PRINT: Rock Climb Thanksgiving, Adirondacks

Thanksgiving

5.7 R, Trad, 550 ft (167 m), 6 pitches,

Avg: 2.9 from 20 votes
FA: Alpine Club Canada
New York > Adirondacks > B: Chapel Pond… > Chapel Pond Slab

Description

A moderate slab route that ascends between Empress and the Regular Route. Offers clean, continuous smearing on steeper slabs. Slightly better protection than Empress with more sustained smearing than Regular. Guide books say 5.7 but the smearing seems easy for that grade.

Location

Climb the first two pitches of Empress (start at left-facing corner), then continue straight up for a few pitches, just right of a textured, mossy face to a thick flake forming a right-facing OW. Continue up past the OW. Exit at the top of Bob's Knob. Descend the gully to the right of Bob's Knob (a few rappels are convenient.).

Protection

A light rack of mostly small gear. The pink tricam and the red C3 camalot are useful. #9 hex is convenient for the OW flake.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Climber is starting up the second pitch (X rated) on Thanksgiving.

Another day, another send

Getting into the biz on the Roast Turkey 5.7 X variation

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Phil Brown
Saranac Lake, NY

If you follow the standard Empress route, zigzagging across the slab, Thanksgiving begins near the end of the third pitch. If you go straight up the slab, not zigzagging, it's two pitches to the start of Thanksgiving. In either case, you begin at the top of the rightmost of three rock hummocks. Head up a left-facing corner. You can get in a small cam. Near the top of the corner, grab huecos to step right onto slab. You can get in one more piece of gear, a small cam. The rest of the pitch is runout, ending at the Twin Cracks Belay on Regular Route.

The second pitch is even more runout. You can get in a piece near the belay, but that's it until you reach the large right-facing corner, where you can set up a belay with big cams.

The third pitch is more protected. Follow the corner to its end, then continue up with a combination of smearing and footholds, some small, some large.

Book says it ends with a fourth pitch, going under and around a roof and up a crack on Bob's Knob. I have yet to do that pitch. Instead I've always followed the slab to the woods.

Anyone climbing Thanksgiving should be aware that the first and second pitches are very runout. Nov 11, 2014

Robert Hall
North Conway, NH

5.7 X

I can't believe that anyone would rate Empress an "X" and Thanksgiving and only an "R". The fall from the crux slab moves are equivalent (does anybody even THINK that, on Thanksgiving, the tiny cam under the tin flake will hold a fall from 30-35 ft above?!) Whether "R" or "X" they should be the same! May 12, 2015

Fletcher Codd
Plattsburgh

5.7 X

The 5.7R pitch definitely feels like X! The only piece I could get (that wasn't too far out of the way) was a Grey 00 Metolius under a tiny flake that would've definitely blown. Other than that, stellar friction!! Not to mention the last pitch, pretty uncharacteristic of the slab! Sep 29, 2020

Shane Kenyon
Adirondacks

Stellar route. The R pitch that gets you to the Twin Cracks is amazing. The Roast Turkey (5.7X) variation is a must do as well. Only one real move, but the location high up on the slab makes it memorable. Jun 2, 2021

Nick Budka
Adirondacks

New (?) variation I did today climbs the slab to the right above the shallow corner with that rusty ring pin at p3/4. Adds serious friction climbing for one pitch, completely avoids wet rock on thanksgiving I encountered. Then traverse the slab right to join the direct friction finish of regular route. Has a pretty cruxy section that protects well with a soloist’s rack. 5.7+ x, with some fragile rock, didn’t look like it has ever seen traffic, I’ll call it pornucopia for now, don’t have a book to reference variations now. May 19, 2024