Mountain Project : Don MacKenzie

Member Since: Apr 18, 2009
Last Visit: 6 days ago

Contact Don MacKenzie

Point Rank: # 8,442
Total Points: 20
Last Year: 17
Last 30 Days: 0

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Areas are worth 15

Routes are worth 10

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Contributions

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Contributed Routes

Name

Rating

Type

Location

Useful To

Date

Gargoyle

5.8 (2)

Trad, 1 pitch, 70 feet

ME : Acadia National Park : ... : Upper Slab and Upper Wall

Sep 10, 2012


Contributed Comments
Location: ME : Acadia National Park : South Bubble : Upper Slab and Upper Wall : Moraviana (5.7) By: Don MacKenzie When: Sep 10, 2012	view comment >>
Comments: The crux for me was getting off the ledge to gain the final 30' section of crack. Everything before that was pretty easy. Regarding the route description: the tricky-to-protect left-facing corner can be bypassed via a groove a few feet to the right.
Location: ME : Acadia National Park : South Bubble : Upper Slab and Upper Wall : Gargoyle (5.8) By: Don MacKenzie When: Sep 10, 2012	view comment >>
Comments: I listed this as 5.8 because that's the guidebook rating. But it's certainly no harder than some of the 5.7's at the Precipice.
Location: ME : Acadia National Park : The Precipice : Trotsky (5.7) By: Don MacKenzie When: Sep 10, 2012	view comment >>
Comments: Rating: Definitely full value for the money at 5.7. The moves are all there, if a little thin, but the finicky gear increases the pump. Gear: sound and adequate to protect against groundfall, but requires attention to detail. Take your time and downclimb for a rest if needed.
Location: ME : Acadia National Park : The Precipice : Madame Dubois Wild Ride (5.8+) By: Don MacKenzie When: Sep 10, 2012	view comment >>
Comments: Agree with Derek: unless we're talking about a different route, the name is "Madam Labois' Troubled Lunge". Rating: 5.8? No chance. WAY easier than Trotsky or Old Town. Only a little more difficult than Wafer Step, if at all. Gear: a little discontinuous, but hardly spaced out. I don't think I was ever more than a few feet from my last piece.
Location: NY : Adirondacks : Keene Valley Region : Hurricane Crag : Quadrophenia AKA Bara Bara (5.7+ PG13) By: Don MacKenzie When: Jul 25, 2012	view comment >>
Comments: So about this runout on p2... how bad is it? It's 5.6 if I understand correctly, and you're making face moves until you gain a crack? How far are you going before this crack? Is it 5.6 the whole way?
Location: NH : Cathedral Ledge : Airation Buttress : Pine Tree Eliminate (5.8) By: Don MacKenzie When: Jul 20, 2012	view comment >>
Comments: There's not a move harder than 5.8 on this route; the challenge is just that every move in the first 30 feet is solidly 5.8. To my view, the crux is gaining the pod below the first overhang. Both of the overhangs are actually pretty easy, and like the whole route, are very well protected. Well protected? You bet. Maybe too well protected. If you don't watch out, you'll end up placing 18 pieces like I did.
Location: NH : Cathedral Ledge : Thin Air Face : Standard Route (5.7+) By: Don MacKenzie When: Jul 20, 2012	view comment >>
Comments: I climbed this today (well, pitches 3 and 4 after starting on Toe Crack) and I am going to dissent and say that I think that 5.6R is about right for the third pitch. The moves were maybe on the stiff side for 5.6 but certainly not 5.7+. I was able to get a medium cam maybe 7 or 8 feet off the ledge. It doesn't protect for long, but it let me go up, clean off some holds, and work out the moves, downclimbing in between. The hardest moves were above this gear, probably looking at a fall back to th... more >>
Location: WV : Seneca Rocks : South Peak - West Face : Conn's West (5.4) By: Don MacKenzie When: Apr 5, 2012	view comment >>
Comments: I think this used to be 5.3 and the direct finish went at 5.4... those grades seemed more consistent by Seneca standards. I highly recommend the direct finish. P1 and P2 can easily be linked with 60m ropes. Try this with a 50 and your belayer will be simul-climbing the initial (very easy) moves. There's also a direct variation down low that is worth doing. You climb a short, steep corner ("Stupid's Corner") immediately below the start of the chimney. It's probably 5.4 and you really only nee... more >>
Location: NY : The Gunks : The Trapps : c. Frog's Head - the Arch : Baby (5.6) By: Don MacKenzie When: May 2, 2009	view comment >>
Comments: Great route. I led it in Oct '06 and the chockstone was still there in OW section at that time. That and a somewhat tipped out #4 Friend were adequate to protect the crux on that pitch.
Location: WV : Seneca Rocks : South Peak - West Face : Ecstasy Junior (5.4) By: Don MacKenzie When: Apr 18, 2009	view comment >>
Comments: Pitch 2 starts with a right-facing corner, not the left-facing corner indicated in the description.