Suggestions for Climbing Weekend (Trad 5.4-5.5)

So I'm looking to get away for a 3-day climbing weekend. It has been a while but I can confidently lead 5.4-5.5 (in the Gunks, if there is any grade scaling). What would be a good place for me to go for a 3-day weekend, which will have some fun, long routes, fitting the 5.4 to 5.6- range.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Where do you live? Want to go? North, south, etc? You mention the gunks; the adirondacks will give you plenty of climbs, or go up into NH. Seneca also has plenty of trad moderates and below. Besides that on the east head farther south to NC. If you're out west well...you have even more options.

You might want to say what month.
Right now: East coast will most likely be wet or muddy. Potentially dangerous with falling ice, and rock. If you can climb 5.5 gunks, then Red Rock has plenty of climbs (5.6 - 5.7) for you to do, just make sure you are efficient and understand route finding.

mountainproject.com/v/linvi…

where, and when???

Good time for Linville Gorge in North Carolina. Later is warmer but the snakes and ticks will be wild. Check out Prow, Mummy, and Daddy routes.

I live in New York City but will travel far west. Timing, I am thinking sometime in June.

Ideally, I would like well protected, multi-pitch routes. I really enjoy the Gunks but have done many days there and have not gone anywhere else in terms of major climbing areas. Can people confirm that if I am solid on 5.4 Gunks that I should be good for 5.5 to 5.6 elsewhere? I have heard differing comments on this

Thanks for your replies.

david, the style of climbing in the gunks is very unique, its very strong, with that being said, you'd probably have a lot of fun in at seneca on anything 5.4 and below, which is nice since there is a lotttt of climbs there of that nature, its about a 7-7.5 hour drive, so not too terrible to do in a long weekend.

Check out chapel pond slab in the Dacks. The regular route goes at 5.5 I think. It's 6-8 pitches, depending on how you do it, and protects well.

Oh, and if you're solid on Gunks 5.4 you'll be good up to 5.11b at other areas. No problem.

Thanks for the suggestions and replies.

Linville Gorge looks really interesting to me. Unless I am misreading, most of the long lower grade routes in the DAKS (5.4-5.6) appear to be slabby. I am not sure I would want to spend 3 days on slabby climbs.

Linville gorge is awesome. I can't go so you should. Bottomline. The classic Mummy, Daddy and Prow in a day link-up can be alot of fun and give you the sense of being on something bigger and taller--not that the Amphitheater area is short. The start to the Prow is slabby but by that point in the day you might be ready for a smidge o' slab. Look into the camping, get some beta and probably you should bring plenty of water to stash at your campsite depending on where you're going. Around this time of year is awesome as well before the rhododendrons are really thirsty for blood.

--Wannabe

David S wrote:Thanks for the suggestions and replies. Linville Gorge looks really interesting to me. Unless I am misreading, most of the long lower grade routes in the DAKS (5.4-5.6) appear to be slabby. I am not sure I would want to spend 3 days on slabby climbs.

Linville gorge is awesome. You can drive to the camping area at the base of Table Rock, and from there you can do the Mummy, Daddy, and Prow down in the gorge. The next day from the SAME CAMPGROUND you can walk up to table rock and do North Side (5.4), Peek-aBoo(5.6),Jim Dandy (5.6) and maybe go crazy on White Lightning (5.7/5.8). There's also toproping available down the trail for the after dinner crowd, and some bouldering for the gung ho.

Can't say enough about that place for a visit!

I would venture Tahquitz as an option, but that's a BIG trip given where you live. Tons of great multi-pitch in the 5.1 to 5.6 range. Crack, face, etc., all on awesome granite, which really makes it something of a rarity. If you want to get out of state but don't want to travel as far, the Flatirons has lots of terrific easy climbs, a huge monopoly really, though you have to love the slabby stuff. Never been to Linville Gorge but it looks nice.