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Grand Finale

5.12b/c C2 R, Trad, Aid, 400 ft (121 m),  Avg: 3.5 from 2 votes
FA: Paul Ross and Mike Heintz
New Hampshire > Cathedral Ledge > Mordor Wall

Description

A companion to the Mordor Wall.

Pitch 1: Bolts and hooks up to a thin crack. C2 (Has been attempted free. May be the cliff's first 5.14)

Pitch 2: WILD- move right along a thin seam(rp's)to some fixed stuff. Down climb to the lip and traverse right to the safety of a small ledge. 10+RR

Pitch 3: Two aid moves on dowels the start a sustained thin slab up to a small roof and Freak Out Ledge. 5.12c A0

Pitch 4: Aid up a crack or face climb out right to bolts and cool steep slab climbing to a ledge under Diagonal. 5.11+

Pitch 5: Up a bit the work left past fixed gear and the final runout slab to the top. 5.11

Location

30' right of Standard and 30' left of Mordor

Protection

A lot is fixed- bring wires and some cams

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Paul Ross ,Mike Hienz on the First Ascent. Aug 1977. A few minutes after this photo was taken Mike succumbed to heat stroke and had to be lowered semi consious to the ground ..They returned later to finish the route on sight ground up.
[Hide Photo] Paul Ross ,Mike Hienz on the First Ascent. Aug 1977. A few minutes after this photo was taken Mike succumbed to heat stroke and had to be lowered semi consious to the ground ..They returned later…
Free climbing P2 10+ R 1983
[Hide Photo] Free climbing P2 10+ R 1983
FA . P.Ross pitch 2.
[Hide Photo] FA . P.Ross pitch 2.
Ross and Heintz on the first ascent On sight ground up.
[Hide Photo] Ross and Heintz on the first ascent On sight ground up.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Paul Ross
Keswick, Cumbria
[Hide Comment] Correction first ascent was by Paul Ross and Mike Hintz...On sight ground up. August 1977 Jul 30, 2008
john strand
southern colo
  5.12b/c C2
[Hide Comment] I guess I got confused by Alain's winter attempt. Aug 3, 2008
Mike Heintz
[Hide Comment] Paul Ross mentioned in his photo caption that I nearly feinted from the heat during the first FA attempt, and had to be lowered to the ground. Alas, this wasn't the only epic I was to have on this route. Several year later I attempted to (aid) solo the route, while a friend set out to solo Mordor Wall side by side with me. On the first pitch you start out with a couple of hook moves to a bolt. This is above a short scramble. The hook flake broke off and launched me 10 or 15 feet to the ground, unable to brace for the fall or pick my landing. My right knee exploded on impact (decades later it's still not right). I was unable to walk, but so dreaded the embarrassment of being rescued, I crawled back to my car, while my friend collected all my gear. This was just about the time when other climbers started arriving at the cliff. Whenever someone would come walking down the approach trail, I'd stop crawling, pull myself up to a sitting position, and smile and chat a bit as they passed. Once out of sight, I continue my crawl to the car. I felt like Doug Scott on the Ogre. Once back to my car I had a 5-6 hour drive back to Connecticut. Naturally, I drive a standard. Jan 11, 2022
nhclimber
Newmarket, NH
  5.12b/c C2
[Hide Comment] Great story mike. I love the start of that climb. Jan 21, 2022