Adirondack Slabs - TR or Sport?

hey there, looking for some suggestions for slabs that i can toprope and/or sport climb in the ADKs. have been working my way up through the grades at the gunks, and looking to familiarize myself w/proper slab climbing before jumping on some of the more committing trad routes up there. 

thanks! 

kyle

Proper slabs tend to be sparsely bolted. Even a newly developed place like Crane is going to feel heady to a beginner. I’d recommend going to Whitestone in CT for a day for easy access TR slabbing.

just go lead  chapple pond slab. its dead easy then do little finger. well protected for slab. thats how we learned. 

Almost sport—my recollection is that several of the routes at Shangri-La at Potter Mountain are either fully-bolted or only require a couple of easy-to-place pieces of gear and are relatively ‘slabby’ ( folks have different definitions of ‘slab’). All are very high quality climbs.

At the opposite end of the mountains, as mentioned above, Crane Mountain, has quite a few good slabby pitches. While I agree that many of those pitches are quite run-out, the nature of the place ( with multiple tiers of rock) is that it is often possible to either scramble around or do an easier pitch, then drop a TR for some of the harder, less well-protected slabs.

I also agree with Nick that working your way up by leading easier slab routes is the ‘tried and true’ method, through which many of us learned ( though I also had the ‘advantage’ of being able to TR hard slab at Quincy Quarries as a supplement). I can add Catharsis on the Poko Slab as another excellent easier slab route—maybe not always super well-protected but very enjoyable, secure feeling, and straightforward climbing—one of my all-time favorites.

I always thought that a day at rogers rock improved my foot work for the entire season.  Little finger with the direct finish is the best protected line there. screaming matrix perhaps the best route.. 

Maybe Let Sleeping Bats Lie / Sleeping Bats Fly at Sunshine City is what you're looking for. True slab, a few bolts and a fixed anchor at the top. When you're done, clip some bolts the rest of the day around the corner. 

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/119767344/sleeping-bats-fly

Yakapodu at the Barkeater is very well protected and would be a nice pitch as well. 

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/106049555/yakapodu

great, thanks everyone for the recs!

Crane has many slab routes that you can TR. Are there particular grades you're looking for?

Sunshine City crag! Freak gasoline fight is one to get on.

Scott H wrote:

Crane has many slab routes that you can TR. Are there particular grades you're looking for?

great thanks for the rec! trying to get a handle on what an ADK 5.5-5.7 slab route is like, but happy to climb up to 5.9/5.10 on TR. looking into Crane now

Scott H wrote:

Crane has many slab routes that you can TR. Are there particular grades you're looking for?

would love any recs for routes to try, especially ones with somewhat straightforward TR setups. i've got 120 ft static and rack, but i know sometimes getting to/arranging TR anchors can be pretty silly

Kyle Turgeon wrote:

would love any recs for routes to try, especially ones with somewhat straightforward TR setups. i've got 120 ft static and rack, but i know sometimes getting to/arranging TR anchors can be pretty silly

Belleview Slab is very easy to setup TRs on. Some of the Measles Walls are reasonably easy. 

Ripples 11a is a good sportish slab. Has 3 bolts on the crux and is like r/x 5.5 at the top. 

I'd also recommend the sport routes of sunshine city.  The start of WMP (and Freak Gasoline Fight) has a similar vibe to a lot of slabby starts at the gunks.

Ray Murphy wrote:

I'd also recommend the sport routes of sunshine city.  The start of WMP (and Freak Gasoline Fight) has a similar vibe to a lot of slabby starts at the gunks.

The first bolt on those routes is a good candidate for a stick clip IMO.