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Vallee Daze

5.12a, Sport, 75 ft (23 m),  Avg: 3 from 138 votes
FA: Tom Armstrong
New Hampshire > Rumney > New Wave
Warning Access Issue: Note: New route moratorium area DetailsDrop down

Description

This climb is wonderful. It is very aesthetic line, has extremely safe falls that still provide fear and it'll make for some frameable pictures. Make sure you bring your bag of tricks as you will encounter crimps, deadpoints, heelhooks, sidepulls, barndoors, pinches, fingerlocks, and a kneebar if you are observant. Balance, a couple of interesting rests and footwork will be rewarded.

Start out on easy ground, make the first clip and then get ready for the next 50 feet of business. Grab an undercling, make the move out onto the right face using crimps and make your first desperate move to the first jug of the climb at 25 feet. Make a big move up to another jug and set up for the crux, a series of crimps leading to the redpoint crux, clipping the 5th bolt off the flat ledge. Use your rest finding skills to find a left knee bar on the ledge and regroup before the final 5.10 layback moves up to the anchor.

This remarkable line is a must do for climbers 5'10" and over.

Location

Striking black arete is the center of the wall to the right of Black Dog Crack and Salley's Alley.

Protection

7 bolts of Anchors

Newly rebolted!

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Lance mid-crux
[Hide Photo] Lance mid-crux
A- Air and Pleasant Danger 5.8<br>
B- Short Wave 5.11b<br>
C- Barking Spiders 5.11c<br>
D- Weevil Knevil 5.12a<br>
E- Roaring Silence 5.13b<br>
F- Salley's Alley 5.11c<br>
G- Black Dog Crack 5.10b<br>
H- Vallee Daze 5.12a
[Hide Photo] A- Air and Pleasant Danger 5.8 B- Short Wave 5.11b C- Barking Spiders 5.11c D- Weevil Knevil 5.12a E- Roaring Silence 5.13b F- Salley's Alley 5.11c G- Black Dog Crack 5.10b H- Vallee Daze 5.12a
Tim starts up the arete.
[Hide Photo] Tim starts up the arete.
Full shot of lower section
[Hide Photo] Full shot of lower section
Kevin down low on Vallee Daze
[Hide Photo] Kevin down low on Vallee Daze
Naomi Risch at the pumpy move before the rest
[Hide Photo] Naomi Risch at the pumpy move before the rest
Ladd resting before getting to the crux.
[Hide Photo] Ladd resting before getting to the crux.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Lee Hansche
Allenstown, NH... and a van…
  5.12a
[Hide Comment] nice description ladd it makes me want to run out and climb it today!

so i know its rated 5.11d in the guide and i heard it was stiff so is 5.12a the current consensus or just your vote? im fully aware that it doesnt matter, just wondering... Jul 3, 2008
Ladd Raine
Plymouth, NH
  5.12a
[Hide Comment] It is harder than Social Outcast, Peanut Man, and both 12s at Jimmy Cliff.

It is definitely 12a. Jul 3, 2008
Lee Hansche
Allenstown, NH... and a van…
  5.12a
[Hide Comment] cool.. well im psyched to get on it some time... Jul 4, 2008
Jay Knower
Plymouth, NH; Lander, WY
  5.12a
[Hide Comment] Given the position and the moves, I like to think that this is the Latest Rage of Rumney. Jul 6, 2008
Emile Mennin
Plymouth, NH
[Hide Comment] Great Route, the day I sent it I was belayed by the man who put it on the map! And yes, I agree with the 12a rating. It is harder then Peanut Man, even though I sent Vallee Daze before I sent Peanut Man. Apr 6, 2009
[Hide Comment] Definitely, I did this today right after Weevil Knevil and felt this was the harder of the two lines. May 20, 2009
Andrew Freeman
Brookline, MA
  5.12a
[Hide Comment] I have to say, I definitely found this a little heady. Falling around the corner seemed like it might be harsh for your rope May 24, 2009
S. Neoh
 
[Hide Comment] I got on this today on TR. Very nice route. Knowing Tom, I am not at all surprised he graded it .11d. On TR, it felt .11d/.12a to me. I am nowhere nearly as tall as 5'10" and only found two longish moves. My partner at 5'0 (but with exquisite footwork) did not so much had to pop for a hold. And, yeah, she sent. Impressive. May 6, 2012
Lance Galletti
  5.12a
[Hide Comment] Little video of the crux. Enjoy!
youtube.com/watch?v=mQZPFxq… Oct 16, 2015
Lee Hansche
Allenstown, NH... and a van…
  5.12a
[Hide Comment] A bit of butt-shot footage of me taking a lap on Vallee-D. A really great climb!
youtube.com/watch?v=inA-LN5… Sep 4, 2016
Francois Cote
Fredericton, NB
[Hide Comment] great and aesthetic route. I thought it was soft in the grade. Other comments made reference to Peanut Man but I thought Peanut Man was much harder than this line. Sep 2, 2018
Max Riegler
  5.12a
[Hide Comment] Sending video: youtu.be/2w0HVh5tBmw

Top part is not included in the video since the route is basically over after the no-hands rest. The lower part of the route climbs really well and has some really aesthetic moves in my opinion! Jul 15, 2020
[Hide Comment] Just want to note that the falls on this climb aren't always "extremely safe". The crack at the anchor was wet yesterday and my friend was pumped and slipped when trying to put his rope through the anchor and hit the branch on the tree next to the climb. He is fine, but just wanted to put it out there. The last bolt is a little far from the anchors. Apr 11, 2021
Stoked Weekend Warrior
Belay Ledge
  5.12a
[Hide Comment] Great movements and surprisingly photogenic even the position is not particularly exposed/dramatic.
Spoiler alert: Is going left after the first resting jug legit? There are two random low crimps and right hand undercling (all chalked, 1-2 inches higher than the resting jug) and great feet (at the level of the jug) that offer even better rest than the jug. From that rest I got a left hand razor blade side pull, right hand reached up high to an ok pinch on the arete, then fire to another jug. From that point it's the same with other beta videos.
I am pretty sure those holds are not part of black dog crack. Just not sure if my sequence is "legit" coz it looks different and somewhat easier than the beta videos (still cruxy but didn't feel like 12a). Jun 19, 2023
Conor Dube
Orford, NH
[Hide Comment] At some point recently the right-hand tooth at the rest before the crux must have broken (the one Lance's right foot is on in the main photo) - we found the remnants in a crack/shrine at the base. Doesn't make things much harder but might change some beta a little bit, the thing that's left is a bit spiky. Sep 7, 2023