An historic but not well traveled route which has some cool parts but is no classic by any means. This is a long moderate line up through the left side of the slab traversing around the headwall to the right and up to the summit.
Not a favorite due to it being a bit dirty and loose in parts but it holds some cool, interesting moves in places.
Pitch 1: 100ft easy 5th class. Scramble up the dike/pockets from the ground on the left side of the slabs to an anchor on the right. [Note- I’m not sure the “ anchor” is still there. At best it was once only a lonely piton. I looked for it today ( 10/1/21) and didn’t see it from 15-20 ft away on rappel. R Hall 10/1/21. ]
Pitch 2: 130ft 5.2. Follow the dike to a 2 bolt anchor in a toilet bowl pocket.
Pitch 3: 150ft 5.2. climb the dike all the way to a big tree with slings on it.
Pitch 4: 100ft 5.3. Scramble up from the trees toward a right leaning arch. Belay at some trees at the base of the arch. (This is roughly what the book says. I couldn't find a way to get to the arch without climbing 5.6 but I did see an anchor on a cluster of trees that matches this description.
Pitch 5: 130ft 5.6. Follow the arch on nice but sometimes dirty rock until you can pull over the arch and up the slab to a 2 bolt anchor below the steep bolted route "The White Zone".
Pitch 6: 90ft 5.5. A long traverse right leads to an anchor which you can use to rappel. (four 2 rope rappels get you to the ground)
Pitch 7: 90ft 5.5. Continue traversing right until you get to a corner with a couple old pins (upper section of Wedge). Follow the corner up to some ledges.
Pitches 8-10: Adventure time. choose your own adventure through low angle rock and trees to the top.
On the left side of the slabs there are 2 dikes. This is the one on the right.
Regular Whitehorse rack.
southern colo
North Conway, NH
I think most climbers just run it out to the dbl bolt anchor about 60-70m up in the dike.
[ * You could go left to the anchors on Pathfinder ]
The P7 (as described above) "corner" is more like climbing behind a large flake, sort of chimney-like, and quite yellow-ish rock, if I remember correctly from the last time I was there.
P8 to the Top has rocks-and-blocks-and-boulders just sitting on the slab. It's very easy for the rope to get behind or under one of these and start it crashing down the cliff. "Be Careful Up There!" May 3, 2017
North Conway, NH
Upland
Saranac Lake, NY
I had not climbed Dike Route before, so I am unfamiliar with the upper pitches, but I assume I was at the right place at the base of the arch. I wonder what accounts for the discrepancy in our accounts.
(After posting this comment, I rechecked the Handren guidebook, which says on the pitch above the toilet bowl you pass an anchor on the way to the big tree. It certainly makes sense to climb to the tree in one pitch rather than two, but I wonder what the anchor is for. Rappelling?) Jul 10, 2019
North Conway, NH
The 2nd pair of bolts may have more to do with the end of P1 of Pathfinder than Dike Route. I get the feeling the bolts on Dike were put in so guided parties can rap off..but that is speculation. A single 70m gets one down from either the trees on Dike or the big tree on "Stadtmuller-Griffin" but you have to know to go to the Pathfinder start to make the last rap to the base. Jul 20, 2019
Saranac Lake, NY