Climber passing up past the tree in the chimney on pitch 3.

All Locations > New Hampshire > Cathedral Ledge > Thin Air Face > Thin Air (5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b)

Climber passing up past the tree in the chimney on pitch 3.

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Looking back at my friend Liam from the top of the tricky slab finish of Thin Air. This is the direct/right line. The other option is to stay to the left and follow up a dirty/easy corner. I think this finish was very cool and probably more fun than the dirty corner would have been, but please note that there is no protection for the last slab section. It's pretty low angle and only about 8 feet tall, but does require some good slab technique.

Picture looking down from the crux

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3.0 from 3 votes

Chris Dundorf

Sep 9, 2023

“Climber passing up past the tree in the chimney on pitch 3.”

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Locals know how to find the route. The books all say go to "Standard Route" but then you look up Standard Route and it says to go to Thin Air (recursive and not helpful), OR, the books say to "go to Thin Air Face" (also not helpful). <br>
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So, at the risk of hecklers (and I get a lot when I post maps to routes, as if, somehow, the goal is to make finding the route a mystery and some sort of rite of passage itself!), here is my carefully hand-drawn map to Thin Air Face (and Three Birches area) that would have saved me a lot of time wandering around in search of the right spots.

Finished stringing together 1st and second pitches. Anchored in on a perfect Sunday.

In the chimney

Yet another traverse pic, at peak foliage. Never tire of this little route.

Tom sherman on pitch 2

The Thin Air route with Pine Tree Eliminate at the top. I've used XX to mark belay spots but only the first and second pitch have fixed anchors (bongs and bolts respectively). Note that the third belay spot I've marked is actually higher up than the standard spot right above the chimney. I belayed on the ledge slightly below the overlap on the 4th pitch. I think this was nice and made communication and visibility there really easy. Obviously, the belay would work from either ledge just fine.

The Bong anchors of pitch 1, with Nuria at pitch 2's anchors.

Looking up the 3rd pitch, you can see the line we took. The bulge at the top center is the crux, and is quite fun.

Jeff following up p3 to the chimney

Linkup from Toe Crack to P3 just below the chimney for a more consistent grade and varied climbing experience. The pic is the "high" traverse which is easy at around 5.3 but run out.

Amy leading the crux pitch.

climbers on thin air face (taken from recompense)

Thin Air<br>
Picture starts from the base, Many choices up to the "double bongs" optional belay where the traverse starts. Linking first pitch and traverse requires about 125 feet of rope.

Party of 3 on the second pitch: one person belaying on the far right, one person traversing in the middle, and the third person standing at the top of the first pitch.

At the second belay on Fourth of July weekend, 2008.

Jamie Cole peaking through the chimney on P3

Anthony DiDonato on Thin Air, Cathedral Ledge, NH. Note the red arrow for the location of the loose flake on the third pitch (6/10/2017)

Elliot following the fourth pitch

the traverse

About to enter the chimney on p3

obligatory thin air photo

Looking back at my friend Liam from the top of the tricky slab finish of Thin Air. This is the direct/right line. The other option is to stay to the left and follow up a dirty/easy corner. I think this finish was very cool and probably more fun than the dirty corner would have been, but please note that there is no protection for the last slab section. It's pretty low angle and only about 8 feet tall, but does require some good slab technique.

Climber passing up past the tree in the chimney on pitch 3.

Picture looking down from the crux

Sunrise at the top of thin air.

Striking a pose on the ever-classic Thin Air traverse. PW Lead.

Right before the traverse.

Finishing the second pitch of Thin Air.

Jason Stone leading off on the second pitch of Thin Air.

2nd pitch of thin air ( follow rails and pockets out right, reachy feet )

Top of Thin Air looking towards Echo Lake

Pitch after the traverse into the chimney.

Thin air on a muggy summer day.

A group practicing guide-client rescue on the first pitch of Thin Air, on Sunday 4/28/13. (Sorry for the blurry picture, it's 5 guides on anchor, and 2 guides playing tired/exhausted 'clients' on rope below)<br>
Not the time or the place?

Andy entering the chimney at the top of the 3rd pitch of Thin Air. Fun moves here end at a great belay ledge.

Thin air third pitch belay station, it can get crazy on any weekend with folks climbing in from toe-crack, thinner, turner's flake and thin air.

Tom leading Thin Air

Felt like this shows the angle of pitch 2 a little better. Not too steep, it is 5.6 after all.

Pitch 3 start

From the top of P1, looking towards other party at the end of P2.

The Traverse

On the traverse...

Dave finishing the crux on Thin Air... check out the exposure... thats a great spot...

Following the bolt line to the chimney on the third pitch of Thin Air.

Pitch 2

Pitch 3 approaching chimney

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