Climbing Area Index / Crawford Notch - various / Puttin' In Time (5.11 III)
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From the end of Sawyer River road, start up a mountain bike path on the right, follow this for a couple of miles until you see a bridge on the left. Go up a hill on the right and eventually you find a clearing, the cliff visible. From the back left side of the clearing go through a wet area and pass a good size boulder. A bad blow-down area is next that can be skirted on the left and going down to the river. Follow the river a ways to a good campsite at a gravel bed (good water). You can camp here. Go up a long narrow gully on your right to the base of a 150' cliff (no routes) then go straight left and level along a faint "trail" that brings you directly to the base of the cliff.
Another option is to go directly into the stream bed next to the campsite, the one you followed to get to the campsite. Follow the stream-bed up (it's usually dry most of the way) until you are directly across from the base of the lowest slab on The Captain then beeline through blow-downs to the slabs. You will know when you have gone far enough because it becomes impenetrable instantly. Then hang a right turn to the cliff. This is at the top of some open slabs on the brook at which point you can see directly over to the cliff. Regarding the bike, when you reach the clearing where the bridge is an your left keep riding or walking your bike through the far end of the clearing (its obvious) as far up the old logging road/trail until you reach the high point on the trail. It can be a little bit radical coming down riding with your pack on, but the quick descent is worth the effort.
Allow 2-3 hours to the camp and another hour to the cliff, especially on a first visit. A mountain bike can really help on the way out, leave it at the clearing and you can be back at the car in a half hour. |
One of the top back-country routes in NH.
Pitch 1: just left of the toe of the main slab. Start up easy climbing past 2 bolts to a bit of 5.8 then traverse right to a good ledge (bolts). (5.8 90')
Pitch 2: Move left on killer rock(small cams) to 3 bolts on a perfect slab 5.10 semi-hanging belay. (55')
Pitch 3: Classic! Go up and slightly right past bolts on really good rock. Cool edges and great situation. Small belay ledge (bolts). (5.11 - 90')
Pitch 4: Move up to a bolt then run out up and right (can get wet) over a bulge and finally a good tree belay. (5.9 120')
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| full rock rack, including several small/tiny cams. No pins are needed.
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| Rap 3 times with 2 ropes back to the ground. |
| 1997 - Lortie/Strand |
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