Katahdin - Still a Pain after all these years?

I have long been warned away from climbing at Katahdan due to the Parks structured and often aggravating rules. However, I was scanning the Parks website and it appears far more relaxed and no longer has a minimum size party requirement.

Are the rules more relaxed now or am I just missing all the red tape harried in the fine print?

I did a 5 day winter climbing trip in the park last year and the old restrictive regulations were not apparent. The ranger at chimney pond was nothing but helpful and pleasent and we got three solid days of climbing in as a party of two.

I haven't climbed there in the summer yet but it was an amazing experience in winter.

As of December 1st, 2009, the rules for climbing in Baxter State Park were substantially relaxed. I can't find a record of the announcement, but there was some coverage on other climbing websites around November 2009. Changes included the elimination of the minimum party size requirement.

Katahdin remains a carefully managed mountain, with visitor numbers limited, and the rangers will still keep an eye out for you, but their approach to climbers has shifted 180 degrees.

Formerly, people had been turned around for "failing" a mandatory gear inspection by park staff who knew nothing of climbing. I heard a story of someone whose carabiners were deemed to be inadequate because they were D-shaped, not oval the way "real" carabiners were drawn in some textbook from the stone age.

Now, you're more likely to get beta from the ranger on whether or not a second #3 Camalot will be helpful on your chosen climb.

Did the Taber wall last summer/fall.

By far the most restrictive part was making reservations. Do to the popular nature of the camping at Chimney Pond you must reserve 4 months or so in advance (see the park site for specifics). It might be possible to do Armadillo from Roaring Falls (easier to reserve) but it would be a super long day as all the routes require an alpine start even when staying at Chimney Pond. I wouldn't recommend it, certainly not without a prior visit, and the Taber Wall would be nearly impossible for the first time from Roaring falls due to the horrible bushwack necessary to reach it.

You need to be prepared for a wilderness/FA mentality, and making sure your prepared both in gear and experience. The mythical notebook full of route descriptions was practically worthless (though super cool from a historical perspective). We had major questions about where we were on route while climbing even after studying the route in the notebook and taking copious cell phone photos, and when we checked back in at the Chimney Pond ranger station we ran into a party that had gone up the wrong gully on the approach to Armadillo (the most heavily trafficed and popular route). So a comfort with route finding (and appropriate bailing)is very necessary. I would also note that much of the weather comes from over the mountain and can be very variable at times. You should also expect temperature to be much lower than in surrounding areas due to the altitude and exposure. We did most of our climbing in high wind and minor sleet (we made sure to go after the bug season....well almost).

This post isn't meant to scare you off as the climbing was spectacular (though very loose in spots) and you won't experience anything as remote feeling yet as accessible in the northeast. Also the ranger who we talked with (forget his name) was wonderful and super willing to share. The main point is that in the North East especially, we don't get many of the qualities, both good and bad, that make up climbing in a remote alpine location like Katahdin and you should be very prepared. I was a little jaded about the regulations going in but they were very amenable and after climbing there I can understand why they have cultivated a reputation for extreme safety consciousness. It would be very easy to imagine someone who has done something like say Whittney-Gillman thinking they were ready for Katahdin, especially with the new climbing culture (not a bash just the reality).

PM me with any specific questions.