I only had a few hours this morning after dropping the kiddo off at daycare so I stayed pretty close to home and met up with long time buddy Tom C. for a quick trip out to Found Ledge, pg 42 of North Conway Rock Climbs, here on NEClimbs, and here on Mountain Project.
These pretty little cliffs sit on the west side of the scenic Kancamagus Highway which, by the way, is starting to overflow a bit with the leaf-peeping crowd. Tour buses and rubber-necker’s abound, so I suggest parking well off the shoulder.
The approach is an enjoyable 15-20 minutes of gentle uphill, the majority of which is alongside a babbling brook.
A good example of how slope exposure effects the type of vegetation
We started at The Little Slab and within an hour and a half Tom dispatched the four right most routes;
Unknown; 5.5? 75′
Cast of Chicken Heads; 5.5 75′
Brilliant; 5.8 80′
A little Slabba Do Ya; 5.8+, 80′
Tom cruising up BrilliantTom works up “A little Slabba Do Ya”
The two routes to the left, Elvis in the House and Found a Line were pretty wet (despite no rain in 6 days) so we skipped those and hiked along the intimidating Lumberjack Wall before scrambling up a easy corner/gully to take in the view from the top.
Crag Y top left
It’s a neat little spot up here with some nice views to the south and some cool boulders perched in a few spots. To the east we could see some of the open slabs above the Main Cliff and decided to go poke around over there before leaving. This line caught my eye;
Unknown route far right on the Main Cliff
We scrambled up the slope to the right of the wall and looking back at the upper slab section saw what looked like a bolt just above the steeper section and perhaps an anchor 10 feet higher, unfortunately not very visible in this photo;
Looks good! There is a 40 foot more vertical section below the rock you can see here
I think this line is referenced in Handren’s new guide on Pg. 44. “There is a line with a couple of bolts here, but it is unclear if it was ever finished.” I’m going to ask around. It looks pretty cool.
This place, along with nearby Lost Ledge, offers some really nice friction climbing this time of year. The approach is really pretty chill, though you have to pay attention to stay on track. At one point this trail was over blazed. A little bit of foot traffic would help keep it obvious without resorting to over blazing it again. You should go check it out!
This past Wednesday Oliver returned for some more preparation before his Yosemite trip next month. We started the day with a full length route up Whitehorse via Standard Route (1080ft, 9 pitches, 5.7).
Lots of options!
65 degrees, sunny, light breeze… perfect climbing weather… and we had the whole cliff to ourselves all morning! We quickly climbed up to the Crystal Pocket.
Oliver with Cathedral Ledge in the background
After a quick snack on Lunch Ledge I decided to climb the original “Brown Spot” 5.5 variation since I always take the Slabs Direct 5.7 variation. I quickly discovered why I never take this variation. The bolt protecting the move is one of the nastiest old 1/4 inches I’ve ever seen. The climbing itself doesn’t feel any more secure than the 5.7 variation. I stopped a little higher on the next ramp to belay to keep the rope drag down, and while I thought replacing the bolt might be a good community service I think it’s probably better to just stick to the direct finish. It’s MUCH nicer in every possible way.
Oliver cruising the upper slabsMount Washington clear & crisp in the background
It was only 12:30 so we ate some lunch and made our way down the hiking trail. Oliver was interested in going over some of the various anchor strategies we used on this climb so we drove over to The North End of Cathedral Ledge. There we spent a half hour or so going over some new and old techniques of constructing anchors. To wrap up our day we took a quick spin on Child’s Play, the fun 5.6 crack climb, then headed back to the shop.
Oliver’s got a couple more days planned with me this Fall before his Yosemite trip and is getting a few training days in at the tres-new Salt Pump Climbing Co. gym that recently opened in Scarborough, ME. If you are Downeast you should definitely check this amazing climbing gym out!
It has been a couple of decades since Oliver has tied into a climbing rope, but to paraphrase a well known military adage; “Once a climber, always a climber”.
I discovered in the first few minutes of meeting Oliver that his list of adventures was long. From a NOLS course in the Cascades back in the 70’s (yes before I was born), to exploits in Yosemite while dirt-bagging at Camp 4 for weeks on end, to sky-diving, to scary leads in his first pair of EB’s, the conversations through-out the day would be as entertaining as the climbing.
While a professional career had put climbing on the back-burner for quite some time that burner stayed lit, and now, for his 65th birthday, his wife is sending him back to Yosemite this Fall for a week of reminiscent adventure. Oliver figured it would be beneficial to get a bit of training in before his trip to Yosemite, so he came to EMS Schools for a bit of refreshing.
