Smuggs question - link ups

I haven't been to smuggs and am going for the first time in Sunday.
My question:
Can the driving force climbs be easily linked up? Meaning: can one climb driving force, then terror Tory, then blue ice bulge?
If so, what's the descent?

I would not bother with the two mouse farts. hike up to BIB and do that and Blind Fate if you feel the need for more than one climb. regardless of what the book says they are generaly both grade 4ish.

Cool, thanks.
I don't think I am up to leading blue room, but Dave's should be workable.

Smuggs is practically my backyard and there are a ton of fun link-ups you can do once you know the area well enough. What grade are you comfortable leading and that might be an easier way to get you some info on link-ups to consider.

Sam's suggestion of the South Wall area is good (Blue Room, Dave's Snotcicle, Doug's Route) but if you're not up for leading easy 4's you're really only left with Dave's and with the south facing aspect and crazy weather patterns we've been having (extreme cold and then heavy rain) you can expect a very funky top layer/crust on this climb starting off; there typically is. There are some other side flows that form next to Blue Room and above blue room but they're usually only half a rope length and WI3-ish.

Depending on what side of the Notch your coming in from and to get a full tour of what Smuggs can offer. Another good full 'tour of the Notch' could be: Hike in from Stowe all the way to Jeff's Slide (WI3) climb 2 pitches & walk off, go climb ENT Gully (2-3pitches WI3-) and rap the route, go to Grand Confusion WI3+/4- (1 pitch) and rap or walk off left to Easy Gully (instead of Grand Confusion you could climb the left side of the Playground 1-pitch WI3 and rap), after one of these routes start heading back towards Stowe and climb Terror-Tory (WI3-/3+) and rap then back out to the cars.

All these routes are relatively close to the road with 5-20 min approaches. This could get you a decent amount of climbing and several distinctly different climbs and could be achieved by a fast and dialed party in a day. You'll also get a chance to walk through the Notch itself and see some of the bigger walls and routes higher up and this will plant the seed for your next trip back ;)

If your looking for more of an alpine style day then there are some other link-ups that you could be pointed too.

Nick's mention of Blue Ice Bulge and Blind Fate is a fun link-up but it's solid 4 with a bit of an approach. Easier to do would be Blind Fate and Norton Gibney as they are right next to each other and in the same gully system.

Let me know if you've got questions or need more specific beta, happy to help.

And for whatever you decide to do in Smuggs this weekend, have fun!

Blind fate and Norton might be less walking but it shure as heck ain't easier! count yourself in the lucky and skilled few if you get up Norton ;)

Every time I have been on Blue room it has been solid 4+ granted that has usually been fairly early season but I have also hiked by numerous times and never seen the 3+ that is in the book.....

I lead 3/3+
The other question is time. I only have 5 hours on Sunday.
Coming in from the south.
Tfarr3 - any suggestions with those parameters?

While we've got a bunch of Smuggs regulars here, could some of you populate a few more routes on MP?

It will be very appreciated by all!

Elephant head gully would be ok if you are fast. jeffs slide has shorter approach

If time is an issue, I'd check out the Driving Force area. There are two amphitheaters which have two good lines each. Grades are in the 3-4 range and the approach is quite short from the Stowe side of the notch. But that's just my $0.02

dosent give you much of a smuggs feel though.. hike fast do a real climb and beg forgiveness for being a tad late on the return;)

That's my plan, Nick.

EHG with those parameters is a good bet to get a feel of Smuggs. Just hope for warmer temps and low wind. That gully can be brutal on a cold day with wind and I avoid it like the plague on those days. Expect about a 45-1 hour approach to it's base from Stowe.

If there is someone in it when you get to it, you could do a line on Watership Down and rap, then an easy variation on Intelligence Bypass and rap. This keep you on ice that's South facing with pretty good views of the Notch up and out of the tree's.

If you do go for EHG, before the hard dogleg left and onto the steeper ice there are a set of bolts on the right wall. Folks get suckered into belaying from here. If you do the climber will likely be bombing the belayer with ice. I only use these bolts for the rap and I usually go a little higher up or build an anchor over left finding a spot out of the way of falling ice.

Awesome, thanks.
To clarify: is the 45-1hr to the base of the climb, or to the base of the approach off the road?

Elephant head turnoff from the road is 1.6 miles from the Stowe gate.