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Pudd's Pretty Dress

5.12d, Sport, 90 ft (27 m),  Avg: 3.9 from 31 votes
FA: Doug Reed 1990
W Virginia > New River Gorge… > New River Gorge… > Endless Wall > E) Kaymoor Slabs
Warning Access Issue: NO DRONES ON NATIONAL PARKLANDS DetailsDrop down

Description

Work up the chimney, corner feature till you can step left onto the face. Head up the left facing flake that arches to the left out onto the steep wall. Once the flake ends start a series of boulder problems on crimps and pockets up the steep orange wall with rests in between on horizontals. The crux comes with a really long reach going to the 9th bolt. Finish by pulling delicately onto the slab.

Fun route with a good variety of holds, a fairly distinct crux though plenty of other difficult moves, and the potential to blow it all getting onto the slab.

Location

At the far right side of Kaymoor slabs locate the steep wall that is set in a little from the rest with a left facing corner/chimney at the right edge. Pudd's Pretty Dress starts up this corner and takes the left line of bolts up the orange section of the wall. There is a line that goes more straight up from the 2nd or 3rd bolt that is 5.13a.

Protection

10 bolts and a bolted anchor.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Erica making the long reach at the crux
[Hide Photo] Erica making the long reach at the crux
Porter warming up on Pudd's Purty Dress 5.12 09-2010
[Hide Photo] Porter warming up on Pudd's Purty Dress 5.12 09-2010
Pudd's Pretty Dress (5.12d) 3/2013
[Hide Photo] Pudd's Pretty Dress (5.12d) 3/2013
I broke this hold off from the horizontal after the undercling and before the pockets.  It really affected my beta but not my wife's.  So if it affects yours, I'm sorry.  I'm blaming thanksgiving…
[Hide Photo] I broke this hold off from the horizontal after the undercling and before the pockets. It really affected my beta but not my wife's. So if it affects yours, I'm sorry. I'm blaming thanksgiving…

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Brad Leneis
Arvada, CO
  5.12d
[Hide Comment] This route is the Orange Juice of the New. Apr 13, 2015
Dan Ressler
Silver Spring, MD
[Hide Comment] Felt like a hard endurance burn once I got in shape for it. There's the hand jam rest around 40% of the way and a couple other micro rests, but it otherwise flows and flows. Gorgeous climb. Apr 10, 2019
Steve Lineberry
Charlotte, NC
  5.12d
[Hide Comment] We got some exciting footage of Erica on the crux this past weekend. youtu.be/0XP5SFOdTeQ Oct 19, 2020
[Hide Comment] To all Shorties...disregard "The crux comes with a really long reach going to the 9th bolt". Oct 31, 2020
Steve Lineberry
Charlotte, NC
  5.12d
[Hide Comment] I broke the incut tooth hold off from the horizontal after the undercling and before the pockets. It really affected my beta but not my wife’s. So if it affects yours, I’m sorry. I’m blaming thanksgiving…. See the picture I uploaded for more information. Nov 27, 2021
Francois Cote
Fredericton, NB
  5.13a
[Hide Comment] This route is great! There are a couple individual moves that feel somewhat hard but mostly it's just really sustained. To me it felt way harder than any of the other 12d's I've done at the New. Oct 3, 2022
Blake Lehmans
Charlotte, NC
[Hide Comment] Francois, What easier 12ds have you done? Asking for a friend? Oct 6, 2022
Chris Singletary
Blacksburg, VA
 
[Hide Comment] Blake, if you can send this route, Eye of Mordor will probably be a cakewalk haha.

This might be the best route I've done. Once you get to the orange rock it's so sustained... bring your RRG fitness Mar 18, 2024