After sorting our gear we made our way over to Whitehorse Ledge. The first few pitches of Cormier-Magness provided the perfect “Oh ya I remember how to do this” type terrain as we quickly dispatched 3 pitches.
The famous Whitehorse Ledge SlabsSecond pitch of Cormier-Magness, the classic “Wheat Thin Arete”Echo Lake and Cranmore Ski Mountain in the background
After the 3rd pitch we practiced descending with 3 double rope rappels back to the shaded ground. A quick drive over to Cathedral had us eating lunch after looking at Whitehorse from a different vantage.
Whitehorse Ledge
After lunch we rapped the Barber Wall and headed over to Upper Refuse.
That back-burner flame is fully lit now!Cruising the first pitchAnd the 3rd pitch
We topped out right around 3pm, and started making plans for a couple more sessions before the Yosemite trip.
Thanks for the panorama Joe!
Every day I work in the mountains is rewarding, but I’d be lying if some didn’t stand out as a bit more rewarding than others. Watching Oliver reconnect to something that has always been a part of his life since his college days was very special, and I’m really looking forward to our next day together, which happens to be next week!
Thanks for reading, and as always if you like to you can follow NEAlpineStart at the top right of the blog. I have a lot of gear reviews coming up this Fall, along with some great foliage climbing!
If you are a regular reader you will have noticed my last post indicated a speed ascent of the Northeast Ridge Pinnacle the following day, followed by two weeks of silence. The reason? My beautiful daughter decided to arrive a couple days early! Madalena Ann Lottmann was born at 7:56pm on August 28th. We are adjusting nicely to our new addition. Yesterday I returned to work with a Wilderness Navigation Course in Pinkham Notch.
I arrived a little before 8am to set up the classroom. Once I had the classroom set up I felt the pre-course excitement building up. I’m so grateful I get to share knowledge with outdoor minded students as a career and setting up this classroom has me stoked for this winter’s upcoming avalanche course season!
Woodchuck Classroom
Once the 9 participents settled in we began our morning classroom session covering topics from Improvised “Survival” Navigation to solid map & compass work. After a very hearty lunch provided by the AMC we hiked up to Square Ledge to practice some Terrain Association and Single Point Resection/Triangulation.
Field practiceTerrain Association Exercises
We then set a bearing to bushwhack to a nearby ski trail on Wildcat Mountain.
Following a creek bed while trying to maintain our course
We hit the ski trail with in a few meters of our target and set a course back to Square Ledge after gaining a small bit of altitude. We then jumped over to the cross country ski trail and followed fresh moose scat & tracks south to a point up above Lost Pond.
A scenic bit of the winter XC ski trail
This bit of trail is not well marked and is probably much simpler to follow in the snowy months when it is in use (which was perfect for our purposes). After some group discussion as to where we were we plotted a descent down to Lost Pond reaching the northern end after scrambling down a moderately steep gully.
Feedback from the course was super positive and it was good fun bushwhacking in a new area. I’m watching the weather (and the day care schedule) closely to find another day to head up to Pinnacle, and planning reviews of both the Five Ten Guide Tennies and the Camp Four’s for this Fall so stay tuned, and thanks for reading!
A real quick post tonight to upload some photos from today and last week. The summer guiding season isn’t quite over yet and today I had quite a bit of fun climbing on Whitehorse and Cathedral today, but I’m turning in early as I have a partner lined up for an early morning attempt at a 2 hour car to car ascent of the Northeast Ridge of the Pinnacle. Stay tuned for a trip report this weekend!
In 20 years of climbing I have only recently started carrying belay gloves with me on a regular basis. When I first started climbing it seemed like an unnecessary extra item. My hands could handle a little rope burn from time to time right? After joining the local Mountain Rescue Service I started carrying them on rescues due to heavier loads and lots of rope work (and some BSI protection).
In the last two years I have switched to carrying them 100% of the time, and now feel like I am missing something if I leave them at home. Perhaps it is because I am climbing & rappelling on skinnier ropes than I was 15 years ago, but the added security and comfort they provide easily justifies their cost & weight on the back of my harness.
Petzl Cordex Mid-weight Belay Gloves
For this review I tested both the mid-weight and lightweight versions of these gloves. When I first tried on the mid-weight Petzl Cordex Belay Gloves in the store they felt a bit stiff. The double goat leather palm and fingers definitely looked durable but I could tell they would take a little breaking in. In just about 5 days of use they softened up nicely.
