.  A few juggy moves deposit you at an ugly gully with opportunities to belay.  You may be ready for a break by now, I was.  It's easy to slot a few boulders here, 50m.  If you can convince your second to send that flake flying, please do.

P2.  Find your way through the hobbled mess of boulders, noting some interesting overhanging climbing along the way.  The last move is a jump across a chasm with a good rail on the right.  Scramble up to the base of

Wolf's Tooth

, 20m.

The route name comes from the FA party's experience on the route, on which we each lost a significant amount of blood from his hands, arms, shoulders and hips, [owing] in part to the difficulty of the climb and in part to technique, or lack thereof.

This climb starts in a slot just up and right of the bottom pitch (5.9 variation) of

Tilted Mitten

. Climb up a steep slot/wide crack to where the rock eases off to a lower angle. Some larger cams may be useful. Continue up on face climbing past a system of edges to a large flake. Pro again and head up and over the flake to the ledge up to, passing occasional gear. There are some considerable runouts to be passed, but they are probably more protectable than I made them on the FA, when I was more in "run for you life" mode. Arrive on the ledge above nearly as for the top pitch of

Tilted Mitten

.

This is a climb I did as one of my first at Lumpy, just before moving here full time. My memories are not quite complete, so I can not say exactly how hard it was, or how bad the gear was. As one of my first routes ever on granite, it is possible that I am overgrading it or undergrading it for lack of familarity with the rock at the time. It may be anywhere between 5.10- and 5.11+.

Peaches and Cream is located on Twin Owls about 200 feet right of

Crack of Fear

when viewed from the base.  It is the very obvious flake with an offwidth on its left side.

Begin to the left of the offwidth up an easy crack to a ledge.  Walk to the base of the offwidth, strap on your holy shit boots and jump in.  The funny thing about this climb is that it starts off with about 5.9 offwidth.  You'll probably be thinking that you are doing pretty well.  You might even think that you're going to send.  Then, the crack opens up just a little and kicks back a lot.  Suddenly, you're hopes of sending will flee in the form of grunts from your mouth.  Start throwing the stacks and move.  This line flares a bit so it is a really tight squeeze.  If you can keep it together, you will be rewarded with some easy 5.8-5.9 liebacking after about 15 feet of punishing offwidth.

When I did this the anchor was webbing at the top of the flake.  I have never seen anyone else on this climb, so it may be smart to bring some good webbing with you.  Enjoy.

This is an interesting climb on the Lower Owls, with a very short approach.  Good for those who enjoy (or want to get some mileage on) wide cracks and chimneys, but at a moderate grade.  The mitten is a large, leaning block midway up the right side of the Lower Owls.  Take the approach trail to the Lower Twin Owls trail.  The route starts a little uphill from the lowest point of the cliff.

P1. 3 possibilities: a) take a blackened inset, with a finger crack, which leads to a short squeeze chimney, and continue more easily to a ledge below a wide crack (5.9); b) take a hand crack just left, and continue up an easy groove to the same belay (5.7); c) start further left in the easy groove.

P2. Climb the wide crack, go up the right side of the mitten, and tunnel through the roof at its top; belay just above (5.8).

P3. Walk over right, then climb a square cut, right-leaning chimney with good hand-sized protection.  Turn the [weird] roof at its top, and belay beneath Twin Owls (5.7).

Climb a route on that rock, or descend right and scramble around to the base.

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.

Wolf's Tooth ascends a spectacular, ~110 foot high pillar that is detached from the main body of the East Owl. Hike up the Gem Lake trail, and take the cut-off which leads to the east side of Twin Owls (Hen and Chicken,

Bowls of the Owls

). As you near the rock, the pillar should become obvious in the center of the cliff as the front of a prominent prow. Wolf's Tooth is the chimney on the west side (the East side is

Tiger's Tooth

, considerably harder and more serious at 5.9+). However, I cannot recommend highly enough beginning this climb with the route

Conad's

, a long, vertical hand and fist crack on the Lower Owls that leads right to the pillar's base (described elsewhere).

