Truffle Hog
5.10a/b,
Trad, 160 ft (48 m), 2 pitches,
Avg: 3.5 from 33
votes
FA: Travis Peckham
Vermont
> 1. Northern Ver…
> Bolton Area
> 82 Crag
> 82 Main Wall
Access Issue: Seasonal Raptor Closures for access issues: please review cragvt.org
Details
Access Issue: Trail leads between parcels of private land.
Details
Follow the yellow bottle caps and pink flagging to ensure you remain on Crag-VT or Green Crow Logging property and not on private land.
Description
2 pitches of dramatically different climbing.
The first pitch is quite nice, and gets better the higher you climb. It starts on a steep-ish leftward angling rail/flake (suspect rock), transitions into a nice bucket ladder with friendly pinches (rock quality gets a little better), and finishes with a more of the same to a semi-mantle move 10 ft. above your last bolt. Well-placed bolts protect the entire pitch, and an option yellow Alien 4 ft. below the anchor to keep the pucker factor low (5.8).
Off the belay, pitch two arcs out slightly right to the first bolt, then moves back left into an interesting scoop/right-facing corner (finger-sized cam, optional). At this point, the route continues straight up, remaining just right of "Arms Reduction", and toeing the edge of the sharp, airy arete. With its superb positioning and unlikely passage, this pitch checks in at low to mid- 5.10, depending on who you ask. With just draws, it protects reasonably well, though a finger-sized cam is welcomed.
2 rappels with a single 60 m. rope will get you down.
Location
10-15 ft. left of "Kid Charlemagne".
Protection
Draws, long slings, a .75 Cam, plus a few medium-sized nuts.
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In my opinion, this pitch is one of the very best at the 82, and high on my list of best moderate clip-ups anywhere. 5.10- PG. One could perhaps make it G-rated by carrying a midsize nut or two, but it is perfectly reasonable with just draws, including a couple of shoulder length rigs.
Finally, like almost all of the routes on the 82 main face, I highly recommend climbing Truffle Hog as a single, absolutely awesome 150' pitch. 15 or so draws / runners does the trick nicely. Judicious use of long runners essentially eliminates rope drag. Care should be taken when setting up the belay at the top. I'd recommend against just blindly heading to either the Arms Reduction bolts or the Year of the Dog rap tree. Belaying from either sets up your second for a potentially problematic (and rope-shredding) pendulum off the final moves, and there are better options readily available. Jul 29, 2012
Dixfield, ME
Salt Lake City, UT
Holland, VT
Burlington, VT
P.S. This thing, like virtually every new(er) route at Bolton, has no run-outs whatsoever. Leave the rack at home (for this one at least). Jun 5, 2019
Bottom part is greasy - seems to be the case of many climbs in the area. There was a thunderstorm the night before which probably made it seem worst than it really is.
I don't see the need for additionnal gear. The only thing is that IF you run it as 2 pitches, when your leader is between the 1st & 2nd bolt above the belay, a fall going to the 2nd bolt may land the leader on the belayer at the anchor. This wouldn't be great.... putting a cam in between removes that possibility.
Super fun climbing - just great holds and move, fantastic position at the top. Jul 15, 2019
Burlington, VT
Sacramento, CA