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Help Identifying Pawtuckaway Route

Original Post
Roderick R · · Burlington, VT · Joined Sep 2015 · Points: 30

I recently visited Pawtuckaway and had a great time, though it started as a ridiculously funny and embarrassing time.  Looking at the route guide here on Mountain Project, I chose "Short Stuff", an off-width 5.6, figuring it would be fun and get the blood moving. I've never climbed off-width, but at 5.6, I figured "how hard can it be?" Imagine my surprise when I could barely get on the route! I could climb a bunch of it by straddling between the Chimney and Short Stuff, but the Short Stuff crack by itself? Nope. I've climbed smaller cracks before with no trouble, but apparently off-width is its own thing entirely and I have some learning to do! I thought maybe I had the wrong route for a while because I was having such a difficult time. I laughed as I read elsewhere online that it was a good route for "kids to practice with." Could someone here confirm that the route that the rope is on in the attached picture is indeed Short Stuff? The "kids" may find it easy, but this not-kid with zero off-width experience found it quite the puzzle! Looking forward to solving it and moving onto bigger things as a result!

Jay Knower · · Plymouth, NH; Lander, WY · Joined Jul 2001 · Points: 6,036

While I don't know if you were on the right route, I'd like to congratulate you on your first humbling off width experience. If you're anything like me, it won't be your last humbling off width experience!

brian kendall · · henniker, nh · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 0

That does look like short stuff. Kind of an awkward climb. Like most wide stuff... If you need a partner to help figure out how to climb wide cracks I'm free to climb most nights and weekends

Russ Keane · · Salt Lake · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 392

I've climbed that route, don't know the name though. It's very tough! I've led it before (which was scary). Pawtuck. has old school ratings there at the trad cliff. Did you try the chimney climb next to it? That's the one "good for kids". There is at least one other cool 5.6 in that area, and some other 5.7 test pieces. Great quality rock!!

Andrew Williams · · Concord, NH · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 625

Short Stuff, Obscene Phone Call, No Answer.. some of my favorite climbs at P-way. Gotta love that offwidth.

Bill Shubert · · Lexington, MA · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 55

I agree with Russ. If you want an easy climb, do the chimney just to the left of Short Stuff (you can see it in the picture). It's graded something like 5.2 here. I don't recall whether I ever tried Short Stuff, but I tried a few other cracks near there and (as a person who is terrible at cracks) I found them all pretty hard.

Andrew Williams · · Concord, NH · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 625

An easier offwidth grovel there would be double jam, 5.5, just got the one heady move stepping off the ledge into the last top crack, but more of a mental game because there is awesome pro.

Roderick R · · Burlington, VT · Joined Sep 2015 · Points: 30
Jay Knower wrote:While I don't know if you were on the right route, I'd like to congratulate you on your first humbling off width experience. If you're anything like me, it won't be your last humbling off width experience!
Thanks Jay! I'm looking forward to continued humbling with off-widths. :)

brian kendall wrote:If you need a partner to help figure out how to climb wide cracks I'm free to climb most nights and weekends
Thanks for the offer Brian! I won't likely be back in the area for the remainder of the season, but will be traveling through next season. If the offer still stands, I may hit you up then.

Russ - I agree, it's great rock! I climbed some other stuff while there and loved it. Definitely got smacked down by the off-width though. Saw the chimney, but didn't do it for some reason... Moved to Bishop after the off-width for a quick score.

After reading all of your responses, I'm glad to know that my troubles with Short Stuff are at least justified. ;)
Derek Tremblay · · NH · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 110

I almost lost a number 3 in that thing. I was getting pumped, thinking "wtf , this is 5.6?", and just buried the number 3 in there. As I climbed past it, I managed to find some levity thinking "have fun cleaning that". Lol

Christopher Gagne · · Dover · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 1,112
mountainproject.com/v/free-…
Here's a link to some old guide books...
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northeastern States
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