What are the hardest non technical climbs...

[blacknblue]

I would have to say that Flume Slide, Huntington, and Great Gully are probably the most difficult--at least based on the crux move. As for overall difficulty, I might throw Beaver Brook and Garfield Ridge in there b/c they wear you down over the course of a few hours.
I really didn't find the Hunt Trail or the Knife Edge on Katahdin to be that difficult, although they were both really really fun!

 

[DougPaul]

Of course there is also some Class 5 climbing at the Precipice, not including anything with rungs.

I've done Precipice without using the iron aids. Wasn't hard. Actually the iron aids get in the way if you are trying not to use them. Also have "wandered" off the route. (I used to rock climb.)

There are a number of spots for real climbing at Acadia. There is/used to be a guidebook for those who are seriously interested.

Doug

 

[ADK4Life]

In the book, Mountaineering, Freedom of the Hills, is an excellent chart with comparisons between a few world rating systems.
This alone confirms the confusion and controversy between regions.
Like anything else, you need to adjust these in your own mind to your own ability based on your experience.




I tend to base my estimate at class ratings from what I learned in this book. Route finding should be considered part of the class rating above class 1. Its the need of hand/feet to progress and route finding that will determine the non technical class of a climb on rock.

 

[sierra]

Some great points, the sytems used are certainally subjective but I do think broad generalations can be made. ONe thing to note espechally to easterners going out west for the first time, is that exposure plays no role in a climbs rating, there are class 3 routes in the Sierras that are imo tougher then some class 4's simply due to the exposure, something about being able to fall off seemes to "up" the ante.

 

[Mad Townie]

I've done Precipice without using the iron aids. Wasn't hard. . . .
There are a number of spots for real climbing at Acadia. There is/used to be a guidebook for those who are seriously interested.

Doug, I was talking about the whole Precipice wall, not the trail. There are routes from about 5.5 to about 5.10c, if I remember correctly. Oh, and there's a fairly new guidebook out (2 or 3 years ago, I think) that covers a lot of the new routes as well.

 

[DougPaul]

Doug, I was talking about the whole Precipice wall, not the trail. There are routes from about 5.5 to about 5.10c, if I remember correctly. Oh, and there's a fairly new guidebook out (2 or 3 years ago, I think) that covers a lot of the new routes as well.

OK. Might just be semantics--I was referring to the trail and some "variations" on it.

I do remember some climbs on the same side of Champlain a bit (1/2 mi -- 1 mi?) to the south--ranging from about 5.5 to 5.10 or higher. Did one or two of the easier ones myself--but it was a long time ago.

Doug