For a rugged belay glove they fit my medium sized hands quite well, and the neoprene velcro cuff made them feel secure when in use. The convenient carabiner hole in the cuff is also substantial enough that there is no fear of of the carabiner attachment failing (unlike some models that just sport a thin sewn loop). I carry these on an oval biner’ that sports two prussic’s, a micro-ascender (Petzl Tibloc), and my knife.
The only downside was these gloves felt a bit hot during last week’s upper 80’s lower 90’s temps. After searching online I found a good deal on a pair of the lightweight version of this glove:
Petzl Cordex Lightweight Belay Gloves
They feel just as durable in the palm and fingers as the midweight version but the back is almost 100% breathable stretch nylon. These will be much more comfortable climbing in warm weather and will definitely outlast the cheaper suede style belay gloves some of my fellow guides use.
Manufacturer Description and Technical Specs:
Ergonomic cut for great dexterity without being too tight
Made of high quality leather for the perfect balance of durability and dexterity
Durable double layer of leather in high-wear areas: fingertips, palm, between thumb and index finger
Back made of breathable stretch nylon for excellent fit and ventilation
Neoprene cuff with Velcro closure
Carabiner hole to attach gloves to harness
Specifications
Material(s): goat skin leather, stretch nylon
Certification(s): CE EN 420, CE EN 388 (3133)
Weight: 100-120gr (depends on size)
If you haven’t used belay gloves before I’d suggest you try it out. They make a lot of sense for multiple styles of climbing. Catching sport climbing falls will feel more secure. Rappelling skinny rope in steep terrain will feel more secure. Even quickly coiling rope to move on to the next route is easier when the rope can quickly slide through your palms without nylon on skin friction. You can find them on Amazon here.
If you have an opinion on using belay gloves please share it below! Let us know what model’s you’ve tried and liked (or not liked) in the comments below.
Thanks for reading!
See you in the mountains,
-NEAlpineStart
Disclosure: I purchased these gloves with my own money. This post contains affiliate links.
Yesterday’s weather forecast called for 94 degrees in the valley’s. I wanted to climb, but I didn’t want to cook, so I called up my old friend Rob to see if he would be in for a morning climb up this classic alpine ridge. He agreed, and asked if his girlfriend Stephanie could join us. While we wouldn’t be setting any speed records as a party of three I liked the idea of a more mellow social climb, so the plan was made and off we went.
We reached the base at 9:30 and I was surprised no one else was on route even though it was a Monday. I took the first 3 pitches leading on doubles and while we swapped racks for Rob to lead the 4th pitch we saw the first of two other parties arrive behind us.
Two parties arriving below us
The first party of two was making good time but stayed to the right on the more direct 5.9 variation. Rob cruised the 5.8 variation (does anyone ever climb the Allis Chimney anymore?) and I took us up and right to link up with the “Fairy Tale Traverse” pitch. This is one of the coolest pitches in the White Mountains.
Classic exposure!Stephanie inches her way along the traverse
Around this time I discovered this was Stephanie’s first multi-pitch climb, having only climbed once or twice at Square Ledge. Great job on the route Stephanie, hope you and Rob are still together 😉
Shenagians
We coiled the ropes and started the hike up to the top of the ravine.
iPhone PanaramaWildcat Ski Mountain in the backgroundA “moment” that had to be captured
I hope to climb this a few more times this season. It had been a few years since I had been up there and I had almost forgotten what a great route this is. It is definitely a great option when valley temps are forecast-ed to be scorching!
Crazy busy week with 5 straight days of guiding! It all started Monday when another AMC Teen Wilderness Camp Group joined us for 3 days of rock climbing instruction. We enjoyed beautiful weather that first day up at Square Ledge.
Vivian rappels the 150 foot West FaceThe girls rocked at belaying through-out the three daysVivian starts up the Chimney Route
Unfortunately a deluge of rain was inbound for Tuesday, but the group was motivated to try to get a little outdoor climbing in before we would have to swim back to the van. We got a couple ropes set up on the Thin Air face as the first few drops started, and then the kids took multiple laps on the face despite the moderate to heavy rain. I was glad I had brought that quint-essential piece of guide equipment:
Thanks CT!Even climbed the first pitch to clean the anchors with it
We returned to EMS North Conway to dry out and spent the afternoon creating some bouldering competitions on our modest but creative wall.
Bouldering Comp
For our last day we split into multiple rope teams and climber 4-5 pitches on Whitehorse Ledge before rapping and top-roping over at the Ethereal Buttress area. No pics of that day unfortunately but everyone who tried Seventh Seal made it to the top!
