Carpet Slabber

A fun little route that is the perfect choice for a beginning leader. Simply climb the route to the anchor, passing old bolts. [see 2016 NOTE, bolts replaced]  Originally listed as a "sport" climb, probably because the only protection is the bolts, I re-assigned it as a trad climb lest one make the effort of the approach to find the run out a bit too "sporty". R Hall NH Admin.

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[2016 NOTE: Somewhere along the line this climb got "cut in half", probably because the "natural, straight up" line above the "pitch 1" anchor is about 5.5 -5.6 R and totally out of context with "pitch 1." But the "second pitch" (or, almost certainly, the second half of a one-pitch FA) goes up a dike to the right of the "straight up line" above the anchor.

Webster's Editions 2 and 3 state this climb "climbs the right side of the slab past several bolts 5.3". Here is what I am nearly certain is a modern version of the correct route description:

P1 - Start at an obvious tree-root and dirt ledge at the right side of the slab. Climb the slab and belay at a bolted anchor off to the left. 85-90 ft 5.2

P2 - From the belay, move up and right about 20-30 ft to where a dike starts and rises back left. Make a move up and left gaining the dike. ("crux", the 1973 "Joe Cote" bolt in the dike was left in for historical purposes; you may prefer clipping the modern 3/8" SS bolt to it's left.) Continue up the dike passing one more bolt ( 3/8" SS just above the old 1973 bolt) on the right.  120 ft 5.4  to a double bolt anchor below the sandy/gravelly top. ("old school" 5.2-5.3)

If you were to clip the first 1973 bolt coming from the bolted P1 belay anchor you will know why this climb was nearly certainly first climbed as a one-pitch climb without the P1 anchor. [ Think about the rope placement and how the leader would fall if the rope ran from the P1 belay to the 1973 bolt....the rope would "flip" a falling leader. Thus, I'm nearly positive the FA "went" as one long pitch from the ground. ]

DESCENT: Rap or lower with one rope from the dbl bolt anchor, then a 2nd rap to the ground.

P2 Variation: Climb directly up the "headwall" from the P1 anchor. 110 ft 5.4 - 5.5? -  R 

This is the first route you come to when hiking into the cliff. The "P1" anchor is not visible from the base.

2(?) 3(?)  bolts on "pitch 1", 2 more bolts on "pitch2".

Bolted anchor at the end of "pitch 1", double bolt anchor at top of P2.