Class III trails in NE ?

[Motabobo]

Hi there ?

Just a quick question. What are the known class III "trails" in the NE (YDS rating)? I was thinking the Huntington Ravine but cannot find any official rating anywhere. Can anyone help me finding those scrambles (I'm trying to find as much as possible) ? We are about to do the Mountaineer's route on Whitney (with a short section of III) and need some practice this summer with what would be equivalent to a YDS III scramble, here in the northeast
(including the ADK).

Thanks

 

[jfb]

I think the King Ravine headwall and the Great Gulf headwall would be good practice. Also, you could hike up the talus below Cannon Cliff from the bike path to the cliff.

 

[DougPaul]

In general, the slide routes. eg. the slide on N. Tripyramid.

Doug

 

[Gator]

As I understand, the mountaineering route is quite do-able. The aforementioned hikes should be fine practice.

 

[Motabobo]

Hmmm, but strictly rating speaking, all the above would fit in class II at the most IMHO...I do agree it's a good practice though I'm looking for something more challenging, more exposed too. Funny thing is I can't speak of Huntington or the Knife Edge because I never did them (shame on me) but I did Great Gulf, King Ravine and the north slide of Tripyramid. Anymore thoughts ? Thanks for your input !!

 

[David Metsky]

Huntington and the Knife Edge really only have 1 short section each that is really difficult. Beyond that, nothing is worse than King Ravine. There aren't any true hiking trails in New England that would qualify, IMO.

-dave-

 

[DougPaul]

Funny thing is I can't speak of Huntington or the Knife Edge

Neither is hard for any distance.

Huntington has a short exposed slabby inside corner. Just stick your fingers in the crack behind the inside corner and layback-walk right up...

The Knife Edge has a short steep spot between Chimney Notch and Chimney Peak. A pitch of easy rock moves and it is done. The route is paint blazed. Other parts of the Knife edge are exposed but easy.

The trails are, in general, designed for hikers, not semi-technical climbers.

King Ravine, Great Gulf, N. Tripyramid are, IMO, likely to be better practice.

Haven't done the mountaineering route. I have read that it can get dangerous if icy--people have taken long (and sometimes fatal) slides.

Doug

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I think you're going to have a tough time finding much in the NE that's comparable to the Mountaineers route on Whitney. JMHO.

Kevin

 

[Motabobo]

Anyone of you did that route up Whitney ? I know I won't be able to find such exposure but what about the "technical" aspect ? I mean that route is no big deal beeing mainly class II but I was just curious as if there was something like it in the northeast, like a hidden place or something

 

[cbcbd]

Not in the NE and not really a trail, but in the ADKs - North Face of Gothics:
http://www.summitpost.org/route/181328/gothics-north-face.html

Many routes up it, so you could choose your own adventure

 

[Motabobo]

I added in my original post (including the ADK). Forgive my geographical noobishness

 

[jfb]

You could try the left side of the Pinnacle in Huntington Ravine. It's a bit harder and more exposed than the normal trail. In the ADK's, you could do Trap Dike or go up the descent route on Poke-o-Moonshine. There's also a couple of scrambles on the Caps Ridge trail on Mt. Jefferson.

 

[Explorer Editor]

I believe the Eagle slide on Giant Mt. in adks is rated class III.

 

[giggy]

climb the slabs on king ravine - last few hundred feet - bear off to the right. can't miss them - great gully maybe. those would be your best bet - I found the great gulf headwall to be great training for the DC on rainier (rock portion) - not really class3 but - and I have not done whitney so not sure how camprable it would be.

you could head to any of the headwalls and find something class 3 if you look and head off trail a bit. I am sure. have fun

 

[king tut]

If you are feeling adventurous, you can check out the Precipice trail in Acadia National Park. I have a few pics here.
http://www.parazz.com/albums/kingtut
If you venture off the trail, you will find some almost vertical climbing.

Also, i have seen some climbers up at Katahdin climbing straight up the 2000 vertical from chimney pond up to the knife edge. Probably not doable w/out ropes or a death wish.

 

[bryan]

i am not familiar with the class system, but one i might suggest is a scramble up the west side of whitewall mountain in zealand notch. i have only attempted one route, but there is a lot of steep, difficult talus and ledges at the top i've heard be compared to the hardest sections of huntingtons. i made one attempt up the largest slide (just before the zeacliff junction and quite prominent), but was turned around where it begins to funnel towards the top due to extremely unstable early season (april) talus that was particularly scary and when the ledges i planned on climbing came into view they were still covered with ice. going back down the slope was the worst part. if you make it to the top you can descend either over the other side and head towards the ethan pond trail or head north down the ridge (supposed to be a nasty bushwack). wish i could say more, but i had to go and clean out my shorts after nearly triggering a number of potentially disastrous rock slides. it's supposed to be a lot of fun under better conditions.
best of luck.

bryan

 

[HH1]

Phil, you're right - the Eagle Slide in Giant's western cirque is Class 3 according to Don Mellor's 'Climbing in the Adirondacks', as is the (relatively) famous Trap Dike on Mt. Colden. Although technically they are not trails, fellow climbing company you are bound to experience on fair weekends might convince you otherwise.

About 10 years ago a friend and I walked right past a pair of climbers roped up, adorned with all the hardware, about half way up on the right hand (most southerly) side of the Eagle. One of them yelled out "you guys are nuts!" and looking back now, maybe he had a point!

 

[Woody]

You could try the left side of the Pinnacle in Huntington Ravine. It's a bit harder and more exposed than the normal trail.

According to Ed Webster's "Rock Climbs in the White Mountains of New Hampshire" Pinnacle Ridge is a 5.7 climb that "In general, you can make the route harder by heading right, and a bit easier by staying left"

I am not sure you can get far enough left to make this a class III climb. I think some actual technical climbing (class V) in the area would be your best training. The only thing that comes to mind (imho)that might be class III in the White Mountains is the chimney between East Osceola and Osceola, but it is very short.

 

[DougPaul]

Also, i have seen some climbers up at Katahdin climbing straight up the 2000 vertical from chimney pond up to the knife edge. Probably not doable w/out ropes or a death wish.

A standard (rock in summer, snow and ice in winter) route. Not that hard as technical routes go--there are much harder technical routes from the basin to the ridge.

Doug

 

[jfb]

According to Ed Webster's "Rock Climbs in the White Mountains of New Hampshire" Pinnacle Ridge is a 5.7 climb that "In general, you can make the route harder by heading right, and a bit easier by staying left"

I am not sure you can get far enough left to make this a class III climb.

We started off following the ridge and after a pitch decided to move left, unrope and scramble to the top of the Pinnacle so we could make it to the summit by dark.