This line begs to be climbed.  There is a tempting jug a few feet from the summit.  Climb up thin, incut crimps and sidepulls on the vertical face to reach said alluring hold and the final flake.  In 2000 it was more like V1 but holds have broken.

The Original Route

The House of Cards

HighBall Crack

Trickle in Time

The Squeak

Brady Arete

Truth or Dare

Delerium Tremens

V6 Slab

Kundalini

No One's Getting Any Younger

climb the crack on the back of the highball

Stand start right of center on a large hold.  Climb up on small crimps, trending slightly left, then back right.  

Trickle in Time is Chet Gross' first masterpiece and probably the most revered problem in all of Mt. Gretna.  It climbs the subtle sloping lip of a steep roof and in true diabase style; surprisingly finicky and technical despite the severe overhang.  A testament to Chet's ability to envision problems from seemingly unclimbable features.   

  Start sitting on the rail.  Heel hook and head for the triangle shaped hold, which is more of a feature than a hold, that you will utilize for both hands in the near future.  This problem will work your right hamstring.  Get established on this hold (will help if it is cold and not humid), match with a gaston-ish meat wrap grip and make a dynamic move to snag the two and a half finger crimp.  Now you need to attain the sidepull/crack/fingerlock thing with a go-again.  A tiny foot lies far under the overhang for the left foot to aid in the transition between crimp and crack.   

  The crux is over, toe hook the left foot on the starting rail which will allow you to hook your right heel over your hand (probably the only time I have ever had to do this on diabase) to grope the right hand up your choice of a blank wall around the corner or a sharp arete, aiming for the apex of the arete with the top of the boulder that forms a nice pinch.  A right knee scum is possible.  Pull around the right face, traverse the lip and topout.  This problem has been done as an eliminate without using the crack and is most likely V9 that way.     

  Trickle in Time is the problem that almost everyone considers the benchmark for V8 at Mt. Gretna.  It is a problem that feels impossible until one works out the subtitles.  In optimal conditions with low temperature and humidity, this problem feels easier. (in my opinion it could be a sandbag V6 at one or two granite bouldering areas I can think of).  A guaranteed full body workout.

start left on the small foot ledge on the back slab of the highball, and work your way right and up on smears and crimps. very tricky.

The Brady Arete is the prominent steep arete to the right of The Original Route and connects with "Original Route" at the Thank God jug 3/4 the way up the boulder. It is certainly the most serious highball in all of Mt. Gretna.  Joel Brady caused quite a stir among us locals when he completed this long eyed project during a visit around 2004.  Not only is it incredibly highball and proud, but a pointed rock lies embedded in the ground directly underneath the fall zone.   

  Start standing and climb up to a flat jug on the corner around ten feet up.  Take a deep breath, then begin the horrifying journey up the next fifteen feet through rarely traveled terrain.  The right face is flaky and not the best rock quality.  On the plus side, it is peppered with tiny flaky edges.  The upper portion appears to utilize the arete for both hands in some spots, and the left hand on the arete with right hand on edges on the right face in other areas.   

  It would be prudent to clean the rock on toprope before attempting, as I am certain the climb has not been tired in quite some time.  Better yet, work the boulder on a top rope before bouldering it out.  Think of it as a headpoint.  Or the best idea may be to skip this climb and move on to a problem that will not risk broken ankles or worse.   

  If you send this boulder, you have serious street cred in my mind.  I imagine it has seen only a handful of ascents in the ten years after its first ascent.  The Brady Arete is one of the most risky undertakings that I have seen out of all of the diabase areas, save for a few of Char's creations at Haycock.  Only The Yosemite Crack (V10) at Haycock comes to mind as a rival in terms of height and fall potential.

Follow the left arching arete using a shelf, and then mossy smears for feet. Slopey topout, with one specific notch for a couple fingers.

Delerium Tremens is the alluring east arete.  Begin on the sidepulls at head height.  High step, lock off on the gaston and reach to an edge.  Get established on the face and climb up crimps leading to the obvious pinch on the arete.  Snag the lip with the aid of a crimp on the other wall.  The topout is easy, thankfully.  The crux is the first move and gets progressively easier the higher one climbs.  Until 2003 or so there was a tooth on the initial gaston that make it easier but more painful.

Start on a large high right foot and move up using friction and intricate footwork to a final dynamic move to a flat edge, then top out.

Sit start the technical and physical sloping arete, using small crimps on the left face.  

Stand start the right side of the north arete and go up using delicate smears and edges.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Highball