The day William lead 5 pitches on Whitehorse Ledge
William; he’s my 14-year-old. We both started climbing together just over 2 years ago and we’ve followed one another as far as climbing skill goes. One thing he hasn’t done much is place gear on lead. Before this weekend, he’d done it on an easy well protected 5.3 climb here in Val-David.
But he’d gotten the itch.
With our yearly fall visit to North Conway, I told him we could switch leads on an easy route at the slabs. It turns out that he did the first 5 pitches of Beginner’s Route all on his own; including the runout 5.4R pitch!
Here’s the pitch by pitch run down.
P1 – 5.2 – 120 feet
This is an easy, but runout pitch. It’s basically ‘make your own adventure’, but William followed the small cracks to the left which allowed him to place a couple pieces. The belay is on double bolt anchors just left of the tree.
William starting up P1 of Beginner's Route
William finishing up the first pitch of Beginner's Route
P2 – 5.4 – 140 feet
Continue straight up, following the left side crack. A nice pitch with a well protected overlap. There is a runout between the overlap and the double bolt anchor, but it’s protected with 2 nice bolts.
Me belaying William while he leads P2 of Beginner's Route
William closing in on the overlap
Setting up the anchors
P3 – 5.1 – 110 feet
Easy, non descript pitch made spicy by the fact that William found no gear. Continue straight up through the obvious groove.
Me climbing P3
William belaying me up to the top of P3
P4 – 5.2 – 90 feet
This pitch follows the very obvious right facing arch up to a double bolt anchor. Another nice pitch.
Looking up at the arch with William about to place some gear
P5 – 5.5 (5.4R) – 140′
This was the money pitch, and I had honestly not expected to give this one to William. But the first four pitches were done with such calm and precision, that when he asked me if he could do it … well, what was I going to say. Off he went …
It’s spicy for sure! Go straight up for ten feet or so, clipping a pin on the way; then traverse left for what seems forever. You then hit a few pockets before continuing up tending towards the left to another double bolt anchor. I was very, very relieved when William hit the anchors. He was runout by at least 50 feet when I forced him to sling the tiny bushes just before the anchors.
William trying to get some gear in mid way through the traverse
William bringing me up on P5
William looking down at the runout P5 on Beginner's Route
We didn’t continue up to the top having done those pitches before. Three 2 rope rappels brought us to the ground. Another great route on Whitehorse which we’ll be repeating for sure.
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