Table Mountain Rock Climbing

 Bear Notch Road is usually open from early-mid May to late Oct-early Nov.  it is closed in winter.

At the end of May 2021 we were up there and noted the cord(s) of several of the top tree anchors were cut through, either by animals with teeth or human with knife. (Some cuts were very straight, others fuzzy like chewed) This included: the “back up rope” for the top Bugs Eat Frogs rap, the cord at the top of Red Knight’s Romp ( the new, bright green cord placed by someone other than the FA-ers, which implies the cord and quick link placed by the FA-ers had been removed or cut..?! ) and one of the cords at the maple tree island at the top of P1 of Holy Grail. CHECK YOUR ANCHOR CORD before trusting it.

Pleasant climbing on a 200 - 300 ft south facing slab about 45-50 min. hike; nice rock, most (if not all) old 1/4" bolts have been replaced, and hardly anyone ever goes there, even on crowded weekends. Most climbs are reasonably well protected at their cruxes and "run out" portions are usually 2 to 4 grades below the climb's crux rating. A single rope ( 70m best) is all you need for most climbs and raps. 

The best approach to the base is to hike up the well-maintained hiking trail and rap in.  Anchors (dbl 3/8 or 5/16th inch bolts) are "set" on four lines. (3 on Main Slab). Your last rap sets up a top-rope on some of the best climbing. (Regardless of which of the rap options you decide to use!) this site lists several new routes that do not appear in the 2021 Handren, guidebook. ENJOY!

Once at the base, you will find the immediate 3-4 ft from the cliff to the trees quite easy walking, especially from Picnic Table to near Merlin. From Merlin west to the start of "False Holy Smoke" there is a bit of a slab-scramble down, usually using pine branches for an "assist", although there are other ways to make this move. From "False Holy Smoke" to the end of the slab the walking is again easy.

Should you get caught in a sudden downpour, probably the EASIEST, MOST PROTECTED WAY UP (and out) is to climb P1 (5.4-5.5) of False Holy Smoke, and then P2 of Old Smokey's Return. This gets you to the upper Merlin Rap station, where a climber's path leads up and right, returning you back to the "Bugs" rap station and the hiking trail.

In a true emergency it is possible to hike out in the tree-and-bush filled gully about 120 +/- ft right of "Bugs Eat Frogs". Look for a cairn at the base, and take care with loose stones that may tumble, but there is nothing technical in the ascent. The top section is described in the approach to Arthur’s Arete and Caldor Crack, and there’s a photo showing the general path.

HISTORY- Probably the first climb on the slab was put in by Paul Ross and Julia Blake in the summer of 1976. They bushwhacked directly in from the Kanc with difficulty locating the slab. (Uhg !!!). Paul named the* route they did that day "Dragon Fly" for the insect, of which there were many flitting around, while he (essentially) soloed on lead (no bolts for THAT Brit!). He "graded it 5.7" (That's "old school" 5.7 !) on "the best looking bit of the slab...to the top of the slab...and might have been [in the area of] Knights (in White Satin) or Holy Grail".

** The fact that Paul did six (6) new climbs on Rainbow on one day, while only doing this one on Table, kind of gives you a clue as to the bushwhacking and logistics they encountered coming in from the Kanc!

(Italic quotes from a personal e-mail communication (July 2015) from Paul after he had consulted his "FA notes".)

The new (2022) Handren "North Conway" Guidebook covers this this cliff quite well.  

The climb that  Ed Webster, and the old (2012) Handren guide named "Holy Smoke"  has been re-named "False Holy Smoke". [See more on this in the COMMENTs, if you're interested.] The real "Holy Smoke" (FA by the "two Dougs") included what would later be climbed as P1 of Table Scraps and the last pitch of Picnic Table.