P1. Ascend the strenuous wide crack/chimney, with good protection, and belay just below the top of the pillar. There is sometimes a fixed sling anchor at the top of this pitch which allows for a rappel with a 60 or 70 meter rope (a 60 might involve some downclimbing). It's worth summiting, however.

P2. Take a flared 5.7 groove/chimney above the belay, or climb a thin 5.9 crack just right (recommended) and step into the groove. Follow as it gets easier and easier to the summit.

One of the finest moderate boulder problems of the hundreds of classics on Lumpy Ridge.  Hike up the Twin Owls Trail and after the second switchback look left for a group of boulders right off the trail.  The first has an obvious cave (Sapp V9) with Hungry Man starting on the south east corner (see chock).  Start this steep problem on the left on a long, juggy rail.  Head up and right making a few powerful moves to link the first rail with a second, higher rail with smaller grips.  Crank along this feature to the center of the boulder where a last, desperate throw takes you up to an an easy top-out.

This fine pitch is on the east face of the Twin Owls. 30 feet right of the base of the

East Ridge

is a very obvious, wide chimney. This is Turn, Turn, Turn - 5.7. The next continuous crack system to the right is Switch Cracks - 5.8. Switch Cracks bails left onto Turn, Turn, Turn after 70 feet while Rather Fight Than switch continues up the crack system through the obvious roof above. There is excellent jamming throughout the entire pitch with some wild, STEEP hands through the final roof. I'd say it's on the burly side of the 10a grade. You can rap from a sling anchor just down and left from the top of the pitch, or continue with another fun pitch of 5.7 or so.

[AKA: Smoke Um If Ya Got UM]

Leave the pitons at home for this one! Located between

West Owl Direct

and

Rattler

. This beautiful crack has gone free at 5.13c, but for the rest of us mere mortals it's still C1. Anaconda is a classic clean aid climb with some overhanging and exposed rock. A must for the aspiring [Lumpy] aid climber.  If you want to try your hand at freeing some of this crack, the second half of the initial crack leading to the roof supposedly goes at 5.10c but looks more [like] 5.ll. and the third pitch (a beautiful roof crack) goes at 5.11 also.

An interesting, old classic up the East Owl, and one of the most reasonable ways to reach the summit.  Hike the Gem Lake trail for 1/4 mile past a large boulder, and take the approach trail leading left to Hen and Chicken/Bowls of the Owls.  The route starts above the Hen and Chicken Buttress, just right of the East Owl's SE corner.

P1-Get on top of a boulder, and take the left-most crack (currently sporting a piton).  Pull around to the left (5.8), and continue up mildly runout, but easier and enjoyable terrain.  Belay on a huge ledge.

P2-surmount a large block, then turn an A-shaped roof (exciting 5.8, tcu or small nut at your feet).  Continue up 5.7 terrain to the top, with intermittent pro.  5.7 variations to the right and left avoid the roof, but they are reputedly quite run-out.

Scramble a ways west to find the descent.

The Pin Route start at the dirty chimney on the north side of Twin Owls. You will see a blocky ramp that traverses to the right. Climb the chimney to the ramp and start the traverse. Keep going past a pin until you run to a 2 pin belay. You can go straight up from here or do a variation

Sky Route

which keeps traversing right past a pin until you must go straight up a right-facing dihedral for 1 to 2 more pitches. Either way, the climbing is VERY exposed and is an unbelievable solo and a superb trad route for the adventurous beginner. Descend via through a tight slot to the

Bowels of the Owls

.

Addendum: There is a somewhat popular variation of P2 called

Sky Route,

5.3, PG-13. From the P1 belay, you continue up the right-angling ramp about 20 feet to where you can move left around a flake. There is an optional belay. You can continue on fun, exposed, longer-reach flakes & scoops, pulling to the top. It is 140 feet if skipping the optional belay.

