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Cheap Date and Chapel Pond Gully

Original Post
Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480

I hiked up to Cheap Date but when I got there I didn't climb it. The route looks PG/R with the first placement about 25 feet off the ground. Anyone do this route that could gimme some beta? Is it 5.4? How's the gear? I couldn't find anything here on MP.

How bout the routes on CP Gully? Anyone done those 5.5s?

Kevin Heckeler · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 1,616

Is that the first climb on the gully cliff after the turn off for Tanager? [don't have my guide in front of me]

[if it is] Followed someone on it years ago. The beginning is a little run out and the move after is committing for the grade. Decent route though, and otherwise well protected. I think they normally describe these runout, tougher than graded starts as "bouldery".

Joy likes trad · · Southern California · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 71
Kevin Heckeler wrote: "bouldery".
Sounds about right
Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480

Yes Kevin, that sounds right. Thanks for the beta.. Guess I'll go back there and think positive.

We went to Tanager face after I wimped out.

Kevin Heckeler · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 1,616
Bill Kirby wrote:... after I wimped out.
Self preservation sucks.

Tanager is better climbing anyway. ;-)
Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480
Kevin Heckeler wrote: Self preservation sucks. Tanager is better climbing anyway. ;-)
Not for me. I'm fat so all that 9 is impossible. That 6 is fun but the gym has ruined me. I'm a one dimensional face climber so lay backing is.. Well forget about it! I do enjoy TRing after my friends have led something to set it up.

I had to walk down to Tilmans so I could lead something that day! Haha..
Kevin Heckeler · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 1,616
Bill Kirby wrote:Not for me.
Have you not learned anything from MP? Your opinion doesn't matter if someone disagrees with it. So get out there and tear up some 5.11d!

Figured the 5.8+ and 5.6 would have been done. The easier 5.10 to the left is good (crimpy). There's a 5.8/5.9 quasi variation just to the right of BCM. To the right of that I think something is broken off that bolted 5.9 climb, I got a few moves in and skunked. None of us in our group could get more than a move or two into it. I TR'd it fine many years ago but couldn't even get going. WTF?
MaxSuffering · · KVNY · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 0

Bill, I haven't done Cheap Date so I can't help you there, although maybe now I'll check it out an give a report.

As for the 5.5's at the Gully Cliff, the Old Route is probably best avoided while the Right-Hand and Left-Hand Routes both have good climbing of the first pitches but degenerate after that. The best line is probably linking the Right-Hand Route into the upper section of For once A Great Notion, Lawyer/Haas call this "The Right Notion" (5.5 PG ***). I'd consider the gear on the upper pitches F.O.A.G.N. to be (ahem) well spaced. The climbing is good but the real reward is the great dome-like summit with excellent views.

As for Brightly Colored Males, don't feel too bad, I had to do a double-take and grab my guidebook when you mentioned "the 5.6" -I always thought that route was harder than that and would have been upgraded.

Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480

Kevin, I don't think that bolted 9 has changed. A friend went up that when we were there and didn't say anything about a missing hold.

Max, I would buy you some beers at the Baxter if you tell what's up with Cheap Date. That link up has a G pro rating. I'm glad we passed on that craziness. It doesn't surprise me though. I swear Shipton's is not PG.

ClimbLikeAGirl · · Keene Valley · Joined Jun 2015 · Points: 15

As far as the far right 5.9 on Tanager in question, it's possible that the 5.12 variation (climbed by following the boltline) is what you attempted--super thin! I assure you nothing has broken off, it's just freaking hard. The 5.9 climbes more to the left of the boltline through a finger crack.

Kevin Heckeler · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 1,616
Bill Kirby wrote: Not for me. I'm fat so all that 9 is impossible.
edited to avoid confusion

  • *spoiler** The 5.8+ crack that starts on BCM and heads left is not a finger crack. After watching someone try to use it as such and trying it myself with no feet on the wall below, decided to stand in the crack and use it as a side pull/quasi-layback and that went much better. That's a great climb, just wish it was a bit longer.
Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480

Guy and girl.. The route I'm talking about is Rough Cut, the bolted one. It's rated 5.9 for the first half and it's impossible cause I'm fat. All the stuff shoes and balance can't help there. The variation to BCM is fun but RC.. Forget about it!

Kevin Heckeler · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 1,616

Just found a photo copy I made of the guide for Tanager, and yes you are right Kirby. I think we were both (plus two others I was climbing with) getting skunked on the same 5.9 climb. The harder climb to the right is 10d in the guide, and I doubt we had our rope that far over. Hmmmm...

