Jay Knower Plymouth, NH; Lander, WY   5.11b

[Hide Comment] People really shy away from this one. I know of solid 5.12 climbers who have not yet sent this climb. The moves aren't that hard, but they sure are intimidating. Feb 12, 2007

Tristan Perry

[Hide Comment] This is without question the testpiece at the grade for Rumney. It is such a varied and well-defined line, with several cruxes that take both power and finesse and a willingness to go a little farther "out there" than on most climbs at or below the grade at this area. Flyin' Hawaiian definitely has a well-deserved aura about it. May 11, 2007

Lee Hansche Allenstown, NH... and a van…   5.11b

[Hide Comment] i climbed this one for what was maybe my 5th time the other day and it is always hard and always so fun... dont worry about its scary reputation, grab a solid belayer and give it hell... as scary as it is, its safe... Jul 10, 2007

Mike Thompson Manchester NH

[Hide Comment] so i was talking to my friend recently,(friend you know who you are) about how i never want to get on this route becuase it frankly scares the crap out of me. but he eventually persuaded me enough to take a look at it here and after looking at the pictures i am getting deffinatly pumped for the route and i really want to try it next time. essepsialy since said friend has a hancoring for danger and has begun to give me a slight hancorin for it myself. a side question though.... i heard from someone that you can make a small trad placement at one point that makes the route alot less intimidating....is this true? Jan 9, 2008

Ladd Raine Plymouth, NH   5.11b

[Hide Comment] Mike, You may be able to get some very small gear in the corner but I don't think it would help the fall, you would just get smacked into the corner instead of falling down and out of it. FYI- I've never fallen on this route but the top mantle move is also one you don't want to fall on or above. Good Luck! Jan 10, 2008

Mike Thompson Manchester NH

[Hide Comment] thanks! i may be heading out there this sunday...so im really excited! Jan 11, 2008

tscupp Fruita, CO   5.11

[Hide Comment] I might be the only one who thinks this, but I think part of the intimidation of this route is the quality of the rests. At three different points you can basically chill out and think about what is ahead, unfortunately I think you're given too much time to ponder what a fall from the dihedral or top out may be like. Personally, it'd be less intimidating to just keep on climbing through the rests. This climb is just an adventure through and through. On a side note, the first time I got on this route I was baffled by the move from the horizontal in the dihedral to the left angling rail (is it supposed to be a lunge?) So I backed off slightly to try to rest in the corner by stemming. Well somehow I got turned around and ended up resting no-hands facing outwards. If you feel like goofing off, try and find that rest because it gave a great view and was quite exhilarating even though it was solid. Feb 27, 2008

dbyte Carbondale, CO   5.11b

[Hide Comment] This is 1 of the best sport climbs I've ever done, anywhere, @ any grade. The aesthetic of the line, length, differing styles of the cruxes, topping out & clipping the chains between your feet all combine to form a truly unique climbing experience. Mar 11, 2008

David Aguasca! New York

[Hide Comment] It's possible to stem all the way to the good hold in the dihedral, avoiding the heinously tiny holds on the lower rail. I def. think it's easier... Apr 11, 2009

chris deulen Denver-ish, CO

[Hide Comment] I think this is the best 5.11 in America. Have I been on all of them? No. Have I climbed everywhere? No. But until I find one better, for my money this is as good as the grade gets. Tremendous and exhilarating. Apr 25, 2009

Tyler Wellman Cambridge

[Hide Comment] I did this route this weekend, and it was amazing! Probably the hardest but most fulfilling 11b I have done. The rests definitely give you a little too much time to look up and start worrying, but as you make the clips you'll find yourself saying, well that wasnt as bad as it looked like it would be. I was a bit confused by the topout though. I've seen many people mention a mantel move to exit. There are two triangular-looking outcrops above the last bolt, and I used the lower one, throwing a heelhook over it then doing some awkward rock humping and straddling to get standing on top. Is this not the normal beta? I wish there were a picture of someone doing this move. Jul 12, 2009

Lee Hansche Allenstown, NH... and a van…   5.11b

[Hide Comment] that sounds about right... fun top out!!! Jul 12, 2009

nooky brown

[Hide Comment] Your not serious I hope on the pic?, just goes to show they will put any old rubbish in the climbing mags these days. A bunch of half naked guys hanging around watching a girl dogging on the rope faking a move, sweet. Dec 14, 2009

Lee Hansche Allenstown, NH... and a van…   5.11b

[Hide Comment] we all want to be in the mags but that was a pretty crappy photo haha Mar 11, 2010

nooky brown

[Hide Comment] I have actually and of all things it was on the nearby Technosurfing, a bizarre twist of fate. Sorry about the comment, I did not realize it was your girlfriend in the photo. Mar 16, 2010

