Pear Buttress (The Book)
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Layton Kor's classic line up The Book — widely called the best 5.8 on Lumpy Ridge and one of its most sought-after routes, mixing a thin slab/face start with laybacks and hand jams on clean granite before a memorable Cave/roof finish. Mountain Project lists it 5.8 Grade II (top pitch has a 5.9- variation, hence the common 5.8+ tag).
🥾 Approach · descent · season
Approach: From the main Lumpy Ridge Trailhead off Devils Gulch Rd (the old Twin Owls lot), take the west trail past the trailhead area (~0.6 mi over a rise), then ~1 flatter mile to a right turnoff for The Book. ~2 mi, ~45-60 min to the base. Take the right-hand branch just before the rock; route starts at a clean right-facing flake just right of a broken area where the trail ends.
⬇️ Descent: From the top, wander easily to the Cave area and pick an exit (Hurley Traverse or the Cave). Scramble east out a narrow exposed ledge to its end, then downclimb a groove or do a short rappel from a tree; continue down 3rd/4th-class grooves back to walking terrain and the approach trail. Rappel anchors also exist lower on the route (e.g. atop pitch 2) for bailing.
🗓️ Season: Late spring through fall (May-Oct) is prime; dry south-facing rock can go on warm winter days. NOTE: The Book is subject to seasonal raptor (peregrine) nesting closures, typically spring into mid-summer — verify the current RMNP/Lumpy Ridge closure before going.
🎒 Gear & food
Rack: Standard single rack to ~3 in; extra mid-sized cams helpful but not required; a few nuts and alpine draws.
✅ Before you leave the trailhead
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⚠️ Hazards · fire · emergency
- Strenuous, awkward upper-pitch finish (Cave roof / Hurley Traverse) that climbs harder than its grade; runout-ish 5.7R face lower down; afternoon thunderstorms common on the exposed ridge — start early.
🌤️ Live conditions
Auto-updated 12h ago · °F · tap a link for the mountain-specific picture ↓
🏔️ Avalanche zone: CAIC zone — no rating · forecast page
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