Not just my favorite climb in the east, but one of my favorites anywhere. Beautiful, sustained, well-protected, exposed climbing. CLASSIC. The route is located in the big wall section (middle-left) of the cliff. The route starts under the right end of the 200' wide roof feature half way up the cliff. P1. Up slabby corner to top of buttress. 100' 5.7. Hope you are warmed up by this point because the climbing is hard from here on out. P2. Work right up right-leaning dihedral to awkward mantle back to the left and up ramp. Turn back right again and get into the business - undercling an overlap to a right facing corner continue up to a bolt belay. 120' 5.10+ P3. Hard moves off the belay into the next corner, follow through and overlap (takes orange metolius). The book calls this 5.10+ and the alternative undercling to the right a 5.10, though I find the direct route easier. 130', 5.10+ P4. Climb rotten rock to a bolt, move left to a rt-facing and the face w/ a bolt. Face climb to a corner (very difficult when wet) to bolt belay. 120' 5.9 (mentally hard). P5. Hard friction off the anchor (5.11), or right then up (5.10R). Continue past face traversing left to shallow dihedral and slabs w/a small overlap. 5.11 P6. Climb through blocky headwall, moving right then up a shallow lt-facing corner to slabs. Continue w/poor protection to the cow's mouth. P7. Hard, wild undercling out the right side of the roof (there are great holds above the lip - have faith). 5.10+ P8and9) easy slabs to summit.
Location
In the big wall section in the middle of the cliff. Starts about 50' left of a huge roof that is about 80' off the ground on the right edge of the big wall section.
Protection
I don't recall needing a #3, but it would be good to bring at least one. Small to medium nut placements abound. Wires and an orange metolius are critical for the third pitch.
The third pitch is unbelievable, as in so good it might make you want to cry. As is the rest of the climb, actually. The climbing afterward gets really interesting. More "interesting" than the more straightforward lower pitches, if you catch my drift. Question: The pitch below the Cow's Mouth - does the regular route go to the right or the left of the big spike? I believe guidebooks are inconsistent on this point. Also, is it just me, or does the "ledge" at the belay for this particular pitch not seem extremely prone to exfoliation? One thing the climb doesn't have: spacious ledges. If you want that, then climb the Moby Grape.
P6. Climb through blocky headwall, moving right then up a shallow lt-facing corner to slabs. Continue w/poor protection to the cow's mouth.
The description from Rock Climbing New England (S. Green) Pitch 6: A long, scary lead with dubious protection and tricky crux. Surmount a steep headwall (5.10) and climb a left-facing corner to easier slabs above to belay in the Cow’s Mouth.
Can you give me beta on the "scary lead with dubious protection" Any recent Beta???
On P6 we climbed right from belay under roof and up a short left facing corner, two not great pins here and nothing else I could find. Next traverse left a bit and clip another pin just over lip and over into shallow right facing corner. This section is hard and daring. Next move up and right heading towards the right side of a massive tottering pillar which seems like it should fall off any moment now. Gear is challenging through this section and we tried to stay off the pillar as much as possible. From even with the pillar go up and right to the belay in left side of cow's mouth.
Note that the climbing after the 5.11 slab moves on P5 is engaging with not the best gear. 5 and 6 are heady pitches.
Also, we did two full rope length pitches directly above the cow's mouth and they were challenging with long runouts, route finding, wet slippery mossy sections, grass hummock clawing....oh and lots black flies. Not the "easy slabs" we were expecting.
Keep right through the krumholtz along the top of cliff and look for the big square "heli pad", a good trail passes along the south/east corner of it which leads down around to the base.
This is a hard route and is not the place for the average 5.10 leader.
We did the first four pitches yesterday with the straight up variation on the third pitch. The route is fantastic. Beautiful thin crack and corner climbing. We had 2 ropes for rappelling, but it looked to me like a single 70M rope would get you down. Bring RP's and wires and many finger sized cams. I don't think that we placed anything bigger than a green Camalot on the route.
RSS Feed
