Archive for the ‘New Climbs’ Category
“The Bossman”
Bayard Russell & Matt McCormick
were crushing it in the “Dacks” during Mountainfest
True to Mountainfest tradition of establishing new climbs, Matt McCormick and Bayard Russell opened up “The Bossman” (M9) on the High Falls Crag in Wilmington Notch. This section of cliff had repelled some of the best ice climbers in North America recently, including Maxime Turgeon, LP Menard and Steve House.
“The Bossman (M9, 3 pitches) follows a single, continuous crack for 230 feet. The first pitch climbs technical, steep terrain on turf shots and thin pick torques. Pitch 2 contains the crux, an extremely reachy move with chickenscratch for feet. The last, short pitch corkscrews behind a minor icicle then “worms out” onto the ice” – Matt McCormick
“I whined a little bit starting the first pitch, on unbonded thin ice, but pounded a specter hook in some turf and muckled up onto a ledge anyway” – Bayard Russell
See Alpinist.com for more on this climb and Bayards blog Cathedral Style
More on Matt and Bayard – Astro Turff / The Painted Wall Icicle / Strippers
Astro Turf
Lake Willoughby Vermont
Astro Turf (IV M9, WI 4+ R) – Matt McCormick and Josh Hurst
Josh Hurst at the roof of "Astro Turf" - Photo by Matt McCormic - +click to enlarge
On Saturday Jan 7, 2005, Josh Hurst and I climbed a new route in the central section of Mt. Pisgah. “Astro Turf” start as for Aurora about 150’ right of Super-Nova in the right facing ice/turf gully on the left side of the Star man buttress. The first 2 pitches follow Aurora.
1. Climb the 40’ right facing ice/turf gully to the big snow ledge and belay below the left facing turf and rock corner capped by a chockstone.
2. M5 – Dry tool into and up the left facing groove past one fixed pin and tunnel under the chockstone capping the groove. Belay immediately after the chockstone at the fixed nut/pin anchor.
3. M6/WI 4+R – Standing on the chockstone, dry tool left until established on the ice. There is a fixed angle and nut that can be found at the stance at the end of the traverse. The pin is reachable after stepping up immediately after the traverse. This pin may be covered in ice depending on the conditions but can be dug out against the main black wall. Once across the traverse, climb 80-90 degree thin ice for a 30-40 ft run out on to thicker ice. Climb thicker ice to the top of the ice smear and belay
4. M9 – Dry tool up into the shallow groove past 2 bolts and small cam placements. At the end of the groove, reach up and clip the bolt in the 6’ roof then pull strenuously out the roof past 2 more bolts and up the 90 degree thin ice to the ledge above.
5-6. WI 5 – Climb the center of three flows to the top as for (Starman?).
Standard rack needed plus ice screws.
- Matt McCormick
BOLD New Ice Route
Simian
Poko-O-Moonshine, NY
NEI 5+R/X, M-fun, 450-500 ft
FA 3/9/11 – Ian Osteyee & Bill Simes
“Basically no gear on the first pitch until the topout ledge, then just a 10cm screw. Similar to Stingray but no anchor to clip halfway up. They went up the face where summer rock routes Cooney-Norton, 10b and Cosmopolitan Wall,10c are located. I think the upper pitches are all original” – Alden PellettSi
By Ian Osteyee
Topo
Bill and I had a great time doing this route. You couldn’t have a more perfect time out. It was sunny and warm, and two old friends were alone at the cliff for most of the route. A couple of Canadians showed up to do PT as I was belaying Bill up the second pitch, other than that it was quiet. Really just a perfect session. Having done the second ascent of “Stingray” years earlier it allowed me to ponder and compare the two fine lines. This new line was similar in some ways. The first pitch a little longer, and began and stayed steep the entire length of the pitch. They both have a side-foot rest a third of the way up, but “Stingray” has a bolted rappel anchor to clip at that point. The upper pitch of “Stingray” is more mellow without the exciting moves over rock and on to steep thin, hanging ice. This is a fine line, one of the best routes I’ve climbed, anywhere.
I’ve seen this thing try to come down on several occasions, but never saw it get to the ground. Bill Simes and I headed over and went in for a closer look. It seemed almost too good to be true, it even looked like it might take some stubbies. I headed up with a light rock rack and a few screws. The ice was good, a little soft, but good climbing. There was a spot about a third of the way up to get a foot sideways, and try to fish for some gear in a seam. The seam didn’t pan out, but I left a TCU there anyway, it was about as useful as a Christmas ornament, but I lightened my load by a fraction. The last two thirds of the long first pitch were steep. The ice still climbed well, but would thin out in spots putting forward progress in doubt here and there. Roughly 5-10 feet from the end of the pitch I was able to place a 10cm screw, though the ice was a little soft for it to inspire. Once on the ledge a short,15 foot, insecure, snowy traverse right brought me to a rock corner system. A four piece, less than perfect anchor and Bill was on his way up. Pitch 2 starts with thinly ice rock at a roughly 3+ angle. Forty feet of that and I reached the over hang and got some good rock gear. An M fun rock traverse right and the most eligible hanger becomes obvious. Some thinly ice/mixed moves allow a committing launch onto the thin, but stable ice. Ten more feet of steep climbing leads to casual, beautifully exposed grade 4- ice that gets less steep as you climb higher. 70 meters isn’t enough, and an ice screw anchor is necessary. One more grade 3+ pitch, which lessens as it goes, gets you to the top.
Photos by Bill Simes & Ian Osteyee
Ian Osteyee
Adirondack Mountain Guides
www.adirondackmountainguides.com
The only AMGA certified guide in the Adirondacks with more than 20 years of local experience
More from Adirondack Mountain Guides
Simian
Simian
Fluffy
Go back Mountain, NH
Fluffy – NEI 6 X 60m – FA: Josh Hurst, Ian Austin
Start: Immediately left of Valhalla in the Valhalla Amphitheater
Protection: Stubbies, Screws, .5-3 Camalots
Descent: Rap route
Extenuating Circumstances: Ice was 1/2″-2″ thick at start for the first ascent, first good protection was a Camelot behind an excavated flake at 80′.
Notes: Incredible, sustained, scary, incomparable; longer than Valhalla by 25′, finish to the trees on top.
Photos by Ian Austin
Hydropower M9 WI5-
Possibly the hardest mixed route in the Catskills
FA Matt McCormick 2/22/10
“On my first attempt of the day on the new route I made it all the way to the ice before elbowing my ice tool out of a hook while clipping! AAAHHHH! I couldn’t believe it. I had the route in the bag only to knock my own tool off the route!
Video by Ryan Stefiuk of Bigfoot Mountain Guides
Read more about “Hydropower” and the Catskills Ice Fest 2010