g. V3 - Middle Earth  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  39,571. Good page?    Administrators:  JSH, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  JSH on Feb 26, 2011 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon 77° | 57° 66° | 48° 59° | 41° 63° | 37° 70° | 39°

Area closures MORE INFO >>> 2013 Peregrine Closure: Bloody Bush (5.7) to Overhanging Layback (5.7). This includes Arch, Ribs, Strictly, Shockley's and the Mac Wall. Best wishes to the nestlings. This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Rich Goldstone on the Mantle block, between the fi...

Along the Cliff 

last area: Guide's Wall | next area: Arrow Wall to CCK

Description 

Major Features: This area is really a collection of smaller areas, with routes mostly 5.6 and above (except for Red's Ruin, which - trust me on this - you really don't want to climb). Don't miss: Raunchy, V-3, Cakewalk, Never Never Land, Absurdland, Wisecrack, Middle Earth, Sente, or Thin Slabs / Thin Slabs Direct. In addition, you can use one of several routes to get to the GT ledge at Middle Earth, then stay up there and climb several neighboring third pitches while enjoying the view.

We start this area at the Mantle Block: a 50-foot tall block leaning against the main cliff, with a 4' roof across its front face, home to the routes Dis Mantel and Dat Mantel, which must be pronounced, even in your head, with a German accent, even though you don't absolutely have to mantle them on ascent.

The northern extent of this area is marked by the "height of land" as the trail rises just after the Sente / Thin Slabs area; past Snake, just past the height of land, you'll find the Arrow wall and area.

Approach: For routes between the Mantle block and Cakewalk or so, use the V-3 trail (pic to follow in spring).

In 2010, Dick Williams and his all-volunteer trail crew built what is, thus far, the crown jewel of the trail-maintenance efforts: a set of painstakingly placed stone steps that provide secure footing directly to the cliff, in between Middle Earth and the Sente area.

Descent: In this area, mostly by trees at individual routes. V-3 has a pair of bolts above its first pitch, as do Cakewalk and Never Never Land. When rappelling from Middle Earth and surrounding routes, please be careful of climbers below - it's a very popular area.

From the clifftop, heading north to the Arrow bolts is also a close-by option, and an easier way to avoid ascending parties.

Routes, left-to-right 

Dat Mantel: 5.10, PG
Dis-Mantel: 5.10, G
Kernmantle: 5.8, PG
High Times: 5.9+, PG-R
Stop the Presses Mr. Williams: 5.8+, PG
Gory Thumb: 5.8+, G-PG
Raunchy: 5.8, PG
Wild Horses: 5.9, R
Badfinger: 5.9+, PG
Help!: 5.11+, R
Pleh: 5.11+, R
V-3: 5.7, G (**)
City Streets: 5.10, PG
Country Roads: 5.10, PG
Commando Rave: 5.9, PG
Metropolis: 5.11+, PG-R
Beyond the Fringe: 5.9, R
Balrog: 5.10, G-PG
Bullfrog: 5.12-, PG-R
Blind Alley: 5.8, PG
Dry Heaves: 5.8, PG
Alley Oop: 5.7, PG
Cheap Thrills: 5.10, PG
Deep Chills: 5.11+, R-X
Cakewalk: 5.7, PG (**)
Nurdland: 5.10, R
Turdland: 5.10+, PG
Triangle: 5.9-, PG
Nevermore: 5.10, PG-R
Never Say Never: 5.10, R-X
Never Never Land: 5.10-, PG (**)
J'accuse: 5.10, R
Welcome to my Nightmare: 5.10, X
Absurdland: 5.9, PG
Blunderbus: 5.9, R
Wisecrack: 5.6, G
Wiseland: 5.9+, PG-R
Wonderland: 5.8, PG
Faithful Journey: 5.8+, G
Middle Earth: 5.7-, G
Bombs Away Dream Baby: 5.8, G
Journey's End: 5.10-, G
Red's Ruin: 5.2, G
Smegma Garden and Pigeon: 4, G
Snowpatch: 5.5, PG
Sente: 5.9-, PG
Tenta: 5.10, TR
Thin Slabs / Thin Slabs Direct: 5.7, PG-R
On Any Monday: 5.11-, PG
Snake: 5.6, PG
Talus of Powder: 5.8, R-X

The Classics

Featured Route For g. V3 - Middle Earth

Never Never Land 5.10a  NY : The Gunks : ... : g. V3 - Middle Earth

This route is a highlight, at 5.10a, among the pure face-climbing routes at the Gunks. There are a couple fixed pieces of gear, but the majority of the gear is trad.The Never Never Land access trail is about a 12-min. walk from the Uberfall, or an 8-min. walk from where the East Trapps Connector Trail meets the carriage road.Start 30' left of Absurdland at the low point of the cliff, at a polished face with a bolt 25' up.P1: Place a small piece in the horizontal, or have a spotter. Follow...[more]   Browse More Classics in NY

Photos of g. V3 - Middle Earth Slideshow

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Mike starting up Gory Thumb. The climb continues ...	Tricia Fusco in the V-3 notch.	Tricia at the Balrog crux.
BETA PHOTO: Dry Heaves: A great traverse, just a little to clo...	Never Never Land: Nice slab climbing.	Josh Byford in the midst of the Wisecrack crux.
BETA PHOTO: Sente.	BETA PHOTO: Start Snake by climbing the right-facing corner to...