The Bicycle Route

A sustained climb that criss-crosses over Intimidation.

The following history is excerpt from Webster's Third Edition of Rock Climbs In The White Mountains.

"The climb has one of the most-colorful histories of any route in the area. To insure that the facts are recorded with some degree of accuracy, the story will be told in full. While cleaning the route on rappel in 1976, Ed Webster placed a bolt on the final slab, then was unable to even climb up to it. Everyone got a good chuckle out of this, but the best was yet to come. Several years later, just for fun, Alain Comeau and several conspirators "borrowed" ten speed bicycle, rappelled down, and hung it off the offensive bolt, no doubt as a warning against any future ethical slippages! Paul Ross even went so far as to sneak Webster's camera along to photograph the event for posterity. But-as fate would have it- John Bragg @ Jay Wilson were climbing INTIMIDATION later that very same day. One can only imagine their incredulity upon noticing a ten speed bicylcle suspended out in the middle of a blank wall, and the subsequent argument over who saw it first! The bicycle was speedily rescued, albeit on a top-rope. When the conspirators discovered the premature rescue of the bicycle, it was seized from Bragg and Wilson, and returned to its ignominious perch for the second time in the same day! There it remained for about two weeks until Webster finally rescued it-and alas, the poor bicycle was never quite the same again. On September 23, 1980, Ed Webster @ Susan Patenaude made the routes first ascent, but found an easier way around the famous bicycle bolt."

P.1 Climb the first pitch of Intimidation, the left of two right facing dihederals. Layback up the corner to a bolt under a roof, then step left (tres cool) and up to a good belay ledge 90' 5.10b

P.2 Up the corner, to a bolt on face above, then up flake to a belay ledge on the right. 60' 5.11b

P.3 Jam up the 5.9 hand crack to a tree ledge. 70' 5.9

P.4 Climb a short 5.9 crack to a belay ledge on Intimidation 30' 5.9.

P.5 Follow the right-diagonaling 5.9 crack on Intimidation to an overlap. Traverse left, then pull over it (pitons) to the upper face. Belay on left. 5.11b

P.6 Face climb up a groove (long runout), angling right to Intimidation. 5.10bR

P.7 Climb the dike (easy) on Intimidation to the woods.

Start 100' right of the Cathedral Roof area

Cathedral rack with wires and cams, small up to hands.