This is a nice route if you like chimney climbing, if not best to keep your distance.

This climb starts from the big ledge left of Wolfstooth but right of the big rotten cleft bisecting the face.  There are three options for starting which converge below the obvious chimney.  The hand crack on the left is the nicest(5.7), and the low angle, left angling chimney/crack in the center is the easiest.  One can continue the first pitch on up into the chimney but to help communication a belay here may be advisable.  Climb up the steep, classic "boot&butt" chimney past a chockstone to a deep, flat-bottomed cave.  Belay in the cave or on a ledge above on some boulders.  The last lead starts out in a right facing corner and exits early to the face on the right for the easiest passage.

Unlike the Bowels of the Owls, this chimney is quite strenuous and exposed.

After climbing through the hole on the

Tilted Mitten

feature, you will get a view of an orange-ish and lichen splattered face with some discontinuous crack features. Climb right from The Mitten to arrive at a hand rail which offers your first chance for protection. Traverse left on the rail and then pull up into a flake for the first crux. Continue upwards in a slight corner leading to another crux. Once over this, follow a path of least resistance up to the ridge that leads to the base of the left side of the Twin Owls cliff.

The last 11-13 feet of it. Holds become scarce and are tiny. Tiny meaning crystals. Looks great, to my knowledge it's only a project.

Tighter Squeeze is the striking chimney in a left-facing corner to the right of

Twister

and is clearly visible from the approach trail. Rated 5.7 in my old Kimball Lumpy guides, it felt like 5.9 to me following my partner Chuck Graves, except for the pain in my knees, which made it mid-10. Gear is surprisingly good for a chimney climb. This route should be on "The road to 'The road to the

Crack of Fear

'". See the comments under

Twister

for The road to the

COF

.

Approach: From the

Crack of Fear

area, scramble up and right along the base of the crag passing

Twister

until you get to the high point and a flat bench. The obvious chimney is Tighter Squeeze. The thin, horizontal crack running out left of the chimney with a couple of bolts and a pin is the 11d Last Dance, formerly known as the A2 East Wing. If you're near the

East Ridge

, walk left a short distance past a steep face to the bench and the start of the route.

The climb: hand jamming and chimneying lead to a ledge from which you can experience the massive bowels of this chimney. Above is a constriction. Chimney up inside to place a high big cam. We used the #6 Friend here. Drop back down and chimney sideways to the outside edge. Make a move up until you can stem out to some grooves with your back against the edge of the chimney. You can place another big cam here. Up and back into the chimney which is pretty tight "frogging" (as Chuck called it) with good gear in a thin crack. I learned here that jugs don't help much in tight chimneys since you can't lean back to use your feet. You have to ignore the jugs and keep your hands low to push up. At some point here I moved right and out of the chimney rather than persist in abusing myself. The final exciting moves swing around a chockstone to the top.

Getting down: You can continue to the top as for

East Ridge

, or you can scrample right and slightly up to good slings and rings at the top of the Turn, Turn, Turn chimney, just left of

Rather Fight Than Switch

. Since these slings are not permanent anchors, be prepared to go to the top or to rig your own anchor.

This is an impressive route considering when it was first ascended. However, given the amazing Tom Hornbein was involved, it is a bit less surprising. This line ascends an obvious chimney that is one of the biggest features on the South face of Twin Owls. For those unused to squeeze chimneys, this will feel like a sandbag. Just recall when this was first done & with what equipment they had then. It will give you great respect for those who climbed before you.

Hike up the main Twin Owls trail as for the South & East faces of Twins Owls & Hens & Chickens. Before you reach Hen & Chickens you follow a fainter fork in the trail to the left towards the obvious ramp, Roosting Ramp. Pass the ominous

Crack of Fear

and continue left or West. This chimney is just past a large boulder lodged near its base.

