Peter Kamitses: Hard New Trad Route in the Adirondacks

Despite mid-summer heat, Peter Kamitses has established another hard traditional line in the Silver Lake area of Adirondack State Park, New York. The runout 5.13 pitch climbs a steep wall of exfoliating granite.

Peter Kamitses on his new 5.13R route in New York's Adirondacks. Photo courtesy of Climberism.com

Climberism.com quotes Peter's description of the route, "I pre placed first nest of gear on top rope in order to protect a bad landing from a ground fall because of the loose rock band getting to first placement. The route continues passed the first placement through a powerful and technical V7 crux, then onto a hard- to-place tiny, but solid, cam. This protects the next insecure lay back/foot smear moves. From that point I place a not-as-good cam in a slight flare that leads up to super solid gear and a rest before the next crux. The climbing continues through a techy layback up to a shitty face sloper, almost a non-hold, then low percentage thrutchy deadpoint into a good pocket/side pull. From there the route punches through thru a scary runout for about 15 feet over last gear. After that, there is good gear and technically easier but steeper and pumpy moves up the last 30 feet to the anchor. I almost pumped out and pitched off at the final few moves.”

No official word on the name of the route yet. Climberism.com seems to be pushing for Gus’ Red Hot Sword of Justice, which sounds like a good complement to Kamitses' last hard Adirondacks route, Oppositional Defiance Disorder.

Last September, 2011, Pete put up one of the hardest trad routes in the region when he succeeded on his long term project ODD (5.14a). Read about that ascent here and watch the Stash video of the ascent here. 

Watch Pete on the first ascent of Oppositional Defiance Disorder (5.14a). Click the image.