Avg: 3 from 26
votes
The route begins at the end of the fourth pitch of Empress. Instead of going up the off-width on Empress, traverse right for 15 feet to gain a crack. Ascend the crack for 135 feet or so and belay at a bulge where the route steepens. For the second pitch continue over the bulge, step down to another crack and follow it to a tree island. For the third pitch, ascend 4th-class slab to the top or traverse right to the woods and the top of Bob's Knob for the North Descent Route.
The crack takes lots of midsize to large cams and nuts. There also are places where smaller cams work.
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Richmond, VT
North Conway, NH
Des Moines, IA (WTF)
Once you hit Greensleeves it's very G and is a very safe route for new leaders. If they're uncomfortable on (5.2?) runout slab have new climber build a belay at the end of the crack. A 70m rope will take you from the large cedar ledge to the top of the Greensleeves crack in a full 70m pitch. Makes it easy for second to run up 70m of Greensleeves and then keep running up the runout slab to the top!
Traverse can be very adequately protected with a .75 for those who are unsure about gear beta.
When linking this with empress use a single rack to #3 and a set of nuts, the #3 is not necessary if you're confident on this grade. Most anchors can be safely built with nuts.
IMO this is a much more interesting route w/ Empress than Regular, much less 'walking' up the slab Aug 6, 2016
Lake Placid
Little Rock, AR
Anyway, avoid linking P1/2 up. If you try to link it up on a 70m you will end up at a hanging belay on a large chossy flake, a few meters below a promising horizontal and then the tree island about 10m above. What a bummer.
Stellar climb though.
Right now on P2 there are a few helmet sized blocks at the giant flake. Beware. Aug 28, 2017
Noneya
ADKs
Saranac Lake, NY