Moby Grape

"alpine rock rack"? i was pleased to have a double set of cams, including blue aliens, and if you're not solid on straight-in hands and wide hands then youll want extra #2 and #3 camalots.

great route. every pitch was interesting and it was climbing all the way to the top. double ropes are great on this route. Sep 8, 2007

I went lighter in Reppy's and found that there were many constrictions that would take big hexs. Oct 16, 2007

Got on this one today after a couple years and man it was a blast! what a great route with memorable climbing on almost every pitch...

i had heard that there was a scramble off to the north after the Finger pitch... i had done the normal finish a couple times so i tryed the scramble today... got a little lost (and found a few nice pitches) but no easy scramble to the right... anyone know if it exists or if i was just sand bagged? May 4, 2009

well :) today was my first experience of cannon and it was on this route... wow what an eye opening experience! WAY different than any trad i have done before and deffinately more heroing :) but all in all it was a blast :) despite how i may have sounded lee :) cant wait for my next cannon adventure.... and thats exactly what it was .... an adventure :) May 4, 2009

Climbed this yesterday and Reppy's is my new favorite pitch. I felt like a single #3 Camalot would have been sufficient and the #3.5/4 was only really useful below the Finger. There's lots of small constrictions in Reppy's where other gear can be used.

There was some fresh rockfall just left of Reppy's. Art Mooney told my partner that it came off the original start in the last few days and may have altered that pitch significantly. Aug 15, 2009

Climbed the Grape yesterday. It is an amazing route, and Reppy's is possibly my favorite pitch led to date! MG is the gift that keeps on giving! Highly recommended. Aug 27, 2009

After exiting the P6 roof, aka "The Cave"; instead of heading up right to finish, finish on Kurt's Corner. The base of its left-facing dihedral will be directly overhead. It is clearly visible to the left of the finish marked in the very nice topo photo.

Just do it! As my partner said to me yesterday at the top after finishing it, "Such a great finish lifts the entire quality of an already high quality climb." I heartily agreed! Aug 29, 2009

Amazing, I have moved this to #1, 5.8 on my list! Aug 7, 2010

Wow. My first Alpine style experience and we had the entire line to ourselves over the October long weekend. Great climb with wild stuff almost the whole way. The step down to the hanging flake off the anchors on the Finger pitch was airy!

Only thing to add is that I'm a 5.8 crag leader and this was a climb a bit over my head. I had to give almost all pitches to my stronger partner for the sake of speed. If this is your limit you might consider doing it in the summer when the days are longer. Oct 12, 2010

Re the Kurt's Corner finish: This was originally done by Phil Koch and partner (whose name I don't know) sometime in the 1970's. Phil took me up it in summer/fall of 1980, and told me about his first ascent of it (which was free), which had taken place some years prior. (I think the current guidebook lists the FA as latter 1980's? I don't have it on me as I write this.) Jun 24, 2011

John -- Jon Sykes' guide notes Kurt Winkler and John Colebaugh 10/86 as the FA. I will point Jamie Cunningham to your post. Jon apparently doesn't do too much "web surfing". Jon is working on a new guide I believe to be called "Secrets of the Notches" to update development in Franconia Notch and the development of several areas up in Kinsman Notch over the last number of years. Would be an opportunity to correct the attribution as warranted based upon your comment. --- Bill Jun 25, 2011

First pitch didn't go with only a single set of 1-3 C4s. figured it was a good sign of things to come, so saving the route until a few more mid sized C4s are purchased. Great first pitch though, hope the rest of the route is as quality! Jul 20, 2011

This route has variety, is sustained, and is steep in a few spots.
I love it.
It's wild. Conditions can change your experience drastically...
for example, last saturday my partner and I got caught behind two groups of 3. We showed up at 10:30 because it had rained the night before and the notch was socked in. The first group of 3 had arrived at 7:30 and we saw them on the 3rd pitch (at the triangle) on the approach. By the time we were at the end of the 3rd pitch we had caught up to them! The last of their group was at the anchor and the second group of 3 was waiting.