Kevin Heckeler · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 1,616
Bill Kirby wrote:It doesn't surprise me though. I swear Shipton's is not PG.
[sorry I missed this earlier]

If you stay on/closer to the arete there's gear. I just climbed it earlier in the season, so it's fresh. Worse runout was maybe 10 feet, and not at a ledge.
Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480
Kevin Heckeler wrote: [sorry I missed this earlier] If you stay on/closer to the arete there's gear. I just climbed it earlier in the season, so it's fresh. Worse runout was maybe 10 feet, and not at a ledge.
That makes sense. I guess I maybe don't like how some spots aren't straight forward or something. I like the steep beginning!
MaxSuffering · · KVNY · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 0
Bill Kirby wrote: Max, I would buy you some beers at the Baxter if you tell what's up with Cheap Date. That link up has a G pro rating. I'm glad we passed on that craziness. It doesn't surprise me though. I swear Shipton's is not PG.
Bill, I don't drink... but I DO like Baxter Burgers, look me up when you're in town, let's get out and do a route. I think we may have passed at The Mountaineer earlier in the summer (?) and I didn't put it together. You're a big guy with a (ummmmm) distinct mustache, no?

Maybe I should check out F.O.A.G.N. too, the newest guidebook says "PG" protection on the upper pitches but for some reason I remember it being runout. It's been a while.

For anyone who cares, on Lifelong Affliction I've always stayed low, it's tenuous, you just have to trust your feet. That said I've always thought this was a sandbag at 5.8+, at other areas this would be called solid 5.9. (Now if only you could stack Lifelong Affliction and Veracity on top of each other as one pitch... that would be really cool!)
Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480
MaxSuffering wrote: Bill, I don't drink... but I DO like Baxter Burgers, look me up when you're in town, let's get out and do a route. I think we may have passed at The Mountaineer earlier in the summer (?) and I didn't put it together. You're a big guy with a (ummmmm) distinct mustache, no? Maybe I should check out F.O.A.G.N. too, the newest guidebook says "PG" protection on the upper pitches but for some reason I remember it being runout. It's been a while. For anyone who cares, on Lifelong Affliction I've always stayed low, it's tenuous, you just have to trust your feet. That said I've always thought this was a sandbag at 5.8+, at other areas this would be called solid 5.9. (Now if only you could stack Lifelong Affliction and Veracity on top of each other as one pitch... that would be really cool!)
Haha.. OK fair enough. A burger it is. The Baxter's crab cakes are tasty as well. You don't find good crab cakes outside of Maryland very often. I'll PM you so we can meet up. I'm pretty sure we have some of the same friends. That me, the big guy with the Richard Kukinski beard. I can't wait to hear about FOAGN too.

Trust your feet.. That's what keeps me from leading the second pitch of Tilamans! It seems so causal until there's no top rope.
Kevin Heckeler · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 1,616
Bill Kirby wrote:That's what keeps me from leading the second pitch of Tilamans! It seems so causal until there's no top rope.
I won't lead it, and my head and feet are fine. What's kinda frustrating is they already blew the aesthetics with one bolt, but two bolts would be intolerably safe (?). Maybe I'll follow on it someday and see it's no big deal.
Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480
Kevin Heckeler wrote: I won't lead it, and my head and feet are fine. What's kinda frustrating is they already blew the aesthetics with one bolt, but two bolts would be intolerably safe (?). Maybe I'll follow on it someday and see it's no big deal.
The FA didn't put that bolt there. Can you imagine? My guess would be the nut after the bolt keeps the pitch PG. I wouldn't wanna fall placing that nut though.

Speaking of more bolts, I swear there used to be a tree at the top of Shipton's and Tilman's. Now there's bolts!
Kevin Heckeler · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 1,616
Bill Kirby wrote:Speaking of more bolts, I swear there used to be a tree at the top of Shipton's and Tilman's. Now there's bolts!
The tree ended up getting sheered by rockfall during one of the hurricanes/flooding. It still might be there in a degraded form.
Kevin Heckeler · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 1,616
Bill Kirby wrote: The FA didn't put that bolt there. Can you imagine? My guess would be the nut after the bolt keeps the pitch PG. I wouldn't wanna fall placing that nut though.
That's a time in climbing when men were men, and bolts were scarce. I call it progress, some call it a catastrophe. While I wouldn't bolt someone's route, I certainly wouldn't chop what's there (nor would I have stopped at only quasi-securing the route with only one if I had bolted it).
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northeastern States
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