- Edit (TBD)
Description
Currently cleaned of the major / obvious hazards (2020) but observe the fresh talus below as evidence to acknowledge the dynamic nature of this rock (belayers should have a plan for rock-fall). This is an old quarry with fractured rock. Wear a helmet, do not take anything for granted, belay defensively. Red tags are the Fritz Waltz, Off-white tags start off the Ma'Ma Amotopos (Fritz's Escape Route) 1/3 the way up.Coming in from the right ramp is a trap, appearing less strenuous but definitely no easier or safer. Start on the arete (left of the bulge and far left of the lower angle scramble routes under the old visible ice anchors) and use it as well as some face opportunity to the right. commitment and confidence (plus a clean landing and a spotter) required toward a bolt at about 21 feet. Trust your hands on the deck of cards and another similar one a touch higher, tap dance with a right-hand mantle until the better-feeling foot let's you lay back to a healthy stance."Hike" a few feet to the corner and use every feature and as much palm friction as possible to overtake it and get feet high to a good stance. Take a breath and decide what you are going to do with your life, neglecting a lifetime of bad decisions that have landed you hear and now. Continue right to FritzWaltz, or head left to Ma'Ma Amotopos (Both terminate at the "M", up and left). Going right, use the force to prevent the barn door, go high and order you feet to do the same quickly once you do (it will come together).Nothing feels right, not vertical, but definitely is not a 5.5 slab. For your athletic friends who are new to climbing and telling people they 'climb' 5.12, this is a good lesson that not all 'easy' routes can be muscle-fark'd all the way to the top. Stay calm and waltz on. The puzzle. Go right to go left and vice versa. Use everything. Don't bet on buckets, but everything is good enough and buckets appear for pulls down and to the sides. Take comfort knowing you can have a seat on the ice ledges for as long as needed, and if you are rope solo, I advise talking out loud (really loud) about your 'damn toe' or jingle a bunch of gear like you're missing something so that if you do bail and some hikers and dog walkers below see you they'll figure you must have it together and made the right decision. Or continue.You could top out from here on the sketch crack, but it's often wet and greasy up top and if it's truly dry, then tablets of sod as big as album covers will detach and slide off if you pull some kind of Adirondack fauna mantle or try to dig a toe like a sprinter on the starting block.Stay on route and free-for-all traverse left, beware loose rock. A couple of book-shelf seats under the chains make it a nice spot to reflect on the fact that despite the easy YDS grade, or the word 'bolt' peppered around the description, this route deserved your respect as falling with a lazy belay or blown clips (use extension) could be catastrophic on a mountaineering-style level due to the condition, ledges and corners. -Although the Wet Wall has been a popular scramble crag for top-ropers using the several ice anchors outside of the hard water season, there are a few other actual lines that can be pursued (although the ledges present some challenges for safe protection on lead).Two days of wind will make the arete-start dry enough.
Location
Start on the arete, Red tags are the Fritz Waltz, Off-white tags start off the Ma'Ma Amotopos (Fritz's Escape Route).Don't be afraid to wander.
Protection
Several twin-bolt anchors well above the edge for TR solo, a top rope belay will require a lot of webbing. Access the summit via the (currently) well worn path to the right, snaking around and above Moreau Maori block. I don't want to talk too much about the other protection, bolts, or label it as the s-word as I don't want to promote it as a certain type of thing.For top-rope, I used to use old 10MM static lines, but I've been cutting up 300 feet of webbing and found that (2) 50' strands off the chains (23 feet above the edge) and (1) 100' strand off the twin bolts (45 feet off the edge) higher and right feels pretty good (and it is a lot lighter).