Long story short, we ended up climbing the last pitch (including the cruxy-run-out-soaking-wet slab) in the pitch dark.
So did the pair behind us. Good for looking at the stars, not as good for climbing and finding the trail down.
(should have climbed the corner but my route description didn't show that)

Here's a picture of the log jam before the last pitch:

Aug 4, 2011

yuck! i hate waiting... i would have rapped and done a few other routes instead... glad you made it down safe! Aug 4, 2011

Very nice. I finally finished yesterday on my 4th attempt (1st attempt bailed at the top of Reppy's due to a rescue happening above; 2nd attempt bailed due to thunderstorms at the top of the triangular roof; 3rd attempt bailed because my partner could not push the roof despite his best efforts).

Took a fall on pitch 5/6 (Jay, perhaps you could fix the description from "classic cannon rockaneering"... Jon Sykes' book gives a little better idea) at the fixed pink tricam before the weird move out of the cave and up over the bulge to the belay. Not knowing where the route led, I tried to follow some smudgy chalk lines that went up left from the cave up the dihedral slabby corner. My feet peeled, and I dropped down to the ledge 15 feet below, my left foot hitting the ledge and having just enough rope to absorb the impact of the rest of my body. I immediately got up and figured out the awkward exit out right of the cave. The final pitch and a half was nicer climbing than I anticipated.

Highly recommended, and definitely will repeat. Sep 12, 2011

My partner and I climbed this route yesterday. We were expecting to rap down off the fourth pitch but were enjoying it too much to stop. This lead to an uncomfortable hike down in our climbing shoes but I'm glad I did the whole route.

We climbed the corner variation as described in the Northeast Select Climbs book by Lewis and Horowitz. The corner was good fun and I recommend it. Rather than heading right after the chimney/cave head straight up and set the belay just below a left facing corner. From here we headed up the corner and onto slabby terrain above.

Caution! I used all 70m of my rope and just barely got to a stance where I could put in a few marginal pieces and belay my partner up (right side of slab). I ran out probably 70ft of slab with only a dead tree as mental pro. Wet moss and slab made things even more spicy. Doing it again I would set a belay after the corner at the most convenient spot then do the run out on the slab. That would give enough rope to set a better belay.

Descent: If doing the corner variation you'll end up near some cables we thought were Old Man remnants. This turned out to be untrue. Walk more or less downhill and north. Aim for a rectangular foundation like structure you'll be able to see from where you topped out. There are some faint trails but you'll have to bushwhack a bit. In the process of heading towards this foundation structure you'll pick up on the well used standard descent trail and the waterslide which brings you to the actual Old Man remnants.

My partner and I split while on the descent trail so he could pick up our bags we left at the bottom. There was an obvious branch in the trail, but it dwindled quickly. To the right will bring you to the base of the cliff, but only after some easy 5th class downclimbing according to my partner. Sep 29, 2011

Are all the anchors fixed on this route? Jun 2, 2012

No, it is usually possible to rap off after the first 4 pitches without leaving gear. The rap station at the top of the Triangle Roof (4th) is a thread behind a piece of shit flake. You should plan on building all of your own anchors. Jun 25, 2012

I'll second the 'climb the Kurt's Corner variation'. Very Beautiful dihedral. After the dihedral, head right to find some gear to belay off of. Aug 29, 2012

I set up that rap in 2011 and it was not a shit flake. It fit in all the right places and is made of the highest quality pink Conway granite. Why the sling has stayed I don't know, it was booty. That fat rock horn lower right that is bigger and brownish is risky business to rappel off of or crap in my opinion. I believe size and thickness are not as important as physicality and rock composition. Dec 11, 2012

The original first pitch is much more varied and thoughtful than Reppys.....and a good way to pass slow parties. Def a grade harder than Reppys. Do it in one long pitch to the top of the buttress. Jun 29, 2013

If you do the first pitch variation be aware that the rock quality is less than good in a few places which is inconsistent with the rest of the route. There was a significant rock fall on the original start in 2009 injuring the climber. Jun 30, 2013

Did this route 2 days ago, and really enjoyed every pitch. We went up to the finger of fate and decided to rap from there, threading a flake and leaving a nut at the belay above the finger. Stuart Green's guidebook recommends doing this to avoid the lesser quality upper pitches.

