Pamola 5.0

We think we might have climbed a new route on Pamola, although it seems everything at Chimney Pond was climbed by the AMC in the 1920's, or Boy Scouts in the fifties, or Ben Townsend. We were aiming for Pamola IV but ended up on a different route, and there was no evidence that it had been climbed before.

The cruxes include climbing past two 40 foot chockstones in the Chimney, and the route itself has a few easy fifth class moves and a fair amount of shrubbery. It was a fun route in spite of loose rock, and follows an interesting spine of rock, like a crumbling vertical Knife Edge.

The PG-13 parts included the Chimney rubble crawl, and avoiding massive amounts of precarious loose rock all the way up...a lot of the climb should not be touched or it will fall. There are some new rock scars but the risk was tolerable if you are accustomed to climbing loose rock.

Pamola Peak above Chimney Pond, Baxter State Park...the ranger's red notebook wasn't much help, but the Pamola IV post explains the approach issues.

mountainproject.com/v/pamol…

We approached on the main trail to the Armadillo and then cut left to the base of waterfall gully, the obvious black waterfall at the top of the scree drainages. About forty yards left we ascended the Chimney, looking for a way to cut left to the base of Pamola IV. Loose wet and dirty rock prevented us from getting out of the Chimney, so we continued up past the first and second chockstones. Both require short 5th class moves but are easy to protect.

Above the second chockstone the rock quality improves and provides easy access to a rib of rock that leads to about forty feet below the summit of Pamola and the Dudley Trail. The obvious landmark is the second chockstone. At the top, a tower of rotten rock prevents a direct finish, but easy scrambling leads to the ridge.

Descent via Dudley Trail to Chimney Pond.

Plenty of trad protection, nice big belay ledges. No bolts or anchors. Light trad rack was sufficient. We left a stopper in a crack near the top because the second didn't have the nut removal tool.