Mountain Project Logo
To save paper & ink, use the [Hide] controls next to photos and comments so you only print what you need.

Blacksmith

5.10a, Trad, 140 ft (42 m),  Avg: 3.7 from 79 votes
FA: Patrick Purcell and Bob Martin - 1992
New York > Adirondacks > Chapel Pond Pass > Beer Walls > Lower Beer Wall

Description

General:

Blacksmith offers a fairly sustained section of gear protected face climbing on great rock with great movements. If you're comfortable at this grade of face climbing, don't miss this route!

Pitch 1 (5.10a): Take the line of weakness up the face passing the small tree ~6' up and head up between the hanging cedar on your right and the small vegetation on your left. Climb past many horizontals (protection), past an overlap, until the first bolt appears. Climb to a stance and a small placement and then lock in to find the line and make committing moves (crux) to gain the first bolt. Continue up following the weakness in the face to a piton, a second bolt and a second piton to a welcomed stance below the left side of the roof. From here either find the right-most of two left-to-right finger cracks and make an unexpected hard move to gain the finger crack and follow easier rock to the top. Alternatively, head straight up from the stance (bearing slightly left) to the roof and traverse to the bolt and then past it pulling the roof on the edges formed by a right-rising thin seam/crack (5.10c). Head up on easier rock albeit somewhat spare on protection.

Location

Start:

In the Pegasus Area of the Lower Beer Walls. Start as for Lichenbrau below a small tree growing out of the rock 6' above the ground.

Descent: Either walk off back down to the Lower Beer Walls via the north trail, or rappel on a 70m rope (a 60m rope will not get you to the ground).

Protection

Two bolts, two pitons, single rack to 3" w/ doubles in small TCU sizes to fingers. The pitons can both be backed up with micro cams if so desired. There are a few trees at the top to build an anchor on, as well as a fixed tree anchor.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

High stepping on Blacksmith.
[Hide Photo] High stepping on Blacksmith.
Unknown climber on Blacksmith
[Hide Photo] Unknown climber on Blacksmith
Thin moves on Blacksmith.
[Hide Photo] Thin moves on Blacksmith.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

M Mobley
Bar Harbor, ME
 
[Hide Comment] cruxy then sustained, super good Jan 8, 2011
Jaysen Henderson
Brooklyn NY
 
[Hide Comment] amazing, the crux (first bolt) may seem a little contrived but after and before that this climb is just simply stunning. best piece of advice is to pick out you're line before you head up and place gear accordingly. It is all too easy to get a heinous amount of rope drag off the wandering start. I would suggest a double rack up to #1 and 1 # 2 and 3. medium to small size stoppers help on this to back up pins. Its a very gratifying lead for sureeeeee Oct 31, 2011
Worth Russell
Rosendale, NY
 
[Hide Comment] Great route fully sustained for the whole pitch.you can lower with a 70m. 60 doesnt quite get u down. Crux is getting to the first bolt and its also the biggest spacing between gear. I had two bombwr cams in prior to bolt. Bring smaller gear yellow to blue aliens Oct 6, 2013
Nick W
Orford, NH
[Hide Comment] Nice long sustained pitch of face climbing. The steep exposed start looks improbable, but moderate holds and good gear appear. Bring extra small gear. Sep 3, 2014
sara mcfadden
western mass
 
[Hide Comment] with a bit (10-15') of 5.4ish down climbing I was able to do one rap with a 60m. Trend left towards the chimney corner and it should leave you on a little ledge. Knot your ends! Aug 10, 2015
Jia
Cambridge, MA
 
[Hide Comment] A thoughtful face climb with good rests spaced throughout, decent protection. The start of this climb is ~10 ft left of a slung tree that can be seen from the ground, a crack system marks the start of the climb which goes through a now cut small tree rooted in the crack. Most of the climb goes straight up. There is a rap anchor slung to a tree at the top, from which a 70m rope will just reach the ground. Jul 27, 2020
Owen Wilkins
Lebanon, NH
  5.10a
[Hide Comment] good sustained face climbing. some sections can be quite spaced out between the gear (especially to gain the bolt above the crux), but if your comfortable face climbing at the grade and can keep a cool head you should feel fine for the most part. i would agree with comments suggesting extra small gear, especially to help back up some of the pins. a single of C4 #1-3 is more than sufficient IMO. 70m just gets you to the ground, 60 definitely would not make it. knot your rope and make sure your at your middle mark. Aug 8, 2021
aparnas
 
[Hide Comment] Not sure why so much hype for this route. Wanders all over the place. Makes it a route finding chore, as you're never sure which way is the "correct" line, or whether all options protect equally, etc. Weird description of the upper section. I have no idea where the "right-most of two left-to-right finger cracks" is, but the bolt on the variation is obvious, and is accessed via a left-to-right finger crack! Beware of rope drag! Bring many draws! Sep 4, 2025