Cathedral Ledge - Diagonal

Looking to add to my repertoire of moderates at Cathedral....

Diagonal on the Mordor Wall

Could one climb toe crack, rap to the base of standard route chimney and figure out the fun from there?

Do many people finish P2 and rap off?

Is P2 fun? Boring? Looks like a long run of 5.4 =)

If I did want a bite of the crux.... MP and Brad White are calling it 8+ but Handren’s book says 9+.... thoughts?

How bad is the crux, sounds like you’re making the business moves well above your gear? Hands? Feet?

Thanks all!

Doing the first two pitches and rapping is a nice moderate outing. The crux used to have a reputation for scary climbing above a tricam plus lots of poison ivy. I’ve never done it.

The full climb is not a moderate route at all.
I climbed it in 1975 and I recall one of the few pieces of gear on the last pitch was a #1 wired hex, placed endwise.
You are basically soloing 5.9 on the crux up there.

Looks  like it has  been recently  scrubbed

Dana, don’t get the comment?

Yeah thought that’s what you were getting at. Unfortunately living in RI, the flattest state in the country, and needing a dog sitter for every opportunity to get out, doesn’t lend itself to the skills improvement trajectory that would make me any more prepared next year...

Might checkout that 5.4 P2 unless anyone has any cautions about the protection rating on that.

Thanks again!

Not 5.4!  5.6, good, worthwhile, and runout. I updated the anchor at the block on top of pitch one several years back, the anchor below the chimney is modern as well.  You'll clip an old (suspect) mid-point anchor halfway through the 5.6 pitch.  Gear is sporadic, both leader and follower should be competent at the grade as the climb traverses quite a bit.

The MP description sucks.  

1) Start as per Toe Crack or Standard Direct.  Move through the belay for Toe Crack and up to a block and bolted anchor on the right.  5.5 or 5.9.

2) Follow the obvious dike past a midpoint anchor on the left until the angle steepens.  160'.  5.6.  Tricams may help.

Have two ropes for the rappel, it's a free-hanging adventure down the Mordor Wall.

LOL thanks Chris! Guess we’ll see what I’m into! Yeah I was pumped at first thinking that 160’ P2 was a crack, but once I realized it was a dike I became more skeptical. We’ll see, maybe check out Standard after Toe Crack or study handren and see if I could also bail atop diagonal p1 from above the block.

Or maybe it’ll be an Endeavor day, who knows...

Also curious if that thing left of Bombardment is fun, read a little about it and forgot... anyway just rambling now

Yes, you can bail from the block.

And no, you shouldn't climb Pleasant Street.  It's filthy.  FILTHY!  If you want an obscure, good moderate, check out Zanzibar at Woodchuck.  

Note:  the first pitch of Pleasant Street is the traditional 5.6R start to Bombardment.

Brad White developed a bunch of stuff at White's Ledge in Albany that might fit the bill too.  Descriptions are all on MP.  

On Endeavor...watch out for the big tree rap/belay anchor at the top of P2 (pretty sure it's P2) Anyway...check the COMMENTS there's discussion that the tree is lose. Can't say for a fact since I haven't been up there in a while, and usually walk off anyway.

Chris - I added your description to Brad White's for Diagonal...hope that's OK.

Tom - not sure exactly what you're looking for, sounds like 2-3 pitch 5.6-5.8's.  Chris is 100% correct on White Ledge in Albany ( "White's Ledge" is in Glen/Bartlett  area and has Endeavor on it, they are 2 different cliffs)   Along those lines there's some nice stuff on Willard-Main Face (as well as Butress#1), Mt Forist in Berlin, Rainbow (although most of the P2's are easy), Table and Hedgehog (if you rap down to the base ) all well-described in Mt Project.  Echo crag over in Franconia is good for cracks and less slab-like climbs.  Secrets of the Notch and/or the new book by Sykes covers that/those area(s) better than MtnPrjct.

Rob, yes.. of course!

Just a note, Bradley White and Brad White are two different guys.  Bradley's MP route descriptions tend to be abstract in nature, while Brad's are more concise.

Bradly put the description for Holts ldge ice on MP. I have climbed there about 500 times and could only figure out one or perhaps 2  of the routes he was trying to describe...  complete and total gibberish

Chris...Yup, I know that well. Matches their personalities.  Climbed once with Bradley just before he left NH for Colorado. At that time he also gave me permission to edit/add-to/revise any of his descriptions.

In any MtnPjct route I try to be clear whether it's "Bradley" or "Brad".  

I was on Endeavor earlier this Summer and didn't notice anything awry with the big tree. One party was anchored to it while we rapped off and it all seemed fine. Pretty sure it was the same tree mentioned on the page for it. Great route if you're looking for some moderate multi on a fine Autumn day! The crux for us was sticking on the trail and actually getting there, we finally gave up and shwacked it and ended up high and left and crossed a steep gully to land us at the toe of the cliff. Some folks reported better luck cutting over from the Mt Stanton trail to lookers right? Either way the climb's a grand ol time.

There's also some good moderate climbing over at Sundown's Lost Horizon and the Perfect Wave is great for moderate slabs (though I've only done Tsunami it was fun and the rest of the face seems similar). Lastly I remember Mt Willard having some moderate but somewhat adventuresome slabs if you want to do something off the beaten path a little. Also have you been up the Eaglet? Coming from RI it's a straight shot up 93 and pretty easy climbing to a stellar spot.

If you're really hankerin for Cathedral have you been on Pine Tree? It's sandbagged at 5.8 but protects well and is super easy to build a top rope on. The Saigons are a fun two pitches as well. Couple committing moves but I thought it was fair for the grade. 

Hey All, thank you so much for all the feedback, and yes all the recommendations noted, I will need to look into! Have heard many mention White Ledge and will be looking into there, also Woodchuck, and also had Inferno on WH southern buttress mentioned?

Basically, my deal is, staying with a large group next weekend in N. Conway, have a follower each day that I'm supposed to show a good time. Thinking that we should be doing something big-wall (ish), but I've not done too much. (already did FH-UR and ABB-Bombard-BL-UR this year). Am strongly looking at Thin Air - PTE, because I love PTE so much, but not sure if I want to do crowds on the weekend.

Maybe goto Thin Air face and decide between TA-PTE or Saigons or Toe Crack to Standard....

I'm a crack addict and usually slab averse so that plays into my decisions a little. Realistically searching for proximity to NC, 5.8 crack multipitch or 5.7 other multipitch. I should probably push my comfort level and go get on Saigons.... probably about time.

Also thinking of repeating Endeavor because I did P1 (P1/P2 combined) then the next headwall P2 and then missed the money crack.... DOH!!!

And lastly... not that this will get anywhere from tucked into this forum, but I also on Endeavor last year and saw no issues with rap trees. Have discussed with many other climbers and they also saw no concern?! Anyway....