[Hide Comment] A good slab route in a perfect setting. Good friction on featured rock.

Start: 25 feet left of Little Finger on the leftmost seem.

Pro: Bolt protected, Adirondack style, a bit run out. PG

1) Go up the left seem and through the overlap onto the face and the first bolt. Climb the sustained slab to a fixed anchor.

2) (crux) Stem above the belay and then up over a bulge then continue on dimpled rock to the second belay at a good stance.

3) Up the slab then easier climbing up and right to a right facing corner and a ledge with anchors.

4) Move right past the corner then up to an overhang with a left facing corner above. Climb the corner to a tree ledge, then above to the exit overhang. Positive holds up right to anchor. Sep 14, 2009

[Hide Comment] I have the most recent edition of the guidebook, and, according to the "topo" maps the author drew for this route, the first pitch (180ft.) only has 4 bolts. I'm no mathematician, but that is more than "a little run-out."

Can someone explain how you climb this, entirely sport (which is what everyone keeps telling me), without risking 80 ft. falls? (distance between bolts would be, on average, 45 ft.)

I'm planning a trip up there, and just want to be as prepared as possible.

Also, does anyone have any experience throwing down a double-70 for the rappel? Is there a high snag factor, or should it throw clean down to the anchors?

-B Mar 19, 2013

[Hide Comment] Brad: P1 of the Matrix goes up a gully for a good distance before reaching technical rock. After that, the bolts are pretty well positioned where the climbing is hard, but there are significant runouts at a lesser grade. I doubt there's a place where one could fall 80'; more likely a 40' fall in places. Rogers Rock is a slab, so taking a long fall is more of a tumbling affair rather than a free-fall. This type of climbing isn't "sport" climbing, but it is entirely protected by bolts. By the standards of the climbing here established over 40 years, this route is well protected :-)

Regarding rappelling this route with 70m ropes (which I've done) -- the extra rope isn't necessary, as the route is designed for 60m ropes. All that means is there will be some extra sorting to do. I doubt it's possible to throw the rope down the slab cleanly to the next anchor, as it's simply too low angle. Mar 19, 2013

[Hide Comment] Thanks, Jim, for your (continued) help as I'm planning this, my first multi-pitch climb. I love the book, by the way!

1) What would you suggest in terms of rope management for getting a party of 2 down?

a) lowering my first to the anchor, then rapping down two ropes, keeping the slack of the single rope I have with me (the other is now, of course, at the anchor with the first) in a rope bag as I go down

b) both of us lowering off of two ropes separately, the first of us taking the slack of TWO ropes in a rope back as I go down.

2) would you invest in any trad gear to protect the route further? If so, which pieces and where should they be placed?

Thanks so much,
Brad Mar 25, 2013

[Hide Comment] Check the book, but probably rappel with 2 ropes. I don't recall any opportunity for other gear. Mar 25, 2013

[Hide Comment] Many of the climbs on Roger Rock tend to be more difficult and have much longer runouts than the ratings suggest. Jul 26, 2013

[Hide Comment] Re' Rapping - My recollection is that Screaming Meanie's double bolt anchors are set about 50m ( 165 ft) apart, meaning double ropes even with a 70m (228 ft = 115 ft raps). If Jim says he's gotten down (other than the far right tree-and-lose-rock-line) with a single 70m, maybe there are some newer anchors on Matrix that allows this, perhaps by traversing back-and-forth between Matrix and Screaming Meanie; but 2ropes x 60m down Screaming Meanie is fast (2 raps) and direct. 2 x 50m will do it, but there's only 2-3 ft left on the 2nd rap to a semi-hanging station.

Jun 23, 2015

[Hide Comment] Robert, I never said that the route could be rapped with a single 70m rope. In the comment above, I said (or meant to say) that if you are rappelling with 70m ropes [notice the plural], then you will have excess rope to deal with.

To be clear, the route is setup to be rappelled with double 60m ropes.

