Northeast Slab Bouldering

I really enjoy slab climbing and I'm looking to improve my friction smearing. So I thought we could make a community list of slab boulders like the Northeast Crack Bouldering thread. While I'd prefer things in Massachusetts, for the list I figured slabs from all across the Northeast would be fun to include too. Post your favorites and I'll add them to the list!

Cape Ann:

• Wonton Soup V4
• Modern Warfare V6
• Alcove Slab V2
• Pulpit Slab V5-6
• Vestigial Tail V4
• The Drop V1-
• Young Adult Friction V1

Lynn Woods Area:

• Golden Slab V1
• Stage Fright V2+
• Do (Due?) North V2-
• Lunar Smear V2
• Road Kill V4
• Lion-O 5.12 V5-6
• Snarf 5.11- V3
• Soft Kitty V0+
• Hard Kitty V3

Gilbert Hills:

• Gritish Invasion V7 (chipped RIP)
• Once is Never V6
• The Jeremy Wall Memorial Problem V5
• Master Oogway V4

Pawtuckaway:

• The Voodoo Child V9-10
• Eat Your Veggies V5
• Sriracha's All Gone V5-6
• The Treadmill V5-6
• Method Slab V4
• Golden Hind V6
• Rainbow Mist (Keep it Subtle) V5+
• Midnight in a Perfect World V9-10
• Mr. Big V7-8
• Vision Quest V7
• Mr. Medium V3-4
• How the Light Gets In V9

Rumney:

• The Crescent V3-4
• Brand New Miura's V3

Sundown Ledge:

• Cool Friction Slab on Tier 2
• The Matrix Slab V0

Southern NH:

• Flat Banana V3

Lincoln Woods:

• The Hole V5-6
• Silent Rage V8-

Smuggler's Notch:

• Hello Kitty V6
• Hands-Free Slab V0
• Slab Ambassador V3
• Highball Slab left of Dirty Job

Bolton, VT:

• Slabby Problem V2 (and other variations)
• Scary Slab V1+

Adirondacks:

• Giant Sucker V2
• Adirondack Gold V3
• Face Off V3

Acadia:

• 5.9 Slab at Canada Cliff

Pennsylvania:

• Patoggan Run V4
• The Squeak V8
• The Pyramid V1
• Porcelain V3
• King Louie V5
• Ninja Gaiden V4

The Hole, V5, Lincoln Woods

Pway:

Golden Hind V6

Rainbow mist V5/6 

Indian Headress v3 

The crescent and brand new Miuras at crescent area Rumney 

I've been updating that crack boulder list for four years (most recently maybe a week ago after walking around the Gunks) so I hope you're ready for that kind of commitment. I don't even like crack climbing that much anymore ;)

Anyway, Giant Sucker at McKenzie Pond in the Adirondacks comes to mind! These are some absolutely heinous looking boulders, is there an opposite of a to-do list?? They're making me nauseous to think about

There's an awesome slab boulder near the parking lot at Canada Cliff in Acadia ME. I think its called the 5.9 slab? stellar friction smearing!

Really cool friction slab on tier 2 of sundown, also some really fun slabs under cathedral as one might imagine. I don't know any names unfortunately.

Matrix Slab at sundown ;)

Personally, I think it would be useful to put more parameters on this list. If it is meant to include all slabs from v0 and up and of any quality, the list is going to be very, very long and full of a lot of low quality lines. I personally have started compiling a list of all of the v6 and up slabs in the Northeast. Putting that parameter on the list helps keep the size more reasonable. There are far fewer crack boulders in the Northeast than slabs. For example, there are at least two dozen slabs in the Boulder Natural area at Pway alone.

