Hi NV Fam,
I hope you had a nourishing and adventurous weekend. If not, there’s always next weekend. Looks like this Thursday is the first rain date we’ve had for a while, at least here in Maine. I have personally been spending a lot of time climbing and guiding in the alpine - chiefly Katahdin.
If you have climbed the the North East’s premiere alpine rock climb “the Armadillo” in the past two seasons you probably remember some stuck cams in the Crack - one number .75 and three number 4’s. The .75 was pushed too far in so the trigger was not reachable by normal sized fingers, but the three number 4’s is fodder for story time.
So here we go…
Well after the first ascent my mentor Jerry Cinnamon recalls a stainless steel bong placed in the crack, sometime between his first and second ascents. This bong still exists today. In fact, in addition to clipping this bomber protection piece, the bong can easily be a hand and foot hold. This protection piece was most likely installed in 1975-76. Otherwise, the only fixed protection is a few random pitons on the Armadillo Flake itself.
Baxter Park’s preservation ethos has a no bolting policy. They know about other forms of fixed protection, like pitons, exist throughout the Katahdin Massif. Despite not wanting them there, at least they are not permanent, albeit they damage the rock, a very anti Baxter policy.
For several decades, the park has enforced some pretty stringent rules on climbers to essentially help them be prepared, demanding certain items are necessary for ascents. “Empty your back pack and show us or turn around”. This has shocked many climbers over the years.
One specific piece of information I have tried to get the park to change is what we carry for protection. Nowadays, the park has relaxed quite a bit. Last Thursday I showed up to take our guest Heidi up the Armadillo for what would become my 50th guided ascent of the route. The ranger said a climber soloed the route the day before without a helmet. So suffice to say, the rules of the past are basically off the table, more so now, a formality.
I don’t know when this evolved, but technical rock climbing soloing on Katahdin was never allowed even. Not long ago, we were essentially forced to take a #4 cam to protect the Armadillo Crack, which is about 50’ in height. I was 25 years old on my first climb of the route and back then, the modern #4 was too big. Even today, the modern #4 is too big. Hence, three stuck #4’s.
I did a little bit of digging to find out what is the deal with the #4 cam. Turns out the policy was set back many moons ago when the Friend existed. This original cam changed the sport of rock climbing forever and the #4 of the past is basically the modern day equivalent to a #3.5, so our current #4 cams are tooooooooooo big.
Duh Baxter! Get with the program.
Team NV member and Maine native Joshua Bullock cleans up the Armadillo Crack
Team NV member and Maine native Joshua Bullock, sporting our latest NV merch stands on Katahdin’s summit Baxter peak with those four (previously stuck) cams. He and a friend climbed to the top of the crack, fixed an anchor, lowered down, and removed the cams using a small Milwaukee electric saw in just 45 minutes.
Super proud of Joshua for taking the initiative to keeps our climbs wild, traditional and adventurous. And for those of you planning to climb the Armadillo, you would be better off with a modern day #3 and #3.5 if you can get your hands on one, otherwise leave the 4 at home. If for some reason a ranger gives you lip for now having a #4 you can share this story.
Climbing can be dangerous and every climber has to decide just how much risk they can tolerate, so take whatever equipment you feel is needed to mitigate the risk and climb again and again.
Love, Ry