Thursday was a unique guiding day for me in as such that it was a Mount Washington Ascent. While I do a fair share of these during our winter season they are not as common in the summer, when hoards of hikers climb this popular mountain displaying the full spectrum of preparation and trail knowledge. Despite having a fair amount of experience, Alan and his 18 year old son Matty had learned climbing with a local guide has some advantages, and I was happy to return to the mountain that I spend so much time on in the colder months.
Hitting the trail from Pinkham Notch Visitor Center at 8:30amCrystal Cascade
The bottom portion of the Tuckerman Ravine trail was quite crowded for a Thursday, but the weather was fair and it is summer vacation still! As we passed the Huntington Ravine trail the crowds thinned out a bit. A mother resting at the Huntington Ravine trail sign before descending mentioned her teenage sons had continued up the Tuckerman Ravive trail after consulting their map and determining that the sign indicating this was the Huntington Ravine Trail was not correct, or meant something else. A harmless mistake at this point, it reminded me that map reading skills, and navigation in general, are a much needed skill for this vastly growing outdoor user group. (Yup that is a plug for my Wilderness Navigation Course).
We soon reached Hermit Lake.
First views of the bowl
We took a quick breather on the caretaker’s hut porch then continued to climb up to the floor of the ravine. Just below the “open book” waterfall we stopped again before tackling the steeper bits of the headwall. While Alan & Matty snacked I started sniffing around for any remnants of snow. Yes, it was August 13th. But I had heard a couple weeks ago there was still a decent sized patch of snow. A month ago I could see it from Square Ledge. Today it looked like it had finally all melted. Then I saw something out of place between the rocks. Reaching down it was about a foot in length, covered in dirt & needles so it blended in with the rocks. I rinsed it off in the water cascading down the headwall and a few hikers gawked in disbelief. The last of the snow in Tuckerman Ravine:
No glacier this year
We started up the headwall.
Just above the first waterfall
When we reached the rim of the bowl we took another break and looked back towards Lion’s Head.
See the hiker out on the diving board?
A slow steady push up the summit cone had us on top at 12:45.
A well earned summit photo
It was an excellent day with a great father/son team. I’m thinking they might be back for a Mount Washington Observatory Overnight with us this winter!
That brings us to today! Claude, his wife Melissa, and daughter Katie, are adventure incarnate. With a long list of tales from whitewater rafting out west, canyoneering, climbing here and in the Tetons, horseback riding, and much more I knew we were in for a fun day. We headed over to Whitehorse Ledge and climbed the Standard Direct route right to the top. It’s been awhile since I’ve guided 3 people up Whitehorse, and I was reminded that 600 feet of rope is a lot of rope. The fresh breezes made the day quite pleasant and we reached the top at 1:30pm. An excellent day with a really fun family!
Morning lightLooking down from Crystal PocketHanging out at Crystal PocketSummit shot
That’s it! What a great week. Tomorrow off and then teaching another Wilderness Navigation Course on Sunday. Thanks for reading!
On the first day of the AMC Program we started at the Classroom and practiced some movement skills.
EMS Schools Guide Craig Porter explains how using a flake to lay back on can help one’s feet stay glued to the wall…
After the bouldering session everyone experienced a few rappels down the cliff.
Sophia goes over the edge
We spent the rest of the first day top-roping at The North End. On the second day we headed over to the Echo Roof area at Whitehorse Ledge. Everyone got to climb Ladies & Gentleman, Holy Land, and Relic Hunter by lunch.
Miranda lowers off of Holy LandPatrick finds his way up Relic HunterDennis starts up Ladies & Gentleman
Shortly after moving over to Beezlebub Corner & Seventh Seal and rain shower blew through and shortened our day a bit. On our 3rd day we started with multi-pitch climbs on the slabs, reaching the overlaps 600 feet up before rappelling back to Terra firma for some lunch.
Teamwork at the sandwich factory
We headed back to the climbs we were rained off of the day prior.
Patrick starts up Seventh SealTiara gets creative on Seventh Seal
We wrapped our third day up and said goodbye as the group left for many more days of backpacking & kayaking adventures. Working with these kids is quite rewarding and I’m looking forward to the next group coming later this week.
Yesterday Kathy & Carl joined me for the first of a two day Private Rock Climbing course. Both had a fair amount of gym experience and were starting to make the transition to outdoor climbing. We started our day at the Classroom and covered anchoring strategies before enjoying a run up Upper Refuse. We spent the afternoon down at the North End looking at top-rope management issues and working on some crack climbing techniques. They are out again with another guide today and I hope I get a chance to climb with them again.
