Hanging High

This is a left to right girdle traverse of the chin. Description was provided by Alex Catlin.

FIRST PITCH: Traverse straight around the buttress to a low angle face on the side. Cross this face to an inside corner with a ledge and ancient pin.

SECOND PITCH: Climb up 10' and right to a 30' walk across ledge that ends at the yellow buttress. Traverse under the overhang on the buttress to a large ledge with a spruce tree.

THIRD PITCH: From the ledge traverse out to an outside corner. Climb down 15' to a ledge system which is followed until it ends before the gully.

FOURTH PITCH: Step over to a right facing inside corner, climb up to the horizontal crack, and hand traverse right. Traverse to the gully following the horizontal crack in the next wall. Step across the gully and hand traverse out the next buttress under the overhang. Walk across the buttress to the ledge just before the Rhadamanthus face.

FIFTH PITCH: Climb down 10’ and traverse right to Rhadamanthus. Climb Rhadamanthus to the ledges on the right. Walk across the ledges and step out to the arete. Belay on the small ledge on the outside corner.

SIXTH PITCH: Finish up the corner.

Update, February 2024:

Start: 41.42575, -72.89883

Pitch 1-5.8R 

Scramble up 20 feet on blocky terrain. After a cozy passage on the uphill side of a medium pine nested on a ledge, head straight up on improbable but protectable moves via a thin crack system to a slab which is followed up and right to a high point (though not the top of the cliff) with a small sapling that you may find the desire to sling, though you wouldn’t want to fall on. There aren’t many opportunities for reasonable gear through this section. Take what you can get and tread lightly as you begin a committing downclimb into and across a chewed-out gully with orange rock, past an ancient bail anchor (in situ as of Feb 2024). We belayed at a decent ledge with two good sized trees side-by-side (one dead, one alive). Though the entire route is prone to rope drag, this pitch might be the worst liability. 

Pitch 2-5.8PG13

From the ledge at the end of P1 continue right on grassy/ledgey terrain until the ledge ends below a prominent ceiling with a short but appealing hand crack which continues up to the right. Enjoy a couple good hand jams (#3 camelot helful) to a stance at a prominent flake where it is possible to continue right on thin crimps to a nice in-cut ledge with a large tree. Belay here. Note: the dubious rhino horn death block that was once perched precariously at the crux is no longer a concern.

Pitch 3-5.7R 

Be mindful to protect the second as you down climb, straight down, off the ledge in a flakey crack system on the main face for approximately 20 feet until it is possible to take an airy step right to access a tough-like traverse (beginning with a 2” slot) that continues on for 40 feet to climbers right. When the trough peters out, continue on the path of least resistance until you round a corner to find a right-facing corner and crack system with decent rock quality (eats gear) under a prominent roof and a slimy/mossy slab below. 

Pitch 4-(5.5, 4th) 

From the corner, begin another down climb, choosing your own adventure between steep slab or slimy slab until it is possible to access a dirty/blocky gully on climber’s right. Bushwhack on 4th/low 5th class terrain uphill past several trees until you reach a pleasantly flat grassy ledge which is followed until it is possible to scramble over a boulder and access a nice flat belay ledge at the edge of the cliff. Anchor here. Below to your right you should see the crux pitch: a horizontal crack traverse into the Rhadamanthus corner.  

Pitch 5 (5.8+ PG13) 

This is it. The crux pitch. The money pitch. Some of the finest horizontal climbing CT has to offer--you might forget that you’re not on CCK.  Scramble down 8 feet to access the horizonal. Follow this thin crack (extra microcams helpful) to the Rhadamanthus corner. Follow the corner up for no more than a couple of moves before it is possible to latch a jug to your right, on the outside of the left-facing corner and mantle up onto a whitewashed ledge system. Be mindful as your rope runs around the corner and traverse this ledge system to climbers right on moderate but unprotected climbing until it terminates at a right-facing corner. Find gear where you can, step up, and where possible, make one final exposed move around the corner onto Wiessner’s Rib. A few feet up is a comfortable perch that will offer a front row seat to the show as your second follows. 

Pitch 6 

Finish up the last 10-15 feet on Wiessner’s Rib to the top out. 

Commitment grades apply for both leader and follower. If this line sounds adventurous and committing, well, it is. This is exfoliating traprock in every sense and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Hollow flakes and loose blocks pose the risk of cut ropes.  Consider double ropes and wear a helmet. Place gear to protect the second. 

Left side of the chin on the right wall of a gully on a treed ledge half way up.

You'll be pleased to have a good selection of microcams on their harness in addition to doubles .3-2, and a #3. Extra 120cm slings are useful to mitigate drag.