While pulling our ropes, one got super stuck in the area of broken rock above the triangular roof. I yarded on it maybe a little too hard and dislodged a rock the size of a 60" flat screen TV which missed us by a few yards.

Rappelling this route should be done with EXTREME CAUTION. Jul 28, 2013

Yikes! Glad you and anyone else who might have been around is OK!

Regarding the Greene guide's advice to rap off, next time you go, disregard it entirely. The pitches above the Finger are for the most part high quality, provided you get the route finding right.

The boulder-problem pitch (next after the Finger) is OK, if not great, and certainly not a reason to retreat. It's actually pretty fun.

The pitch after the boulder problem is fantastic, with a great combination of delicate face and wild, steep stems and jams on excellent granite. The belay is spectacular as well.

That leaves you with the traditional finishing pitches up and right, which are quite good, or the outstanding Kurt's Corner variation finish which is arguably the best pitch of the entire route.

Go finish this sucker! Jul 29, 2013

This is such a great climb! I'll admit that it took three times up Cannon - once on the Whitney G, once seconding Moby Grape, and then this third time leading it - to feel relaxed enough to have type one fun on the cliff. I'm now itching to hit it again.

We were a bit tired after the Finger pitch and took the beta about bailing off to the right up the Conn Dike. I'm not certain how this counts as bailing: over a hundred feet of scrambling up unprotectable and questionable rock, followed by a long, dirty pitch of actual 5.7/5.8 climbing (maybe I missed an easier line?). Point of all this is that, even when tired, it would have been better just to finish the actual route, which is becoming a recurring theme in these comments.

Also: there always seems to be an abandoned blue #3 Camalot in one of the main crack lines. The beta on this page calls Reppy's a #3 or #3.5 crack, but #2 seems to be much more appropriate. If you're a beginning leader, reach for a #2 before overcamming and offering up a #3 to the Moby Grape gods. Aug 22, 2013

I agree with Brett - Reppy's takes #2 Camalots/C4s (possibly equivalent to #3 Friends?). And to reiterate what others have mentioned - the clean slab directly above Kurt's Corner has no pro. Best to escape right unless runout slab sounds appealing. Sep 9, 2013

While it's true that the clean slab above Kurt's has no pro, it's also true that it isn't even 5th class... Sep 10, 2013

(updated Sep. 2015)

A stellar route! Every pitch is good and the difficulty is remarkably consistent. If you have a weakness (crack, slab, layback, roof), this route will find it.

I read a lot of bitching about the MP beta so we compared it with Chauvin's as we climbed. Overall, Chauvin's 9 pitch version is better but gets confusing after Pitch 7 because of the options.

We did MG (Kurt's Corner variation) in 9 pitches with 60m doubles. MG can be done in 6 but I wouldn't recommend it unless you've climbed here before. Here are the most useful beta-bits I can offer:

P1: Smaller stuff fits at the start of the pitch but the main part of Reppy's Crack takes #2 (yellow) Camalots almost everywhere (bring multiples). A #3 will fit occasionally. A #4 fits at the pod. Move right around the corner after the top of the crack and up about 30 ft. to bolted anchors. This takes all of a 60m rope.

P2: Since it's hard to see the Triangular Roof from the P1 anchor, it's a good idea to add this 90? ft. pitch so you can watch the leader approach and pull the roof on P3. Chauvin says to move left on 4th class but we took a direct line through a wide crack/mini-chimney (5.7ish). Build a gear anchor or use the webbing around a chockstone below the Triangular Roof.

Warning: a party below us tried to pass on the far left at this point and knocked off a minifridge-size boulder. It bounced over the buttress and exploded on impact at the base. I saw shrapnel spray 100 feet into the talus field. Luckily, no one was down there at the time.

