Arrow 

This is a spectacular route! Onsighting it was the highlight of my 07 Gunks trip.

Can anyone give an definitive answer to this question: Left or Right at the final bolt? To the right feels easier to me, but maybe I'm missing the "key crimp" when I make the move to the left...

If you go slightly left of the final bolt, there is key crimp. If I remember correctly, you mantle and rock up for a long reach with the right hand. You can see the crimp in the first photo on this page. It is directly under the rope.

When I led it, I went right; if I recall correctly, I found a small sidepull to the right and rocked up on that to reach the ledge. Since I haven't made the move to the left that Guy describes, I can't say which is harder.

Afterward, I did ask Richard Goldstone (my partner for the day) if I'd been off route by going right. He told me he and some other long-time Gunks climbers got on Arrow one day to see how many different ways there were to make the crux move; they came up with 26. Heh!

JL

Great route! Just did it 3 days ago. The crux at the final bolt took me four tries. I tried the left twice and didn't make it, then went over to the right and checked out the moves there. The chest high bulge made it feel awkward. The left seemed to me like the only choice, most likely because it's one of the hardest things I've climbed. I put my left hand on the "potato chip," my right hand on the low crimper and my right toe on a little knee-high chip and levered up, lifting my left foot up to a small slopey ramp, then slapping my right hand high for an edge. Then I could bring my right foot up to a solid, almost palm-sized ledge and I was home. Great.

Left of the bolt gives you the full 5.8 grade. Right of the bolt is a bit easier.

Trust your feet !

By "full 5.8 grade," do you mean solid 5.10?

To the right of the bolt is 5.8. To the left is 5.8 Gunks. ;-) Cheating beta for left move... Bring your right foot up almost directly below the bolt where there is a small foot placement. Mantle off your left hand which is palm down on the obvious hold to your left. Squirm up and reach the crimper with your right hand.

Brian is right. The key foothold definetly makes the difference. You can't totally see it once you commit to the crimp but if you miss it this climb will feel grades harder.

I spent what felt like an eternity shuffling back and forth across that small ledge trying to decide which side of the bolt to pull the move on...classic!

Left of the bolt is where the original route went. I've climbed that a few different ways. I think they are all 5.9, and no one would even think twice about calling them 5.9 if the bolt was ten feet below the move rather than in top-rope position. But the difficulty really does boil down to a single move.

This is one of many examples of the persistence of historical grading at the Gunks---the Arrow started out at 5.8 and that's where it stayed. Art Gran, in the first Gunks guide, seemed to have a bit of a thing about assigning high grades to routes done by climbers he didn't think were "good enough" to climb at that level; grading by climber rather than by intrinsic difficulty. The most famous example of this is a short, poorly protected lead called Jacob's Ladder (led by Phil Jacobus way back in the day; you could probably count the onsight leads in the intervening fifty years on one hand). Gran fell off on a top rope but still rated it 5.8 because that was his judgment of Phil's "ability." Enough good climbers fell off on top-ropes that that particular historical grade did not persist; the route is now understood to be 5.10.

Gran seemed to have it in for Willy Crowther, who made the first ascent of the Arrow, so 5.8 it was, and 5.8 it remains. With a top rope from the bolt, it really doesn't matter too much what the rating is.

Enjoy.

I linked both pitches with a 60m and rapped once with 60m doubles. Pretty cruiser not much gear needed.

Way overrated. Three Stars for the first pitch, two for the second.

Don't plan on aiding past the bolt or relying on it for a top rope. Climbed the route today and saw TWO bolts total. This and the Dick Williams guide both seem to suggest there are three. The bolt at the crux is completely rusted, protruding, and the hanger spins freely. I paced back and forth on that ledge for quite a while before pulling through on the left for the onsight.

Really awesome climb though. Just don't test that bolt.

Both of my seconds opted for right of the bolt after much consternation. I went to the left and didn't feel like it was too bad.

Note to 6-footers and up, you can reach the key crimp from the rest where you clip the bolt, though it'll be a stretch. Once you've found a comfortable hold for your right foot, it's not too much of a problem to move up to the jug above.

I don't recall three bolts; I remember a piton, then two bolts before the anchors. There is a fairly long (20' ?) runout a little after the roof but before the piton, though it is only 5.5-5.6 terrain. There are two good spots for pro above the roof but after that is the runout.

Fun to do at night with a headlamp!

I love this climb! I think it's really rated what it is for just the one move by the final bolt, and the climb gets easier towards the right of it, but is more fun on the left. The rest of the climb is smooth, and wayyy easier. If you're anything like me (slighter built female), you're more likely to have a harder time with say a sustained 5.6 like the second pitch of High E, than to struggle too much with this. That's not to say it isn't a tricky move!

Great line. Did the same thing AntinJ did...back and forth between the two options and finally settling on the left side. I'm 5'6" and this was a somewhat balancy and reachy move for me. Feet were the key...got 'em up as soon as possible. My 6' friend has no trouble reaching the upper crimp without much effort...SOB! :-)