Leaps of faith, name them!

[Jay H]

You know what I mean, you come to a part on a trail where there is a largish gap between two rocks that you have to sort of leap over, or perhaps find some insane bush path around...

Things I know of:

1)Maple Ridge trail, Mt Mansfield, VT. There is a 1.5-2foot gap on a rock hop that you have to jump over...

2)Escarpment trail, Catskills, I think I remember one on the southern escarpment trail, that would be a hop or a short detour to go around.

3)Gunks, NY There seem to be popular along the many rocky trails that criss-cross the area

4)There is a 14ker in CO that has a serious leap-of-faith to get to the true summit. Fortunately, the register is before it but the true summit is only reachable by a pretty serious Leap of Faith... I'm sure I could look it up...

Any others?

Jay

 

[jniehof]

4)There is a 14ker in CO that has a serious leap-of-faith to get to the true summit. Fortunately, the register is before it but the true summit is only reachable by a pretty serious Leap of Faith... I'm sure I could look it up...

Sunlight. Roach's guidebook for the 14ers has "extra credit" for many of the routes...side trips to minor peaks or outlooks. Extra credit for Sunlight: "Stand up."

 

[audrey]

My leap of faith is actually a scooch-of-faith. There's a boulder on the Huntington Ravine Trail that you have to edge around, with your back to the void. It only takes a few seconds, but that exposure has scared me every time.

 

[prino]

My most memorable "leap of faith" happened running down the Dudley trail off Katahdin. I'm not sure exactly where it was, but after seeing many pictures of "The finger" which is somewhere down there, wonder if that was it. It happened so quickly that when I looked back to see what I had jumped across, I couldn't figure how I would get back.

 

[Laurie Maynard]

How about that crack that you have to hop over to get out on that famous Bondcliff rock? I haven't done, or been close enough to see it, but my husband said you can look quite a ways down into the crack. I have also read about it in many a TR. I have such bad vertigo that I didn't bother even getting near it.

 

[coldfeet]

A few years ago I hiked up the "beehive" in Maine near Bar Harbor, you have to hang on to some small metal type of hooks that are drilled into the rock to step around an edge and step over a metal grating while looking out at the ocean scary the 1st time but very exciting the 2nd time...sorry but no pics at that time....

 

[pilgrim]

My leap of faith is actually a scooch-of-faith. There's a boulder on the Huntington Ravine Trail that you have to edge around, with your back to the void. It only takes a few seconds, but that exposure has scared me every time.

The "scooch" on the Wildcat Ridge Trail affects me similarly. If you've been up there, you know where I'm talking about. Just one big step, but...

 

[Jay H]

Sunlight. Roach's guidebook for the 14ers has "extra credit" for many of the routes...side trips to minor peaks or outlooks. Extra credit for Sunlight: "Stand up."

Thanks, that sounds like it, check out those pictures on the bottom..

Of course, there are some LoF that have more scary consequences for a slip than others!

Jay

 

[jfb]

The leap of faith I remember best is getting from the South Summit of Middle Teton to the North Summit. After climbing the Buckingham Ridge, we proceeded to rappel into the notch. After securing to the rappel anchor, we threw the ends of the rope into the notch but could not tell if the ends reached the bottom because we couldn't see the landing area and the ropes were being blown out at a 45 degrees angle towards the east. Luckily, the rope was long enough.

 

[AMF]

Anywhere on Gertudes Nose in Minnewaska... just pick a leap to match your personal degree of faith.

 

[The Hikers]

It is a strange phenomenom that a small crack like that one on the maple ridge trail wouldn't cause a second thought if you were jumping the same distance on solid ground or from rock to rock on a trail, but add sufficient airspace under that crack, and our courage goes away fast.

 

[erugs]

The 140 foot rapel off the Grand Teton was mine. I am a novice, and climbed with a guide after two days of training. As I backed off the safety of the ledge, I noticed that the ATC device I was given to control my decent was different than the kind I had practiced with. OMG, I had to continue without screaming, but I was shaking a bit more than I would have been otherwise.

 

[Billy]

A few years ago I hiked up the "beehive" in Maine near Bar Harbor, you have to hang on to some small metal type of hooks that are drilled into the rock to step around an edge and step over a metal grating while looking out at the ocean scary the 1st time but very exciting the 2nd time...sorry but no pics at that time....

This might be the spot...
http://walkinginthewoods.smugmug.co...a-National-Park/6719986_25ApZ#429090846_4Cvto

 

[The Unstrung Harp]

I seem to remember some leapy madness on Goose Eye along the AT. I think I was such a wash of endorphinic euphoria due to the gorgeous and awesome terrain at the tine, that I do not recall where exactly. Any mind readers out there? Got pics of the spot I'm thinking of?

 

[sapblatt]

There is one on the King Ravine Trail at the base along the Subway - it is kind of a jump over a gap with a small landing area - and I ain't gymnast size...I have done it once - and the other time i opted for the Elevated

 

[giggy]

climbing up lincoln slide, got a tad "off route" whatever that means - since there is no "route" - ended up in on a rock and had to jump a couple foot wide gap - uphill to a slopping rock to avoid falling down into the chasm - would have sucked trying to get out it. If I recall, nearly lost it and had to grab someone's hand to stop from falling... wouldn't have died, but would have made a miserable day.

 

[MichaelJ]

I don't remember any leaps around Goose Eye, but Mahoosuc Notch has a few jumps that are just long enough, over deep enough gaps, with limited range of pack movement due to surrounding rocks, to really, really make me uneasy.

 

[erugs]

I remember stepping onto a rock in M'Notch that wasn't really there. I was glad I had a hand-hold at the same time.

 

[sierra]

I once attempted to "jump" a 6 foot gap over a 45ft deep gorge to impress a date. I made the jump easilly, but the other side was a rock shelf covered in moss, I lossed my feet and tumbled back into the gorge, then preceeded to bounce my way down somehow managing to straddle both walls 15ft down, I then climbed/slid/fell down into the pool at the bottem. When reaching the top to my waiting date covered in moss and dirt, completely soaked, I said "ok lets continue on" she replied " do you always do stuff like that? I said sure I do, I told you I was mountain man didnt I, I think I impressed her we lasted 4 yrs together.

 

[bcskier]

To me the classic "leap of faith" isn't mine but comes from the account of Ernest Shackleton's crossing of South Georgia Island. After a small boat voyage from Elephant Island, through hurricane-force winds that sunk a 500-ton steamer in their vicinity, Shackleton landed on the uninhabited side of the island and decided, rather than risk using the boat, he and two crewmates would cross the glacier-covered island on foot. Their equipment consisted of wood screws in the soles of their boots, a single carpenter's adze and 50 ft. of rope.

The leap of faith came when having reached the crest of the ridge of the mountainous spine of the island, in whiteout conditions, they realized their chances of survival were slim without a speedy descent from the exposed ridgeline. So they sat down and glissaded down a couloir, not knowing what lay below in the whiteout. It saved their lives and they did eventually reach the whaling station on S. Georgia, a continuous journey of 36 hours, from which Shackleton coordinated the rescue of his entire crew.