P3: The Triangular Roof may be the most difficult move on the route but protects well. The belay ledge just above has questionable blocks and some loose rock to avoid. The next pitch starts from the right end so we built our anchor there.

P4: From the right end of the ledge, diagonal up right. It's pretty obvious and no nasty surprises. Choose a belay that gives a good view of the Finger of Fate. 125 ft.

P5: Getting to the Finger of Fate (shark fin) is half the fun. First, you have to hand traverse The Sickle, a left-pointing, curved flake below the Finger. It was a lot easier to reach before the tip broke off. We went up the right side of the Finger. Easy but awkward. Consider pulling your pack behind you on a sling. Some thin slab moves above lead to the right side of a big sloping ledge.

Note: We had a lot of trouble hearing each other on P6-7. Plan accordingly.

P6: We moved our belay 40 ft. left and went up the crack. The first 5.8 moves off the ledge are tricky so a solid belay/spot is important. Choose whatever line appeals to you but aim for the base of the distinct left-facing cave/chimney ("huge fallen pillar" on P5 of MP beta). The pro is thin on the slabs leading to the Cave and it's sketchy when wet.

P7: Climb up into the "cave" and place a bomber piece to protect the spicy exit to the right. You'll probably want a piece below but consider back-cleaning it to avoid rope drag. Above the Cave, the traditional route goes right but we wanted the Kurt's Corner variation (the obvious left-facing corner directly above the Cave). To get there requires some zigzagging. It looks hard from below, but holds and pro appear when most needed. A couple of long slings reduce drag. We set our belay on two small ledges at the start of the Corner.

P8: Kurt's Corner is fun and fast (when dry)! Plenty of pro in the cracks on the right. Build your anchor at the top of the Corner or cross over to the left side of the slab above and belay in an alcove from some spongy trees.

P9: Run-out slab but easy (barely 4th class) where dry. You might be able to sling a tree or two. We avoided the mossy wet streaks by climbing into the turf at the top.

Descent to parking lot: Trail can be hard to find at top. Walk right (not uphill) closer to the cliff edge than feels comfortable, heading for the cliff-side of the square helipad. Do not get lured farther left (north)! Pass the cables and rods that did not keep the Old Man on the Mountain. Walk down the water chute and then the trail is easy to follow. You end up at the north end of Profile Lake. Walk south along west side of lake to lot.

Return to start of route: Walk down the descent trail about 30 minutes. Look for faint climbers trail that cuts hard right where the main trail hangs a left (about halfway down, where the steepness starts to ease off). Better to be too low than too high. You should emerge at the base of the slabs. From there, it's about 15 minutes walk back to the start of MG. Sep 10, 2013

+1 on the Conn Dike escape not really being useful. We ended up beating up and left from below the last pitch of Union Jack and I believe actually finished up P8 of John Sykes description. I can only assume that it's faster and more straight forward to finish the original line. Jul 30, 2014

I recently did this climb and we mistakenly left a brand new number 3 C4 somewhere on pitch 5/6, staying on rout was a mystery to me after the finger of fate :/ Anyway the cam is in a horizontal crack above a roof just past the fallen down pillar near the top. Finders keepers I guess, but I would really like it returned if someone finds it, I will pay for shipping and everything.

One can email daniel.rossi@chem.tamu.edu, or post back here.

Thanks,

Danny. Aug 16, 2014

Belay beta. Over the years I've discovered a couple of pieces of beta regarding belay locations that make this route much more fun, at least for me. Most of them put the belayer farther from the climber at the crux, so perhaps not the best for those whose limit is closer to 5.8

From the 2 bolt belay climb through the 4th class ledges leading up to the triangle roof. Pull the roof and shortly after (5') step right onto a small foot ledge and build a bomber anchor in the crack that arches above you. From here climb through the right facing corner on pitch 3, to a belay below the finger of fate. The description here says that the triangle roof pitch ends at a good ledge. The ledge is large, but other than that complete shite, with loose rock hanging about and no solid rock for an anchor.

