BETA PHOTO: The business section of Recluse...interesting beta...
Description
Recluse is an awesome route. The moderate climbing is better than the crux, but the crux is a fun boulder problem in its own right.
The start is hard for the grade, period. Some have called it 5.11b. Others call it "solid" 5.10. After the first two or three moves, the locks and jams are bomber and you can cruise one of the best moderate cracks at the crag to the top. Move left at one point up high to join the finish of Bird's Nest.
Location
To the right of Bird's Nest (5.9), you will see a thin finger crack up a short steep section of rock leading up to a beautiful and more moderate hand crack.
Protection
Small gear down low, then standard hand crack gear to the top.
An interesting Top-rope variation goes out left before the mantle at the place where the super small crack splits off left. Follow the crack left then place a couple super small pieces (if leading, consider bringing your small steel triangle nuts (or borrowing them)) mantle on make-believe holds and let out a gasp of relief after the mantle. Continue up to anchors/tree.
Paul Ross used to say" a good intro to a hard 5.10 move", I would say a better intro to a 5.11 move. Tricky but good. Henry won a six pack doing the ffa of this. Failsafe is the other route, a tough and scantily protected line
In keeping with so many NH finger cracks, this one packed a lot more punch than I expected from the ground. I'm not sure that I figured out the trick beta though. Definitely a fun line with great pro and nice movement.
By nhclimber From: Nottingham, NH Sep 11, 2009 rating: 5.10d
isn't it, great route that doesn't as much lead traffic as it should. Set that first nut and you can fall till you get the move, then it's like a .9 to the top.
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