Betty 

Finally climbed it on a soggy Sunday - because there was finally nobody on the route. An ok route, don't think it's worth waiting for on a nice day - there are way better 5.3s in the Gunks. Scary when wet though - any slip and you may end up with a broken ankle - it's ledges all they way up...

There was a yellow jackets nest just at the top of the first chimney about 3 ft from the ledge. I think the spot I wanted to go up was the small roof directly above the yellow jackets nest but the book said head right and so instead traversed right about 30 ft to head up some other chimney. I don't think this was on route (maybe) and the very top section felt harder than 5.3 (but it's the Gunks and they have their own rating system apparently, so who knows). The pro was good enough including a big tree and a pin or two one of which I was able to back up the other not.

I have done p2 three different ways, and IMHO, the best finish for my taste is to go straight up from the p2 belay toward the notch in the rock visible clearly overhead. This is a variation, not the original route. The chimney always seemed wet to me.

A pitch-2 variation I've done twice is to work up the chimney, then at its top move left (very short traverse) and then up a book, then face climb to the anchors. Going to the right causes drag over the edge of the chimney and nothing over there looks clean or obvious anyway. P2 has some great exposed moves coming out of the chimney for the grade.

Kevin, that's what I've most often done, and it is nice. The nose is nice & a bit exposed, and you can also climb the open-book to the right at the top, all about the same grade.

It's possible to link the whole route in one pitch, if you sling things very carefully and follow the nose at the top.

I agree that the most fun and esthetic way to do P2 is to step left at the top of the first chimney, then thru the semi-notch and up the prow to the top. It's more direct, more exposed, and has cleaner rock. Perhaps the prow takes a bit more thought to protect (with a range of cams in horizontal cracks).

I'd rate Betty as 3-stars with this "direct" P2 variation, only 2-stars without it.

The initial off-width crack system has a couple of moves where the footwork is fairly subtle, and lots of people have to semi-mantle or other less-elegant-feeling improvizations. After that it's almost all fun positive holds (if take the multiply-recommended Left variation for P2).

Note that the first chimney on P2 could be skipped entirely by going more left immediately off the P1 belay (just above the little overhang) somewhere thru or alongside a big flake system. My memory from last year is this seemed like nice climbing, but significantly harder than the chimney, and likely not so well protected.