After the finger of fate this route description tells you to wander around some walls. the proper beta is to move about 40' to the left and surmount a very short boulder problem in a dike that breaks through the head wall. one can build and anchor some where in the grassy ledges above this, and continue up through the final boulder problem on the slab, through the roof on P8? to a great gear anchor above it. If you place minimal gear and extend at least two key pieces with 4 footers you can also just barely get to this gear anchor from the anchor above the finger of fate... Aug 19, 2014

Just thought I would mention that it is possible to skip the Finger of Fate, moving left, just before the sickle move, by heading straight up the hand jam crack, and then moving left. Go up just right of the dike, onto a slab, which is a bit exposed, ( small wired nuts useful).

I've done this a few times, since I had my shoes and water in a small pack, and the Finger of Fate move is a pain with a pack. Aug 22, 2014

I feel like i need to qualify Kurtz's suggestion for pro on reppy's-

a #.75 and one or two #1's fit the beginning of the crack.

it's #2's from there to the pod

a #3.5 protects the pod

#3's from the top of the pod to the end of the crack. (#2's suck here) Sep 1, 2014

Great climb! Reppy's, the Triangle Roof, and the Finger of Fate are all awesome pitches, the rest are average and pretty loose. Fun alpine climbing.

I found 3 Camalot #3s to be helpful in protecting Reppy's Crack, but some people may be more comfortable running it out on this pitch. We brought 1 #4 Camalot and it wasn't really necessary. I placed it once during a pitch and used it in a belay anchor, but it definitely could have been left at the car. Oct 13, 2014

Is Reppy's Crack named for John Reppy of the Yale Mountaineering Club? Apr 13, 2015

Reppy's Crack was FA'd by Phil Nelson and Allen Wedgewood in '65 and named for Prof. John Reppy who completed a Ph. D at Yale in '62.

[Further comment by R. Hall - as far as I know, Reppy is still climbing, and "working". Low Temp. physics is his 'gig', plays around a lot with liquid Helium-3, even weirder than liquid Helium-4, the normal isotope! ] Apr 13, 2015

We passed a slower party just after the finger today by climbing far right almost into the Conn dike (terrible climbing) and then straight up from there (amazing). The party was starting the last pitch when we hit clean granite again. We were about 30 feet right of the normal route they were on. We split it into two pitches. First was to the right of a big block and then zigzagged beautiful cracks. The second had two roofs with multiple options around or through both.

Anyone ever do this variation? Aug 16, 2015

John Reppy is still active in the research community - see nature.com/news/2010/101208… for an interesting peek into his work. He (to my knowledge) has never climbed his namesake crack but certainly could still get up it. He remains an active climber in his 80s - something that we should all aspire too. His physics work is quite extraordinary - Bob Adair told me he was close to getting a Nobel prize. If you Google John you'll also find his son, a professor in Chicago.

Back in the old days, his drive up to Canon took about 10 hours (pre-interstate) and for whatever reason his trips to Canon often ended in snowstorms. His objectives were usually "big" routes rather than the single pitch crack that bears his name.

Sep 15, 2015

Had to ditch a blue master cam about 30 ft under the finger on Sunday 10/12/15, would happily supply a six pack for that back. Oct 12, 2015

Does anyone have any info to find the decent. My friend said it was challenging. I haven't been able to find a guidebook and plan on using the info from this site, but there is no decent info... Oct 13, 2015

Quoted from Kurtz comment above:

"Descent to parking lot: Trail can be hard to find at top. Walk right (not uphill) closer to the cliff edge than feels comfortable, heading for the cliff-side of the square helipad. Do not get lured farther left (north)! Pass the cables and rods that did not keep the Old Man on the Mountain. Walk down the water chute and then the trail is easy to follow. You end up at the north end of Profile Lake. Walk south along west side of lake to lot."