Tyler Wellman Cambridge

[Hide Comment] Did this route for the second time today, and it was really fun. Definitely more of a mental game than a physical one, but there is just so much good climbing in this one line that you'd be at a loss if you missed out. So get on it! Apr 17, 2010

James Otey

[Hide Comment] Perhaps we should just agree on the fact that this route could quite possibly be the best 5.11 in America, and we should throw mad props at Tom for leading it ON GEAR. Apr 17, 2010

M Sprague New England

[Hide Comment] There were pins in the corner and I am pretty sure the bottem had bolts, though perhaps less then now. .verry nice lead though and a super classic no doubt Apr 18, 2010

Tradiban   5.11b

[Hide Comment] Would have been fours with out awkward ledge rest and awkward top out. The 25ft of dihedral are absolutely the best for the grade at Rumney. Not scary anywhere in my opinion except for the top out. May 25, 2010

Eric8 Maynard, MA

[Hide Comment] great route and only scary by 'Rumney' standards, could also be considered well protected and safe Jun 19, 2010

CARLITO

[Hide Comment] I have been climbing for 13 months and after reading all the comments about this route I'm very happy I actually did it as my first 5.11 ever outdoors. a friend mentioned the route to me as i was walking by it, and im like!! let's do it; I love this route from begging to end, every move, every hold, the hydro, everything, (maybe i was happy cuase i was doing well on a 5.11!!!) even the top out which is the scariest part of that climb; I took 2 big falls, but that didn't stop me from finishing this beauty. I hope next time I do this route, I send it clean. Jul 1, 2010

Lee Hansche Allenstown, NH... and a van…   5.11b

[Hide Comment] lots of folks get super spooked about falling in the corner... here is a video i found of the fall no one wants to take... its far but totally safe... youtube.com/watch?v=COBcemA… Jul 22, 2011

S. Neoh

[Hide Comment] Hilarious. I have actually taken the fall shown in the video, from slightly higher even. The spookiness factor is definitely there, esp the few moments before actually pitching off. Safe fall, shakes out the cobwebs though! :) Jul 23, 2011

James Simone Seacoast, NH

[Hide Comment] It's the best stemming route in New England, and (for the grade, at least) possibly anywhere. Aug 1, 2012

Mike.Lewis

[Hide Comment] Scary! This route really got in my head. Aug 7, 2012

Will Stattman Boston, MA   5.11b

[Hide Comment] One of the best sport pitches I've done, and it actually felt more like a boulder problem into a trad route. I used a chimney/buttscum technique into a stem at the end of the dihedral and it was pretty casual. Those insisting this feels harder than 11b probably don't have very well-rounded skills. I hope the "runout" mentioned in the description is a joke because your feet barely ever make it above your last bolt! Oct 14, 2013

Nick Grant Tamworth, NH

[Hide Comment] Just curious—if you DO blow the mantle (or whatever the last move is), is it (a) a long but safe fall, or (b) a long fall where you might hit something? Jul 15, 2014

M Sprague New England

[Hide Comment] People are usually too scared to fall, so I have never seen anybody do it ;) Jul 15, 2014

Lee Hansche Allenstown, NH... and a van…   5.11b

[Hide Comment] I have seen people fall everywhere on this route... The "bad" fall is scary but as long as your belayer is on their game it shouldn't be a big deal... this would be a very standard fall from a 5.11 slab route at most trad areas... if you think you might fall wear long pants so you can slip slide away :) Jul 15, 2014

Will Cornell   5.11b PG13

[Hide Comment] What everyone says about this route is true. I got a send during my most recent trip to Rumney a few weeks ago. It was my first 11b and let me say it is definitely a classic -- without a doubt. the moves are fun and varied, but it is an EXTREMELY heady route. The heel hook and mantle at the top is quite scary. I had to hang on the last bolt for a few minutes to compose myself before going for it. Approach it with confidence! Aug 17, 2014

Zach Swanson Newton, MA

[Hide Comment] BETA SPOILER! There is a slightly easier way to start this than the left hand 'up the fin' variation that everyone seems to use (as depicted in Lee's video on youtube). Look to the right at the start for a good crimp that won't require quite as much power right off the ground. Jul 15, 2015

Zach Swanson Newton, MA

[Hide Comment] I didn't find it very sharp, just a little tricky to prevent a barndoor getting to the crimp. Nov 12, 2015

Seth Cohen Concord, NH

[Hide Comment] I heard a rumor that a hold broke off the starting boulder problem, making it considerably harder. True? Details? May 23, 2016

