Wavelength – Multi-pitch Rock Climbing

Wavelength (5.8)

1,080 feet, 10 pitches

Whitehorse Ledge

North Conway, NH

May 2^nd brought a fabulous day for a first multi-pitch rock climb of the season!

Counting the ‘walk-up’ to the Launch Pad, Sean, Tom and I did 10 pitches today of The Slabs, Center of Whitehorse Ledge. We had blue skies the entire day, climbed the 5.8 pitch listening to Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ outdoor convention speech and met a “totally blind” climber on his very first multi-pitch climb.

Our climbing plan; start on the Standard Route’s direct route (Quartz pocket) and if it was dry, onto Wavelength, linking up with the Sliding Board and finishing up on the Standard Route. Sean would lead and Tom and I would second several of the pitches together. 

Enjoy photos taken of our climb!

White Mountain Hotel & Resort with Whitehorse Ledge in the backgound

A little bit of snow at the base of the ledge

Sean leading up to "The Toilet Bowl"

Me on Sean's belay at the "Launch Pad"

Tom and I making our way up from the Launch Pad to the Toilet Bowl

A Piton at the "Quartz Pocket"

Tom finishing up the 4th pitch to the thread

anchor in the main arch. Sean on his belay.

Sean leading the 5.8 pitch!

Tricky pocket section! Great moves for a tall climber, as Sean demonstrates! My short-climber beta; right foot on base. Right hand on small nub. Left hand in lower pocket. All in one move: Step up with left foot to meet left hand in lower pocket. As you push off with right hand and step up onto left foot, bump left hand up to higher, bigger pocket. Match hands and bump right foot up to higher nub. Step up to a bolt.

Happy belayer!

Tom's turn on the 5.8!

Making his way up the face of the brown bulge.

Past the crux and on the dike to the anchor of the 5.8

You damn right I'm happy to be climbing Wavelength!

Making my way up to the anchor just

below the steep headwall of The Sliding Board

Tom's turn to make his way up to the anchor!

Protection along the steep dike through the headwall of The Sliding Board.

Removing pro

Final pitch

Also topping out - safe and sound (left to right) Copp, Tom & Paul

These guys went off route a bit and Sean let them know.

They made the route tougher than it really was and it was

pretty scary watching their lead climber taking a couple of falls.

George Hurley, who was at the base, yelled up

directions to where they were supposed to be. 

Our belay and anchor stations along the route (yellow stars)

Photo: North Conway Rock Climbs Guidebook

Drone Camera - Standard Route - Multi pitch Ice Climbing

Standard Route  (WI3+)

Frankenstein Cliffs

Crawford Notch, NH

All last winter I had been asking him to go out ice climbing and he kept declining. So when I got Jeff B ’s email last week about ice climbing, I thought it was a joke and had to I read it several times. Jeff’s son Todd is a professional photographer/videographer and he needed some ice climbing shots/vids via GoPro Drone. http://toddjburgess.com/

I contacted Jeff S. and made sure to check the weather - Sunday was the better of the two. Originally I had chosen Cinema Gully but was told that it would be too thin. So when Frankenstein Cliffs was suggested, I choose the Standard Route because of its short approach and exposure. And I thought Todd should have no problems piloting his Drone for shots. Plus, it was “still in.” But I chose Standard Route mainly because it’s a very recognizable route at the cliffs. So Jeff S. lead both Jeff B. and I up the Standard Route. We had a perfectly beautiful day for ice climbing. The sun was out, temps warm and for the sake of the Drone camera, hardly any wind. Enjoy some photos taken of our climb.

At the tracks of the Standard Route

Gearing Up

Jeff S. on lead - 1st pitch

Jeff S. exiting the ice cave - 2nd pitch

Exiting the ice cave

Me at the 3rd belay station belaying Jeff S. up our last pitch

If we hadn’t been told that it was noisy, I would’ve thought that Todd’s Drone camera was a swarm of bees because that’s exactly what his drone sounded like. Yup, at time 0:37 our ropes are intertwined. But no worries, Jeff and I navigated around one another with no problems. It ain’t sketchy until it gets sketchy, right? :) 

Jeff S. (green jacket) on lead. With Jeff B. in dark blue jacket and me (light blue jacket & white helmet) cleaning pro. Here's the YouTube video!

The Standard Route - Multi pitch Rock Climbing

The Standard Route (5.5)
1,080 feet, 8 pitches
Whitehorse Ledge
North Conway, NH