The descent info is also at the end of the route description on this page.
Oct 13, 2015

Does anyone know about a bivy spot before the route? My friend and I are going to climb Moby Grape in two weeks and we would like to wake up and immediately... or quickly start climbing. Jun 25, 2016

While the rest of the route was dry, except for some patches on the slab going up to the cave/chimney, Kurt's Corner was a waterfall. You'll want to save that pitch for a dry day.

Also, in case you are wondering, the doubles in #1 and #2 cams are very handy throughout the entire route, not just on Reppys. I put my other #3 cam in my seconds' backpack after Reppy's and didn't regret it, but I could see it getting some use too. Nov 8, 2016

To get there walk south from the climber's parking lot along the bike path for a few minutes until you see a giant boulder with a sign next to it. Just beyond that there is a point where the path shoulder gets wider and there will be a faint trail on the right (west) that is sometimes marked by a small cairn. Follow the trail up to the talus slope and boulder hop following cairns. You can see Reppy's Crack from the talus field. This is easier than taking the Whitney Gilman approach as suggested in some guidebook. Nov 27, 2016

Typical rack for MG: stoppers, single C3 #0-2 and #.3-.4 C4/X4 or equivalent, double #.5-3 C4 or equivalent. Stash a #3 in the pack after Reppy's. Next time I will probably take 3 #2s (stash 1 after Reppy's) and only 1 #3 as Reppy's is pretty tight for #3.

Despite frequent traffic the route has a few portions of fairly low rock quality, most notably the ledge/corner above and right of the triangle roof. This ledge is frequently cited as a good place to belay; from my experience most of the gear placements here are in loose blocks and there is plenty of loose rock above.

I have found it best to pitch out MG as follows (60m single rope, pitch lengths approximate):

P1: Reppy's, continue past the bolted rappel anchor to the end of your rope (60m)

P2: Through the triangle roof and belay on a small foot-ledge along the right trending crack about 15 feet above and right of the roof, below and left of the loose blocky corner (40-50m)

P3: Continue along the right trending crack, climb carefully through the loose corner and continue to belay below The Finger (25-35m)

P4: Climb The Finger and continue to a big grassy ledge, throw a piece or two on the right side of the ledge to protect your follower on The Finger and walk left across the ledge to belay at the base of a thin dike (bomber nuts and C3s for anchor) (35m)

P5: Up the dike and continue trending right towards the cave, belay at the base of the cave (45m)

P6: Out of the cave and continue right for the standard finish (might require another pitch due to rope-snagging cracks above the cave) or straight above for Kurt's Corner

Kurt's Corner is one of the best pitches on MG. More fun and easier routefinding than the standard finish. Unfortunately it's often wet but if you're climbing on a dry day you'd be sorry to miss this amazing pitch! May 22, 2017

I agree with Jack, I took doubles from .4 to #1 C4, 3 #2s and then 1 #3 and had more than enough gear to build bomber anchors and protect all of the pitches. Reppys crack was one of the best pitches of rock climbing that I have done on the Northeast! May 26, 2017

Does anyone know the origin of the route name? Thanks. Jun 28, 2017

Ben we all do.

However it is a Zen thing. You must discover the Truth for yourself. The Truth lies in North Conway.

Go there follow your Inner Self. Climb Cathedral. Consider it a spiritual journey more than a climb.

Eventually a monk or spirit will appear to you. Exactly which manifests itself will be up to you. You will know this entity is the source of the Truth since it will be soloing crack climbs with two biners of nuts and no rope.

Your Zen state and thus your chance of encountering the monk/spirit will be greatly enhanced by drinking a mug of warm Kool-Aid before ascending. If you are pure of spirit and have an open and accepting heart the monk/spirit will reveal to you the Truth you seek. Jun 30, 2017

Ben, Google is your friend

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby_… Jun 30, 2017

Did MG on Friday in incredibly warm weather. Had a great time, and had surprisingly little company on the cliff (one rope-soloist on Reppy's and one party on W-G seemed to be it).

We did the original first pitch instead of Reppy's because my partner recently had a broken foot and didn't want to shove it into a crack for 100'.

