The technical portion of the Armadillo (5.7) Traverse from the higher grassy ledge on the right into the flake. Up the right side (chimney) and onto the face. Climb the crack in the headwall above and gain the ridge from the left.

All Locations > Maine > j. The Maine Hi… > Katahdin > 01. Chimney Pon… > Armadillo (5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b)

The technical portion of the Armadillo (5.7) Traverse from the higher grassy ledge on the right into the flake. Up the right side (chimney) and onto the face. Climb the crack in the headwall above and gain the ridge from the left.

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Me just about topping out on the Armadillo. Photo by Mike Garrity

The Armadillo

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4.5 from 15 votes

BrianWinslow

Sep 9, 2007

“The technical portion of the Armadillo (5.7) Traverse from the higher grassy ledge on the right into the flake. Up the right side (chimney) and onto the face. Climb the crack in the headwall above and gain the ridge from the left.”

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A close up of the Armadillo, start on the grassy ledge on the right, up and to the back of the flake. Chimney up to the second indent and belay. Continue up the flake and onto the face, belay on top of the flake. Climb the crack up and to the left. Belay again and around to the left to gain the ridge.

Climber on Hand crack above flake. Belayer on grassy ledge. Viewed while hiking on Knife ridge

Me just about topping out on the Armadillo. Photo by Mike Garrity

The technical portion of the Armadillo (5.7) Traverse from the higher grassy ledge on the right into the flake. Up the right side (chimney) and onto the face. Climb the crack in the headwall above and gain the ridge from the left.

The Armadillo

Seconding the crack pitch with the belay ledge visible below.

Telephoto from Cathedral trail by Ted Farnsworth, shared with permission. Shows the approach headwall at the top of the basin. Topo is path of least resistance. Some scramble and some rope up, goes at ~5.5

First pitch

Armadillo (Left) and rib to summit ridge, the Flatiron is at far right.

Chimney Pond ranger station approach beta

Keith Odgen Toping Out the last technical pitch

Armadillo approach beta, green dots where we belayed.

Telephoto from Cathedral trail by Ted Farnsworth. Shown is the big ledge and beginning of pitch 1.

Telephoto from Cathedral trail by Ted Farnsworth, shared with permission. Shown is pitch 1 and 2 with belays.

The Armadillo

Belaying Adam up the third pitch.

the first pitch of the Armadillo.

the armadillo!

Looking back down the stellar Hand Crack pitch at Tim, Grant and Geoff standing atop the flake. <br>
Drop me a PM for some other pictures I got of you guys!

The LONG approach to the Armadillo. This photo is the stream bed that runs into Chimney pond. From here skirt the first headwall to the left and follow the diagonal right leaning ramp (up towards 2 o'clock) until you can access the second grassy ledge. The approach is long, loose and wet and gains about 1,400 feet.

Climbing the 3rd pitch.

~5.7 Chimney pitch from the left hand approach. The top of this chimney pops out on the 2nd big vegetated ledge where the massive flake sits and typical 1st pitch begins.

Leading the third pitch.

One Happy Girl

Armadillo (L) and Flatiron (R)

From the approach

From just under Le Armadillo

Geoff Wilson on the the left hand variation, Wind in the Willows. A stellar and rather consistent 5.9 Crack. When coupled with the 5.8 left hand Chimney start from the original 1934 Armadillow route, this makes for a super high quality, direct, continuos crack climb...

Amazing Route!

Mike Garrity on the approach to the Armadillo.

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