For lots of beta:

P1. Pull into the chimney past some large flakes. Move to the deep edge of the large block in the chimney. You can place a mediocre medium hex for mental protection. Highstep on the short, slippery, pigeoned arête without pro until you reach the obvious top of the flake where you can put #1, 2, and/or 3 Camalots. Hand traverse left, step up/flop onto the top of this flat-topped block. Belay. There is a pin at head height left, you can thread a sling through a constriction on the right, and you can clip a fixed wire in a crack to the far right on

Autumn Mist

. Stiff 5.2 (one guidebook) that feels 5.6s, 50 feet. Not belaying here will likely add excessive rope drag. At one point this belay had 2 pins, not any more.

P2. This is the heart of the route. Pull up into the slippery chimney facing left in, gain the top of the flake, then turn right into the chimney. This will be tight for folks of larger girth, like me. Slither, fight, wedge, grunt, and extrude yourself upward. Use decent right foot jams that at times are your only solid holds. Clip a pin. Fight onwards. At one point, this fissure is tight enough that you won't be able to turn a helmeted head, so face inward so you can see your pro. Grab a more-or-less squared off edge near the top of the offending fissure, and flop your feet out left. Freedom! You can create an optional belay below the next pin if you are pooped. Note, you may be able to reach a chained anchor and Fixe rap ring anchor off to the left of the top of the squeeze chimney, if you need to bail (no more fixed rap anchors above). Continue up, clip an upward-driven pin, lieback, pass another pin, and get a good rest above. Interesting climbing with a mix of awkward lieback, face climbing, chimney, and crack gets you to a tunnel under a chockstone. Find a pin that looks like it is driven in rubble and birth yourself into a slightly sloping alcove. There is an ancient bolt on the right wall without a hanger just above the chockstone. Above, possibly a #10 & #11 hex and a large cam can be used for the belay although there are other alternatives. It's a stiff 5.7+ and is approximately 160 feet. Oddly, the lower half of this pitch is reminiscent of the squeeze chimney section on the

Casual Route

, minus the altitude and moisture.

P3. This is the nice pitch. Move down & jump onto the left wall of the widening chimney, and follow a crack upward. Find pleasant, steeper climbing with smaller pro (#3 Camalot or smaller) with great rests. At the top of the crack, move left, pass an ancient bolt with a rusty smash-link, and finish on low angled slabs to the top, 5.7, 195 feet. You can go up the chimney above and pass the chockstone on the left or right but this looks much, much less inviting.

Descend right down the first gully, 4th Class, to the

Bowels of the Owls

.

Parachute Pants is a bit of an obscurity, but it may be worth your time if you happen to be at the base of

Conads

.

Start up the bushy crack on the right side of the buttress. Once the crack peters out, traverse up and left on flared pods. This is the crux and a little runout due to the flared nature of the pods. Once you get through the pods you'll reach a crack that continues up the left side of the buttress and tops out on the roosting ramp below

Wolf's Tooth

.

It is hard to say if this is a first ascent. Some local likely cinched down their headband and cruised these two pitches in a swami belt and cut off jeans back before I was born, but to the best of my knowledge, this portion of the Twin Owls has remained unclimbed at least in the style we did it.

P1. 5.12-. Start up the wide flared crack until you are able to step right into incipient cracks. Follow these cracks up past an undercling flake, and belay in a little alcove.

P2. 5.9+. Follow the finger crack up and right towards the skyline. Continue past flared handcrack, and belay off fins at the top.

This route is dedicated to the late Danny Dresher, a true friend we hold very close to our hearts.

[Edit] Based on Gilletts guidebook, this could be a free variation of an old 5.9 A2 route called Eclipse. Apparently Daly, climbed some version of that route at 11+ (well before I was born). Both appear to be in the general vicinity of the line we did, although the route descriptions don't really add up. I figured I would keep this here for now until there is more verification.

Description

Protection

Routes in Twin Owls