Nol H wrote:

I've been updating that crack boulder list for four years (most recently maybe a week ago after walking around the Gunks) so I hope you're ready for that kind of commitment. I don't even like crack climbing that much anymore ;)

Anyway, Giant Sucker at McKenzie Pond in the Adirondacks comes to mind! These are some absolutely heinous looking boulders, is there an opposite of a to-do list?? They're making me nauseous to think about

Maybe I'm the giant sucker for making this list! I don't think the upkeep will be quite as committing as that problem you posted either

Christian Prellwitz wrote:

Personally, I think it would be useful to put more parameters on this list. If it is meant to include all slabs from v0 and up and of any quality, the list is going to be very, very long and full of a lot of low quality lines. I personally have started compiling a list of all of the v6 and up slabs in the Northeast. Putting that parameter on the list helps keep the size more reasonable. There are far fewer crack boulders in the Northeast than slabs. For example, there are at least two dozen slabs in the Boulder Natural area at Pway alone.

I see what you mean, but I did say to post your favorite slab. I'd imagine most zero star routes aren't favorites. Also limiting climbs from say V6 and up doesn't help one progress in their smearing technique which is one of the reasons I made this list.

Anyway let's get some more slabs on the list so we can send them all after winter

Once is never v6 (prob sandbagged) Gilbert hills- needs a second ascent 

Once is Never is epic! I wish I had the courage to send that thing. It's such as sucker problem. Starts easy and just gets thinner and thinner the higher you go. Makes my hands sweat thinking about it!

Three star v4 and above at At Blair Woods, I'm sure there are more but these are what come to mind.

Eat your Veggies 

Sriracha's All Gone

The Treadmill

Method slab

Some from Snowy Mountain in the Adirondacks - Adirondack Gold V3 and Face Off V3. Also saw this video recently, which would be relevant : https://youtu.be/c25FP5Eo8xM

After doing Face Off I wondered, what's the hardest pure friction slab boulders in the northeast? Ones where you truly aren't holding anything? Or do they get so hard you just start death-crimping small crystals and tiny bumps?

Also from Smuggs - Brad F added some no-hands challenges that might amuse some slab addicts. Hello Kitty V6 and Hands-Free Slab V0 in the new landslide area. Also Slab Ambassador V3 in the same zone is good. There's also a highball slab at the parking lot to the left of Dirty Job I occasionally see people on, I'll see if I can figure that one out.

In Bolton there's Slabby Problem V2 and some variations, then some tall (20'+) slabs on Roof of Rumors that don't get done much.

Patoggan Run (V4) at Haycock Mountain, PA. Tall, proud, great friction slab climbing. Definitely a classic! There’s a couple other good ones at Haycock but that was the first that came to mind.

There’s also the Squeak (V8) at Mt. Gretna, PA. Never been there to try it, but figured it would be worth mentioning 

Nol H wrote:

After doing Face Off I wondered, what's the hardest pure friction slab boulders in the northeast? Ones where you truly aren't holding anything? Or do they get so hard you just start death-crimping small crystals and tiny bumps?

That's a good question. Setting aside the fact that lots of climbers use the term "slab" to mean any face climb that isn't overhanging, I scratched my head to read here that there are allegedly friction climbs in the V9 range. In my (roped) experience, true friction climbs start to become effectively devoid of anything usable hold-wise at about 5.11.  

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/107420350/the-pyramid

The Pyramid, V1, Governor Stables, Pa.

Mt Gretna: Porcelain V3, King Louie V5, Ninja Gaiden (sorta slab) V4, and many others I can't think of at the moment.

My brother put up an epic friction slab in the Swanzey/ Keene area in SWNH. It's called "Flat Banana" pure friction slab, no repeats. Kind of hidden, so it doesn't get traffic. The Galloways couldn't repeat it, and they are slab wizards.

Brad Fauteux wrote:

My brother put up an epic friction slab in the Swanzey/ Keene area in SWNH. It's called "Flat Banana" pure friction slab, no repeats. Kind of hidden, so it doesn't get traffic. The Galloways couldn't repeat it, and they are slab wizards.

The video of that doesn't look remotely V3 despite the video of another V3 that Troy is well-known for. Still, it does look like some hardcore smearing!