Carl at the top of Upper RefuseCathy at the top of Upper Refuse
I guess I’ll keep with the moderate speed climbing theme and share some beta on today’s 2.5 hour car to car ascent of this classic alpine rock climb. We’ll get the big disclaimers out of the way first;
1) This route is committing! From Mountain Project’s description: “The Pinnacle is above treeline on one of America’s deadliest peaks. The weather is unpredictable and often comes in from the west (over the Mt. Washington summit, thus invisible). Snow occurs in every month of the year on Mt. Washington, and high winds, driving rain, and thunderstorms are common. Be sensible. Check the forecast, get an early start, and be prepared to bail if things go bad.”
2) We used what I call the “modern” approach… the Auto-Road. While this “approach” cuts the hiking time down to less than 20% of the “traditional” approach/descent time from Pinkham Notch it has two disadvantages. First, you can’t really retreat down should bad weather roll in. As such this approach should only be used during very clear weather windows. Second, cost. $36 for a car, driver, and passenger. That works out to $18/ea. So my $.02 on using the road:
If you have never done the route from Pinkham I’d suggest doing it that way a time or two. It’s cheaper, and much more aesthetic the first time you see the grandness of Huntington Ravine from the bottom of the “Fan”. Figure 2.5 hours for approach plus or minus 45 minutes depending on fitness, and another 2.5 hours for the descent after un-roping (if not tagging the summit). 7am is probably a good start time.
If the weather forecast is grand and you want to cut out an average of 5+ hours of hiking from your day, this method is quite sweet. Mike and I left the car at 9:40am and hiked down to the Huntington Ravine trail. From the parking lot it took us 6 minutes to reach the large cairn at the top of the ravine, where we could see one party just starting the route.
Heading down the headwall
Scrambling down the the headwall trail to the base of the route took us another 30 minutes. It’s a definitely 4th class trail so it could take longer based on your experience with down climbing with exposure. We roped up and I started up the first couple pitches in approach shoes. After 300 feet I caught up to a party ahead of us at the base of Pitch 3 and built an anchor. When Mike arrived we chilled for a few minutes to re-rack while Dustin’s party finished the 5.8 pitch 4 variation (having combined P3 & P4). We followed suit with Mike leading behind them and stepping out left to easier ground after the crux moves.
Mike starts Pitch 3 while Dustin cleans Pitch 4 higher up…
Combining these two pitches makes sense to me, but rope drag can definitely be an issue. Consider back cleaning that piece after the “groveled on my stomach move”. You’ll know it when you do it. After it is an “ok” pin that can be backed up if you like, then un-clip that last cam and life will be easier!
I followed the 5.8 pitch, still in approach shoes, and resolved to “quick-alpine-style” right at the crux (read he pulled or stepped on the pin). I’m not ashamed 😉
Once I reached the belay I took off for the upper bits. We still had two parties heading to the idyllic “Fairy Tale Traverse” ahead of us so I choose the easier 5th & 6th pitches without stopping to anchor until just below the final 30 foot technical section at the top. I belayed Mike up and then took a more solid belay for the final 5.6 corner and reached the top as the first party we saw while descending was de-gearing for a summit bid.
The first party on the route finishing the “Fairy Tale Traverse”Mike finishes the end of the roped climbingDustin starts the “Fairy Tale Traverse”
We headed up and to the car reaching at 12:10 pm, just under 2.5 hours. ViewRanger track log reported 1.49 miles round trip, about 1,200 feet elevation down then up.
I’d like to be a bit more optimized for my next attempt to get this one under 2 hours. For those who are SUPER comfy with the grade and have done it before, this is what I am planning on for next run:
Rack: .3-#2, no doubles, no nuts/tri-cams (thinking speed here). 6 alpine draws.
Rope: 9.2mm 30m rope. Simul to P3, belay 5.8 variation (my measurement is combining P3&P4 is still only 100 feet). Simul to last 5.6 crux. 30m rope will cut quite a bit of weight (and time coiling/flaking).
If the disclaimers at the beginning weren’t enough, these ideas are great for those who have scouted/climbed this route a lot. If it is your first time on it slow it down and have a great day!
While that’s it for speed climbing for a bit, heading into quite a few days of guiding camp groups, mostly from the AMC. Should be quite a nice week weather wise. Hope you all get out and get some good climbing in.
