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[cwoodman]

Jack Dorsey and I climbed a really fun route on this big face up in the Mahoosics near Berlin. We know there are established climbs there and whatever we were on was  wilderness rock climbing at its best. We started below an obvious long roof on a clean white slab. We turned the roof on the right, then cruised up a shallow groove on near perfect rock for another 4-500 feet to the top. What made it especially enjoyable was the fact that there were no pins or bolts along the way to reassure us we were on a route that led to the top. We had a blast on it. The climbing we did was probably mostly 5.4-5.5 with a couple of smooth crux sections of 5.6-5.7. The climb ended up being 7 pitches long with trees for belays and there were lots of variations for routes and belays. Near the top we clipped into a fixed anchor, then climbed to the top in two more shorter pitches. At the top there was another fixed rap anchor with Paul Cormier's initials on the hanger. We enjoyed the view and a snack before making five raps totalling 850 feet back from fixed anchors and a couple of trees down to the start.
Actually, the hike in is only half of what it is in the winter. We were able to drive in off Success Pond Rd for a mile, then hiked in on a decent logging road for another mile. The log road and clearcut come within about a hundred yards of the bottom of the face. Pretty staightforward.
For anyone interested in it, Jack will probably post some photos and GPS coordinates for the driving and hiking approach.
Chuck
PS. Anyone know the name of the climb this sounds like, or the name of any other climbs near the longest part of the main face? This would be way right of the overhanging sport/mixed climbing area. 

[Jack_Dorsey]

Love this kind of climbing!

Click on this link if you'd like to view our pictures:
http://jack-dorsey.smugmug.com/Climbing/Rock-Climbing/North-Bald-Cap/13676430_DFeE2#999459507_a2ABA

Jack

[Climber57r]

Nice pics...looks like some nice rock as well...enjoy.

[strandman]

Success Pondroad= you never know what you'll see out there !

[Admin Al]

guys,

Paul Cormier sent me some info on the climbs he has done out there, I have been remiss on posting them. I'll try & get to them tomorrow or this weekend if I can. you should get in touch with him.

[Robbovius]

Wow, looks awesome! thanks for posting this, looks like fun.

[Admin Al]

I finally got around to posting the information on North Bald Cap I got from Paul Cormier. there actually are a ton of routes out there. most, if not all, were put up by Paul and friends in 2008/2009. if anyone has pics of them on an actual route and/or better descriptions I'd love to get them.

[Jack_Dorsey]

Thank you for posting that info Al! The route that Chuck and I did was a variation of October Sundae. The description that you've included in pitch 1 and 2 actually describes all five pitches of the climb.

Our climb varied in that we didn't ooze left via the wave pitch to the crack pitch. Instead we took it straight up for a pitch then in the next pitch joined October Sundae above the crack pitch. We did see the crack pitch while rapping and agreed that would be a better way to go than the route that we followed.

All of the climbing pictures except for 8 and 9 that I've included here http://jack-dorsey.smugmug.com/Climbing/Rock-Climbing/North-Bald-Cap/13676430_DFeE2#998876510_SbVzP are of October Sundae. You are welcome to any of them.

[jlecours]

This looks like a great outing guys.  Nice photos too!

[punxnotdead]

Went up there today with Jack Dorsey. Did #1 route or a variation of it, or a completely new route. Im sure Jack will post the photos of the day. We really enjoyed the slabs cracks and face climbing we encountered.  What a great day! Thanks Jack!

[cwoodman]

On Columbus day, Jack and I went back up and climbed a two pitch variation to October Sundae. Instead of climbing up and right on the second pitch to go around the big overlap on its right side, we went straight up to just below the overlap and belayed. Then I led diagonally up and left to a weakness near its left end. I then climbed up through on nice rock (about 5.7) and we met the anchors of the rap line 100 feet further up. By following this variation, you get to enjoy the best of the 5.4-5.6 rock above the overlap instead of traversing in from the right above the overlap. This is a truly fun and exhilarating moderate. I think it's in the same league quality wise as Standard on Whitehorse and Lost in the Sun- even Chapel Pond Slab for you New Yorkers.
I think Jack added a few photos of our variation, and some of his and PND's climb the day before.
This is hunting season in the North Country, so think orange!
It's adventure climbing at its best. Have fun.
Chuck

[perswig]

Boondocks climbing!  What pretty rock and views. 
Thanks for the work and the pics.

Dale

[smartpig]

Two thumbs up!  Fun, long, and interesting rock.  Easy climbing for the most part.  Need to sample some of the select harder routes.  Good place to camp for the weekend.  Mike Lee belaying and Eric Popisil climbing.

[alclimbup2]

Jamie (or chuck/jack): is the camping on the Mt Success trail that Chuck had mentioned in a different post last year or is it right on success pond road where you park for Bald Cap?

Planning on going up there for 3 days last week of July and doing Bald Cap one day and Mt. Sucess the other, a bit more specifics on where to camp would really help , thanx

[smartpig]

There is a lot of wide open space in the valley because of the large clear cut.  You can easily car camp within a mile of both Bald Cap and The Lookout.  Or camp within a minutes walk from the cliff.  A brook runs close to the base of the cliff. Quite easy to figure out once you are in there.

The Look Out is another cliff with some moderates (Chuck and Jack?).