Zach Swanson Newton, MA

[Hide Comment] @Seth - I was just there on Sunday and someone else had raised this question (maybe it was you?). I went and checked it out, nothing broken at the start that I could find. Both the right and left hand variation of the start appeared intact. May 31, 2016

Daniel Kaye Denver, CO 5.11b PG13

[Hide Comment] In response to what Nick Grant asked, it's (b). In trying this, I did blow the mantel, and came down barley clearing the little rest ledge before this move - sleeve of my shirt caught it as I fell past it. So it is totally possible to land an elbow or foot or worse on that ledge if you fall... IMO you get an awesome mix of heady, technical, and powerful moves in the this climb before the top mantel, all of which seem safe. I don't think the top mantel adds anything amazing to the climb. Also, start seemed intact. The way I did it, twas not more than a 2-move V3 maybe? Aug 28, 2016

Hans Weber Hudson, NH

[Hide Comment] Best route I've done at Rumney, and a huge confidence builder due to the aura surrounding it! If you can pull V2/3 moves but lack endurance like me this is a very sendable 5.11-- the 3 rests allow for plenty of recovery time. And although intimidating, the dihedral is the easiest part, and I've never stemmed before. Pumped out from the day, I fell several times on the final mantel lol, but every time was left unscathed, so give it hell! Dec 10, 2016

Skeletor 69 MT

[Hide Comment] This route might be the best pitch of rock climbing that I have ever done! Felt slightly sandbagged though IMO... more like 11c May 15, 2017

Ward Smith Wendell MA

[Hide Comment] I first did this way back in the day based on it being a new route listed in Climbing Magazine, rated 10d/11a (which seemed accurate at the time). One bolt on the route, and that you could clip from the ground, risking groundfall on the initial boulder problem and then gear off to the sides on the second crux. Pins and brass nuts in the dihedral, my now wife then girlfriend gave me a ball nut for my birthday that protected it better. The original route finished up a crack to the right. Everyone used the anchor for Technosurfing that was added later at the top of the corner, so I added the finish and retrobolted the route in the 90's. If you think that the top is hard then you are dong it all wrong! Go right young man, top out on the slab, and THEN go left and clip the anchors! There is tons of chalk all over the nothing holds below the anchors. Maybe it is 5.9 or 5.10 if tall - at most. My brother and I have both toproped it clean barefoot but it has not yet seen a barefoot lead as far as I know. Ward May 16, 2017

Lily Johnson MA

[Hide Comment] I finally led this route barefoot the other day after planning to for a couple years now. Definitely changes the way the route is climbed and makes for an interesting way to experience this climb again. If anyone knows if this has been led barefoot before this let me know, hopefully more people try it after me too. Aug 8, 2020

George L. Sharon, MA

[Hide Comment] Agree with a lot of the comments, this is certainly only "run out" by Rumney standards. I would call this route perfectly safe, if a little spooky. I fell at damn near every bolt this past weekend and can say with certainty that all the falls are fine, just watch your feet when you're above the bolt in the corner, you don't wanna catch that rope on the way down. Aug 17, 2021

Connor McCullough Jackson, WY

[Hide Comment] I blew the Mantel at the top on my onsite attempt last year. Hit the ledge, fell backwards, flipped upside down and screamed in terror. I was completely fine though so I guess I'm ready to try it again! Sep 22, 2021

proto G Falmouth (MA)

[Hide Comment] The bottom part is definitely the crux (start sequence and roof), the dihedral itself is no harder than 5.10. A great route in any event! Jun 6, 2022

Sam Elander Salt Lake City, UT

[Hide Comment] A few thoughts: -The crux I thought was the bouldery move or two at the bottom. Getting up to the dihedral can also be a bit awkard and pumpy if done incorrectly. -This route is totally fine. If you are a gym climber who hasn't done any dihedrals/stemming trad routes, you may not have knack for it yet. In fact, I thought the dihedral was super fun and chill! (Hint, dont' use super aggresive shoes that don't give a lot of contact on the walls. -Last It almost detracts from the route to have to awkwardly bust that move to the arete at the top and mantel underneath tree limbs and pine needles. Can we discuss about moving the anchor to right above last little 'roof'? Then you can mantel if you so choose, or hang of the ledge and clip after still having to do that move. (Idk, I was lost as to how to get to the anchors and it felt a bit contrived.) All in all a very unique route in a cool area! Don't be scared. Jul 20, 2022

Alex Fischer Albuquerque, NM   5.11b

[Hide Comment] Don't move the anchor. It's part of the aesthetic of the route. You have to top out the cliff like god intended! Jul 22, 2022

Logan Nofsinger

[Hide Comment] Yes, this route goes barefoot. No, I would never put another soul through that. Sep 24, 2023