PRINT: Rock Climb Harvest Moon, 1. Northern Vermont

Harvest Moon

5.8- R, Trad, TR, 80 ft (24 m),

Avg: 3 from 75 votes
FA: Bruce Jamieson and Joel Harris 1987
Vermont > 1. Northern Ver… > Bolton Area > Lower W Bolton

Access Issue: Seasonal Raptor Closures for access issues: please review cragvt.org Details

Description

The route begins at the far right end of the cliff band on a broken face below the obvious right-facing, crescent-shaped flake.

Location

All the way right, the last route on the face. On your left just before reaching the path up to the anchors.

Protection

This route is most commonly toproped from a two bolt anchor accessed by walking around climber's right of the route.

Though this route is leadable, there is some suspect rock (the crescent flake is extremely thin, as well as a substantial runout at the top on easy (5.3) terrain.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Albert B. climbing up to the crescent flake on Harvest Moon, May 11, 2019.

Classic butt shot on TR.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Chris Duca
Dixfield, ME

5.7+ R

The route begins at the far right end of the cliff band on a broken face below the obvious right-facing, crescent-shaped flake. Though this route is leadable, there is some suspect rock (the crescent flake is extremely thin, as well as a substantial runout at the top on easy (5.3) terrain. Sep 4, 2011

Seth Maciejowski

5.8-

I think this deserves a pg13 at a minimum possibly even an R protection rating. Cam placements in the flaring flake are dubious and tricky to place. Not a route to learn trad technique on.... Apr 22, 2012

Derek Doucet

5.7 R

R-rated for sure. I often see people fooling themselves placing junk pro on the initial face, but the reality is that there is little to no worthwhile gear until a horizontal out left accepts finger-sized cams at about 30'. After placing pro in the horizontal, you step back up and right to climb the crux. This gear will probably keep you off the ground through the hardest moves, but it would be an ugly, swinging rag doll fall. After that, there is basically no more solid gear to the top. While very easy, you're deep in to no fall territory by the time you reach the top. To echo Seth, certainly not a climb for an aspiring 5.7 or 5.8 leader. Apr 22, 2012

TSluiter
Holland, VT

5.8 R

A jug in the right facing flake is becoming a little loose, not terrible, but loose. It is a pretty useful piece of the climb, so be careful.

Marked with an X a while back, looks like it was remarked recently. Jul 26, 2015

Luc-514
Montreal, QC

5.7+ R

Rock is still marked with an "X", didn't touch it, climb is still in the 5.7+ - 5.8 range without using it. Jul 25, 2016

Andrew Bock
Burlington, VT

5.8

No clue why everyone thinks this route is so dangerous. Good pro bottom to top and honestly not that difficult to place. plenty of good pro on the face starting at 10 feet. The flake is flared and thin in some places, but its also thick and parallel in plenty of other places. Theres good gear under the bulge exiting the flake, and then even some gear up top on the low 5th. Don't let this climbs reputation scare you, Its a lot safer than everyone is making it out to be. Sep 18, 2018

Bruce Jamieson

First ascent was me and Joel Harris, Oct. '87, as the full moon was rising to the east; hence the name. Sep 16, 2020

Wyatt Hackett
Huntington, VT

There is a very suspect juggy block about 1/4 of the way up the route, about the size of a toaster oven. We lovingly nicknamed it the "death block", be careful climbing around it and when belaying. Currently has a chalk "X" on it. Apr 4, 2022