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apeman_e
May 4, 2009, 11:39 AM
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Is Jerry Handren's Rock Fax guidebook for Cathedral truly the best guidebook for the area?
Also....
Which is the best guidebook for Cannon? Is Cannon terrifying?
And....
Any advice for me in my upcoming New Hampshire adventures? This is my first summer placing gear, but I'm getting relatively proficient quickly (I've been getting out as much as humanly possible while maintaining a job).
I just got back from a trip to Seneca, and the beta I got for the trip from posting here was excellent. I was hoping I could get some more great advice.
Thanks!
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tomcat
May 4, 2009, 11:48 AM
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Current Cathedral and Whitehorse guides are Webster's and Handren's.As I understand it Mr.Handren is in town working on a newer version of his current guide.Looking forward to that as his Red Rocks guide is probably the best done guide I have ever seen.You can download some current info from NEClimbs too.
Cannon is not terrifying,but there are some keys to success there.It's not the Gunks.For the most part in your first couple months stick to the trade routes,Whitney,Moby,lower pitches of Union Jack and Vertigo,etc,until you get the lay of the land.
The climbing here in New Hampshire is fabulous.Echo is also a great small crag across from Cannon.
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nhgill
May 4, 2009, 11:54 AM
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I can't speak to Cannon, but I use Ed Webster's guide (the east edition) and it does pretty well. If you want to climb something that has been put up since its been published I will second http://neclimbs.com/. Have fun, and if you make it over to the slabs on Whitehorse, be prepared to run it out a bit.
-HTG
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iron106
May 4, 2009, 12:14 PM
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I just god back from 5 days in NH. We climbed a lot around the Kancamagus Highway. There were a lot of good intro to runnout slabs there. Rainbow slabs, lost ledge. You can find the directions in Webster's book. It may be hard to find, it was for us but we found them, but it was a good intro. to the area for me. Whitehorse can be have some old school placements. (50 feet apart/tricams). Cool though.
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duncanlennon
May 4, 2009, 12:35 PM
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The most thorough Cannon guide is Secrets of the Notch, by Jon Sykes. Easily 3x as many routes as the 2nd edition Webster guide to the western Whites. And as for must check out places, I second Echo Cliff. Great single pitch trad. Artist's Bluff is nearby and offers 2-3 pitch moderate adventures. In the Mt. Washington Valley, there's obviously Cathedral and Whitehorse, but for an adventure and unparalleled scenery be sure to make it to Huntington Ravine. Central Buttress, the Pinnacle, etc.
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blueeyedclimber
May 4, 2009, 2:17 PM
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apeman_e wrote: Is Jerry Handren's Rock Fax guidebook for Cathedral truly the best guidebook for the area?
Handren's guide is excellent, but you may have trouble finding it because I believe it is out of print. That is good news if he is indeed working on a new one.
Ed Webster's guide is ok, but it is probably missing a lot.
In reply to: Also.... Which is the best guidebook for Cannon?
Secrets of the Notch
In reply to: Is Cannon terrifying?
Terrifying, no. But.....it is very different then most Northeast climbing areas. It has a more alpine, adventurous feel.
Some things to be wary of:
1) Rockfall. Cannon is a huge exfoliating granitic dome. With each tough NE winter, the chances for rockfall are always present.
2) Weather. It seems to have it's own weather system. It also faces East which blinds you to weather patterns approaching from the west. Pay attention and if the weather is iffy, then it might be a good idea to climb somewhere else.
3)Route-finding. It's a little more challenging here then most other NE areas.
And....
In reply to: Any advice for me in my upcoming New Hampshire adventures? This is my first summer placing gear, but I'm getting relatively proficient quickly (I've been getting out as much as humanly possible while maintaining a job).
I would not consider Cannon a beginner area, because of the adventure element. Being surprised by a storm and having to bail with no rappel anchors in sight is not something I would wish on someone in their first year of trad climbing...but....the decision is yours. If you do decide to go, Whitney-Gilman is a good first route. It is excellent and most of the climbing is easier than 5.7 and it's one of the shorter multipitches on cannon (If I remember correctly, it's 5 pitches). The route finding can be a little tricky but not too bad.
In reply to: I just got back from a trip to Seneca, and the beta I got for the trip from posting here was excellent. I was hoping I could get some more great advice. Thanks!
Good luck, and I will repeat the advice of Echo crag which is right across the street from Cannon. It is a great place to work on your trad climbing. Tons of routes starting at 5.5.
Josh
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apeman_e
May 4, 2009, 3:20 PM
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What's the deal with Huntington Ravine? I'm interested.
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bill413
May 4, 2009, 4:43 PM
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Registered: Oct 19, 2004
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blueeyedclimber wrote: In reply to: Is Cannon terrifying? Terrifying, no. But.....it is very different then most Northeast climbing areas. It has a more alpine, adventurous feel. Some things to be wary of: 1) Rockfall. Cannon is a huge exfoliating granitic dome. With each tough NE winter, the chances for rockfall are always present. 2) Weather. It seems to have it's own weather system. It also faces East which blinds you to weather patterns approaching from the west. Pay attention and if the weather is iffy, then it might be a good idea to climb somewhere else. 3)Route-finding. It's a little more challenging here then most other NE areas. And.... In reply to: Any advice for me in my upcoming New Hampshire adventures? This is my first summer placing gear, but I'm getting relatively proficient quickly (I've been getting out as much as humanly possible while maintaining a job). I would not consider Cannon a beginner area, because of the adventure element. Being surprised by a storm and having to bail with no rappel anchors in sight is not something I would wish on someone in their first year of trad climbing...but....the decision is yours. If you do decide to go, Whitney-Gilman is a good first route. It is excellent and most of the climbing is easier than 5.7 and it's one of the shorter multipitches on cannon (If I remember correctly, it's 5 pitches). The route finding can be a little tricky but not too bad. In reply to: I just got back from a trip to Seneca, and the beta I got for the trip from posting here was excellent. I was hoping I could get some more great advice. Thanks! Good luck, and I will repeat the advice of Echo crag which is right across the street from Cannon. It is a great place to work on your trad climbing. Tons of routes starting at 5.5. Josh
Welcome to trad!
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antiqued
May 4, 2009, 5:13 PM
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apeman_e wrote: What's the deal with Huntington Ravine? I'm interested.
Pinnacle is a long route on an arete - the right side is extremely steep, and the left side grades out into steep hillside, so escape should usually be straightforward if needed, and route finding shouldn't be too hard. Best climbing is <=5.8; approach is close to 2 hrs (book time), descent longer.
For a relative beginner, WHitney-Gilman is the only route on Cannon to think about. It is shorter than most, you will have company, and there are good belay ledges and ways for parties to pass. You may, of course, be quite capable of more, but that is the route to figure that out on. (the weather, of course, will be just as bad as the rest of the cliff, probably worse)
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duncanlennon
May 4, 2009, 5:22 PM
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Registered: May 6, 2006
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Yeah, Huntington is sick. It offers a long day of adventure- often, getting onto/off of the climb is the crux. Huntington is high on the flank of Mt. Washington, and as such the weather can be quite bad there, changing quickly and exposing climbers to dangerous situations. The approach is about 3 miles, the descent around 5, and the routes are in the area of 4-9 pitches, depending on how you climb. The classic moderate is The Pinnacle, which has a major alpine feel, but only has two real sections of 5.7 and a lot of 4th/easy 5th scrambling. Check it out; it's different from any other NH climbing area and almost unique in the east.
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