Wigglin' Fingies is an athletic 5.12 with steep underclinging and insecure slab climbing combining into a tenuous and unrelenting pitch.  A bolted anchor at 25 meters makes for an easy top-rope on this and the neighboring Screamin' Eagles.

Wigglin' Fingies  5.12a/b

Bookmark Formation, Lumpy Ridge

First Ascent: Eli Helmuth and Chris Weidner, May 2003. 

The east face of the Bookmark Pinnacle contains the routes Wigglin' and Screamin'.  Here Chris Weidner cranks the opening 5.11 crack moves on Wigglin' on a redpoint attempt.

Description: 

Wigglin' Fingies' was established top-down when it was cleaned and bolted and then redpointed after successive attempts on lead.  A dyno was thrown at the second bolt on the FA while starting to fall-off.

The route was named in honor of our friend Bruce Andrews who died in May of 2003 along with his client and the pilot of the Cessna which crashed on it's way into the Kahiltna Glacier on Denali.  Bruce loved to go "Wigglin" (skiing) and was always up for getting some "Fingies" (crack climbing) done and we did this route while thinking of our friend.

                         Lynn Hill jamming the initial crack sequence.

Approach: 

From the Lumpy Ridge parking lot, follow the new trail west over the small pass then down to the original parking lot which has been replanted and for a total of 2 miles total to the turn-off which is well signed for the Book, Bookend, and Bookmark formations up the hill.

After about 100 yards up the hill, another trail junction will be encountered, right to the Book and left to the Bookmark, Left Book and Bookend.  Take the RIGHT turn here and continue up to the base of the cliff which is the Tombstone.  Stay left here and traverse under the route Osirus (7) and then past King Tut (11b) before traversing down and across a slab at the end to reach the grotto which seperates the Boomark Pinnacle from the cliff behind.  Establish the belayer around to the left off of a cam anchor (larger ones work well here).

Pitch 1

The initial move into the crack is mid 11 but takes gear well (small cams) until just below the first bolt which is a bit run-out but not as difficult.  After clipping the first bolt, move into a stem rest and get the cams ready for plugging into the undercling (11) before the next two bolts protecting the first crux.

                                           Lynn milking the stem rest

                                        Lynn underclinging up to the slab

After clipping the first bolt, step left of the crack and make a few tenuous moves left (including clipping the second bolt) to reach a big horn and a ledge which provides a nice foot rest before the final slab.

                                    Lynn chilling out in the first crux section.

The final slab is tenuous and probably the crux of the route (12b) but well bolted so as to hopefully prevent any ankle twisting type falls.

                            Eli on the slab crux on the FA

Descent

Two bolts with steel chains exist at the top of this pitch and a lower-off can be easily set-up to reach the safe ground inside the grotto.  25 meters from top to bottom.

Gear Beta:

A small rack with quickdraws for 6 bolts and potentially 5-7 other pieces between #0 C3 and a .5 camalot.  No RP's are necessary although a few small nuts may be helpful on the initial crack and undercling sections.