Candyland

A really nice route and one of the longest in the area. The first nine pitches are typical 5.6 slab climbing with interesting features here and there for good variety. It's mostly on nice rock and well worth doing for 5.6 leaders. The last pitch (requires some steeper bushwacking to get to) is the money pitch! It goes up the left side of headwall all the way to the very top. The climbing here is Cannon-like with some loose rock, so be careful. It's also rather sustained, so the leader should be very solid at the grade and alpine experience. If the section to the last pitch was cleaned up (as well as the pitch itself), this would be a four star route! As an adventure, it still is.

P0. Climb up the clean slab past tiny ledges and bushes to The Golden Bench. That a bigger ledge with orange colored rock on the right side. There are some features that may take some gear. 5.2 60-70’

P1. Starts on the left side of The Golden Bench and goes up the left leaning broken right facing corner. It’s mostly easier terrain, but the rock can be slippery here, so take care. When reaching two vertical cracks, go up them (crux) and then go left to tree ledge. 5.6 150’

Pitch 1

P2. Go straight up from the right side of the tree ledge passing a right facing corner, then work yourself left passing a left facing corner (arches left). There are two pins along the way. Continue left over a small drainage to a small tree ledge. 5.6 180’

P3. Continue left passing some lichen and connect with The Wave (another route that comes up the daker slab). There is a bolt and continue straight up (passing another bolt) to a big tree. 5.5 180’

P4. Work yourself diagonally left/up towards a big flake by the trees and continue to a tree belay. Unless you go diagonally in a perfect line, you will not reach the next belay/rappel tree (which is in the trees) with a 60m rope. But no worries, there are trees below you can use when you run out of rope. 5.4 200’

P5. Pass “tunnel” in trees (or start climbing the slab directly before the rap station) and go right along a small ledge with small bushes. At the right side of the ledge there is a vertical runnel with water holes above you. Follow that up to the left side of a tree ledge. Depending where you started on how you went this can also be a rope stretcher. 5.2 180-200’

P6. Go through the “subway” to the right side of the tree ledge. Recommended is to move the belay to this side as otherwise the next pitch will be a rope stretcher too. Belayer will also be able to see the leader. Climb the slab passing some bushes/trees (and ledge) to a steeper section with some leaning cracks. Rock and pro is less optimal here so take care. Get to the tree ledge and the rap station on the left. 5.6 170’

P7. Go straight up over a small bulge. It’s look easier going up further left but leads to less nice rock. Surpass a shorter steeper section of very nice rock that leads to more beautiful slab. Pass a bolt and continue up veering slightly right. High up (on the right) before the next tree ledge there is another bolt. Extend the sling (a lot, as there will be rope drag otherwise). The next belay/rap is in the trees on your left. 5.6 200’

P8. Up easy slab to the next tree ledge. Basiclaly just moving the bealy to a better position for the final pitch on the slab. A 60m rope will also not reach all the way. 5.2 80’

P9. Veer right passing a small ledge with some vegetation and go towards a left facing corner (up and right) and with steeper terrain. Follow corner to the top and tree belay. 5.6 170’

This is a good spot to take a break and gather your gear. For 5.6 leaders and those with less time or are less adventurous, you will now have completed an excellent long slab climb and can start rappelling down from here. For the solid 5.8 leader and those who don’t mind a steeper bushwacking, be sure to keep moving.

Bushwack. To get to the final pitch to the top of the cliff, you follow a faint climbers path that leads right. Follow it as best as you can, passing some small slabs (that you surmount). Basically keep taking the path of least resistance. After not too long, start working yourself left as the route breaks the headwall on the left. The route goes along a left leaning ramp / arête. See pics for what to look for. It shouldn’t take more than 15-20min if going the right way.

P10. The final pitch to the top of the headwall. Start by surmounting a smaller boulder and where the left slanting wall / ramp starts. Climb the ramp on the left. This section is “less than optimal” so take care and keep going. Pass some bushes keep going through less stellar terrain until the arête opens up. From here it’s stellar climbing along the beautiful arête. At the top of it you can build an optional belay if you get too much rope drag (big gear BD #2-3 useful). Continue up a slab section to the final blocky section. The rock is less good here again, so you may want to go up on the right to the top and tree belay. The pitch is rather sustained so make sure you are comfortable at the grade and alpine terrain. 5.7+ 170’

The final pitch, as seen when approaching it.

Congratulations on finishing a really nice route. Thanks Brady, Mark and Todd for setting up the route! From here you can rappel down or continue to the trail and the Webster summit (via a short but tough bushwack).

Some fun facts (approximate elevation) Car parked: 1350’ Climb starts around: 2330’ Topping out: 3620' Webster summit: 3910’

Park at Willey's Slide pullout and cross the river. Go straight up, bearing slightly right until you hit a drainage (very soon). Follow it for 20min where it starts to get steep and tricky. There you veer right into the trees, following a path with cairns to the right of the drainage. After another 25min you will get to the left side of the Bore Tide slab. This route is to the right. Follow the cliff past a couple of dirty slab section, until you see a clean section that seems to lead to a tiny ledge 15' up and trees covering the rest of the slab. Here you can climb up this (or bushwack on the right) until you get to a rather big ledge with some orange colored rock, The Golden Bench. It's 60-70' up. The climb starts at the left end of the ledge where a right facing broken corner leaning up left to a tree ledge.

Base of the climb (pitch 0)

The first 9 pitches is standard rack for New England slabs. A single rack may be fine and not too many nut placements. The last pitch, a full rack is nice to have. If you break up the last pitch in two (as you can get lots of rope drag), big gear (BD #2-3) is good for the wider cracks at the top of the arete.