The Mercy

While the climbing on the Sanctuary makes for a damn fine natural line, The Mercy is more akin a climbing museum left over to warn other climbers of what not to do to a rock climb. Its  original drilled pockets have been somewhat enhanced over the years by drytooling, bringing its original grade down a bit, but the fact that there are drilled pockets at all is representative of a time in the pre-1991 Mt. Washington Valley. Though long revered as a total pile and bastardization of the sport, recent ascents of The Mercy have found beauty and joy in the difficult movement. Now that it is no longer getting dry tooled, it has cleaned up into an loveable modern sport climbing testpiece.

Start on the first two bolts of the Devil Made Me Dog It, and then cut left into a very hard boulder problem to a jug that you wish was a better rest. Trend left on a nice juggy rail, then go through a small roof and finish up through steep pumpy moves that get harder and harder until you clip the chains.

Climbs near the center of the cave. Go up the devil made me dog it for 2 bolts, then cut left.