The guidebook recommends two 60m ropes for rappelling almost all routes at Rogers Rock. Jun 29, 2015

[Hide Comment] I'm thinking about doing this route in the summer. I work at Silver Bay and have wanted to get to the top of Rogers Rock for a long time. The PG-13 rating on this worries me. I've seen in other comments that there are 45 ft runnouts and long distances between bolts. Are there many places to place pro gear between bolts to supplement the protection or is this a climb you have to be very careful on to avoid unpleasant lead fall/tumbles. I know that many slab climbs like this do not have many pockets or cracks to place gear. thank for the help! Mar 8, 2016

[Hide Comment] Jonah: I suggest doing the linkup of Screaming Meany (P1 and P2)and Matrix (P3 and P4). This combo gets you to the top and avoids the two hardest pitches of the Matrix (and climbs the best two pitches of Screaming Meany). Mar 9, 2016

[Hide Comment] Can this route be Safely rappelled with one 70 meter rope? if so how? Apr 10, 2017

[Hide Comment] Nick: See above comments. Double 60m ropes are necessary to rappel. Apr 17, 2017

[Hide Comment] Hey, I am looking at climbing in this later this year as an easy multi-pitch to introduce my girlfriend to slab/multi-pitch. I was wondering if someone could help with the following questions.

1. Approximate length of each pitch and number of bolts per pitch
2. I read the other comments about rapping, we don't have two ropes, is there a walk off?
3. If we are coming in late October what are our chances of actually being able to climb vs. rain/bad conditions?

Thanks,
Sam Aug 2, 2018

[Hide Comment] Hey Sam, haven't climbed this route particularly, but the routes on this part of the cliff have a similar character so hopefully this is helpful. Regarding your questions:
1. 120-180ft, maybe a half dozen bolts at most per pitch and can be quite spaced out where the climbing is easier. Probably worth checking out the Adirondack Rock guidebook for the nitty gritty details.
2. No walk off -- you'll need two ropes for most routes here.
3. Definitely possible you'll be able climb at that time -- gets plenty of sun and stays warm a little later into the season. Oct 14, 2018

[Hide Comment] I love the routes on Rogers, having done several. I have the guidebook and love it for the descriptions and route topos, definitely a good buy for here, and ALL of the DAKS. Today I wanted to get to the top of Rogers via the Matrix to see this recommended route. All the pitches seemed cool and casual and easy to find, then I find the 4th pitch Exit Overhang to be a puzzle. Book says "5.7 on positive holds". There is a bolt right there, I must be in the right place, and I also match the description and the photo and the topo. I puzzled over it for about 20 minutes. Then finally gave up and pulled on the bolt to get to the anchors to bring my second up. Her thoughts were same as mine. I guess we both missed the "magic sequence" or missed the "good holds" or something (??). We both will go back and try it again for sure. Everything I tried had a crazy barndoor feeling and little prospects for pulling through. And I definitely felt as if I was exploring above 5.7-8 to execute anything here. No body here has commented on actually doing the 4th pitch in this comment thread, I only see one comment that repeats the guidebook (actually misquotes it at the top of 3rd pitch anchor saying "right facing" when it really is a left facing corner, but whatever). Anyone out there have a comments? I'm not asking for a beta spray. Even a laugh or "you missed it dude!" would be fine. Thx :) Jul 5, 2020

[Hide Comment] Did this with my brother yesterday. Solid climb. Make sure to follow the route beta in the guidebook, Adirondack Rock. 3 things: the belay station for the 4th pitch seems to be hollow. My guess is it's been like this since it's inception, but a knock on the rock below the anchors yields audible results. 2: follow the guidebook, and don't miss a bolt, makes an already run out climb, more runout. 3: when rapping, cut right to screaming meany. About 10' to the right of all the screaming meany master point anchors, there are also rap rings (just harder to see) . Either should work, but I like the rap rings better. If you're confident on Slab, it's not horribly run out. Just can't think of it as a normal sport climb. Jun 17, 2024