[TR] Olympic Peninsula--"Sore Thumb" - Lumpy Gravy 9/23/2007

[Sherri]

Trip: Olympic Peninsula--Sore Thumb - "Lumpy Gravy" route

 

Date: 9/23/2007

 

Trip Report:

Wanting to capitalize on the beautiful fall weather and do some cragging far from the weekend crowds, "k.rose" introduced me to this local gem yesterday.

 

Jutting out of a thin ridge, at the end of a forest road off Hwy 101 about 30 miles west of Port Angleles, "Sore Thumb" is hard to miss. Sticks out like a ...

 

 

 

Since much of our local cragging is in dark, hole-in-the-dirt settings, it was a real treat to be perched up there on the ridge, with the sun beaming on the rocks and on us.

View from top of Sore Thumb, looking back at where we parked the truck.

 

 

Kevin at the base of "Lumpy Gravy".

 

Belay station with alpine ambience.

 

 

Kevin led us up the three 80-90ft pitches of the route (5.9, 5.8, 5.6 respectively). The face moves were fun and exposed, the conglomerate/basalt-like rock had a nice, grippy texture. Most holds were solid, but we still had to be careful about loose rocks here and there, and the views from the top were breathtaking.

 

 

Thanks, Kevin, for a great day and a great climb!

 

 

For detailed beta and directions, check out "Olympic Mountains: A Climbing Guide." The local bookstores stock it, as well as REI.

 

Gear Notes:

Set of quickdraws, 60m rope

[Alex]

Hey thats really cool, nice to see something new and different!

[Sherri]

Thanks, Alex. It was a nice change for us, too. Felt like we had the top of the world all to ourselves.

[rob]

Nice!

 

Sounds like the rock wasn't too bad. I was surprised by the massive quantity of absolutely shitty rock in the Baileys. Talk about rubble!

[Sherri]

You could see plenty of fractures throughout it, but the climb followed a pretty solid line. The loose stuff was mostly on the larger ledges and in the dihedral on the third pitch. It didn't detract from the quality or enjoyment of the climbs--just added to the "alpine ambience" of the route. (The belay stations are well-placed for protection from rockfall.)

 

A recommended adventure if you're in the neighborhood!

 

 

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Nice, I've been meaning to hit that area one of these days when I'm out there with nothing better to do. It's good to see pics of it.