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[triguy]

If you had four days to climb ice in the grade 3/4 range in and around north Conway what would you get after?

[DMan]

A bit broad of a question... help me narrow my suggestions by adding some info;

1) What, if anything, have you already done in New England?

2) What is your solid ice leading ability?

3) Do you want lots of cragging or longer alpine gully routes?

[JJ Jameson]

Assuming everything was in, and I was fit and had a willing partner?
I'd hit Frankenstein on one day, or even two, and climb Pegasus, Chia, Standard, Dracula left side. Additional routes there, Waterfall, Smear, Hobbit Couloir, in no particular order.
I'd get into Huntington Ravine and get up Pinnacle.
Cinema Gully to upper Hitchcock on Mt. Willard.
Shoestring for a longer adventure in Crawford Notch.

Combine these, and you'd be getting shorter pure waterfall ice, long cliff side climbs, big alpine climbs in dramatic settings. Quite a bit of variety.

[triguy]

I will lead up to a 4 pretty solidly on crappy Pennsylvania ice.

Routes I have led in new England:

 standard, waterfall, walk/way in the forest at Frankenstein. cinema, elephants head, and silver cascades in Crawford notch. pinnacle, damnation, Yale in Huntington ravine. Texaco slab and other stuff I don't know names of but were steep and short.

Would like to mix it up with cragging and longer alpine routes.

[DMan]

I will lead up to a 4 pretty solidly on crappy Pennsylvania ice.

Routes I have led in new England:

 standard, waterfall, walk/way in the forest at Frankenstein. cinema, elephants head, and silver cascades in Crawford notch. pinnacle, damnation, Yale in Huntington ravine. Texaco slab and other stuff I don't know names of but were steep and short.

Would like to mix it up with cragging and longer alpine routes.

That is super helpful. I would think Dracula and Shoestring Gully should be at the top of your list. Penguin, Pegasus and Chia should be close behind... Smear if it is in.... maybe something like this...

Day 1: Standard Route (right variation out the cave if in good shape, maybe traverse over to Penguin P2) Finish the day TRing harder stuff at Hanging Gardens or grab a later run up Elephant's Head.

Day 2: Shoestring. One of the best long gully climbs in the East IMO. Plan a full day if not soloing it...

Day 3: Hitchcock Gully, play on the East Face Slabs, finish up Upper Hitchcock or Cleft...

Day 4: Maybe tick off Willey's Slide, or bump this to day one as a warm up...

[triguy]

I like the sound of that!

How do chia and Pegasus compare to standard? Would you recommend the rock finish or the pillar on Pegasus?

East face slabs looked nice when we were up there last year but we had to boogie to catch a flight home. How about east face right?

Shoestring is definitely on my list. What finish do you recommend?

Thanks!

[Admin Al]

How do chia and Pegasus compare to standard? Would you recommend the rock finish or the pillar on Pegasus?

they are harder than Standard, both Pegasus' finishes are great.

East face slabs looked nice when we were up there last year but we had to boogie to catch a flight home. How about east face right?

I do it a couple of times a year & like it a lot. the left is boring...

Shoestring is definitely on my list. What finish do you recommend?

if it's IN, do the little rocky notch on the right. straight up is, dare I say, boring...

[frik]

considering what you've already done - and what people are suggesting.. I use a day to head over to Franconia and do the dyke. Also there are some climbs at Willoughby you'd like.

[Admin Al]

...head over to Franconia and do the dyke.

really???

[DMan]

considering what you've already done - and what people are suggesting.. I use a day to head over to Franconia and do the dyke. Also there are some climbs at Willoughby you'd like.

grade asked for was 3/4... so unless the Dike comes in supa fat plastic I would still consider it 4++ and at Willoughy you're stuck with the Tablets (still awesome), maybe Twenty Below Zero if it's in good shape.... but for someone looking for 3/4 grades I think they should probably stay entertained in MWV and surrounding notches for the time being...

[DMan]

I'll add my opinions to what Al has already said;

How do chia and Pegasus compare to standard? Would you recommend the rock finish or the pillar on Pegasus?

Chia via the easiest line, the long diagonal, is a little easier than Standard. Harder more direct variations abound... I think the rock finish is super classic, and maybe a smidge easier ice wise than the pillars... but the dry-tooling can be awkward if you haven't done much... it is so awesome though...

East face slabs looked nice when we were up there last year but we had to boogie to catch a flight home. How about east face right?

Opposite of Al here... they may be easy but the positioning on the cliff make East Face Slabs Left better than the Right variation IMO... I've only done the right side once or twice but I love running up the left side: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzpVCWPPHoA

Shoestring is definitely on my list. What finish do you recommend?

I've only done the regular, BORING, and the direct, which is sometimes a bit thin early season but when it is in is a great finish... never done the "chockstone" option a pitch below... will have to try that some day...

[Admin Al]

...head over to Franconia and do the dyke.

really???

I was making a joke based on the spelling... [wry grin]

[strandman]

Isn't there a harder finish (rock) to Shoestring ?? Like 10a ? That might get the juices going

[frik]

Dman true about the dike... but it can get fat, and it's more of a psychological deal than technical - he shouldn't rule it out. As for the lake; twenty below seems well within his range considering what he's already done. And the climbs on the tablets are longer than anything at frankenstein. Seems like a better use of time rather than poking around on cinema, willey's or shoestring.

[top-rope-happy]

I'd spend a day in Gulf of Madison, may be camp out there overnight.  I'd also pick Green Chasm or central couloir into the mix. Finish it off at Evans Notch.