The original first pitch is pretty stout for 5.8. I thought it was similar to Turner's Flake in style, but crumblier and harder. And no gear for a good long while after you leave the ground. Wouldn't recommend it unless someone's very comfortable at the grade and has a good reason not to do Reppy's. Sep 24, 2017

What an amazing line on an amazing rock! My partner and I broke up the pitches a little differently than described here, but it worked out well so definitely don't stress too much if the topos with the belays marked are a little confusing. If you're looking for an adventure and great climbing, this is definitely the route to be on! Oct 25, 2017

Fun route, Reppy's is definitely classic. I can't see how Moby Grape is now on the top 10 classics list of the whole country, per MP. Not sure I agree. It must be based on comments and ratings data, since it's so popular. Nov 8, 2017

Some additional beta on the Kurt's Corner finish:

After pulling out of the cave, go straight up onto a narrow, right-rising ramp. Pull on face holds TO THE LEFT OF THE SMALL ROOF. The holds are tricky to spot (if you're short like me) but they're there. I initially went straight up to the roof and tried traversing under it before realizing I was on some 5.11-feeling slab. Then I finally spotted the nice face holds from above. Belay at a stance after pulling into the base of the corner.

Once in the corner, layback/walk up the slabby face to top out onto an even slabbier face. Protection runs out quick (5.easy slab though) and at this point I couldn't hear my belayer. I traversed right across the vegetation almost to where the original finish tops and used rope tugs to communicate and bring my partner up.

Despite all of this, I'd highly recommend it for a more fun and sustained finish which felt right around 5.8, maybe easier. Nov 19, 2017

My first time at Cannon today, so I figured I'd start big and rope solo Moby Grape. It was... a good day. I can't believe how much radical climbing this route packs in!
Some thoughts:
1. Reppy's is excellent, though less steep than I thought it would be. Did not need the #4.
2. The triangle roof is fun, but I thought the moves up the thin, leaning crack to get positioned below the roof were more technical and cruxy than the roof itself. You can pull through the roof on hand jams, or you could layback it. Or a combo!
3. The finger is one of the wildest features I've ever seen. Do the hand traverse. Do it. It's ridiculous.
4. I don't know what "classic cannon rockaneering" is, but the fifth pitch was definitely out of character from the rest of MG. It was totally soaking wet when I did it, due to seepage from the grassy ledges above, which made the bouldery moves off the belay ledge a bit... exciting? And maybe I got off route somehow, but I thought the moves getting to the last ledge next to the fallen pillar (cave) were also bouldery and insecure, with a ledge below to break your ankles on if you blew the weird mantle/smear onto a sloping bulge.
5. There were a bunch of fixed rappel ropes all over the route for some reason. Lots of ropes left on rappel stations or even just jammed into cracks or behind flakes... Not sure if someone needed a rescue, or had an epic, and I didn't want to mess with someone's stuff if they're coming back for it, but the route looks a little grungy with bits of rope hanging all over it. May 13, 2018

As of May 31, 2018, the rap/belay anchor to climbers left just around the corner from the finger of fate is a serious rat's nest. I was going to cut some of the faded/frayed webbing but couldn't tell exactly what went where. If you're headed up there soon, it may be worth bringing some cord and replacing that eyesore. Jun 5, 2018

I found this route very fun and route finding was not as difficult as expected. The only part I got hung up on was the beginning of our last pitch, where we set up our belay right at the base of "the cave". I thought I was supposed to climb this offwidth section that goes up and left under the roof and is about 10 feet, and is not protectable (unless you decided to bring a #6 all the way up). Don't go this way. Jul 4, 2018

"Ben, Google is your friend"

Ben be cautious of Prophets from the West. They may speak the Truth but often times it is only half truths. If you did not find the Truth in North Conway consider a pilgrimage to Down East. Sit patiently by the shore and I believe a monk will appear to share the Truth with you. At least I hope he would. Unlike the North Conway monk I have not seen nor spoken with this monk myself. 6 days ago