The Fastest Gun

As stated by Don Mellor in his comprehensive guidebook to the adirondacks: "Taken separately, each pitch of this route would be considered among Poke-O's best. Linked together they create an experience that seems too good to be in the East."The Fastest Gun epitomizes all that climbing at Poke-O is about: In-your-face climbing from top to bottom with dizzying exposure, airy belay stances, and a short, but mandatory runout above small gear. This route is not only a classic Adirondack climb, but a route worthy of coast to coast notoriety.Pitch 1:Begin this route at a big right-facing flake with an off-width starting at about 15' off the ground. grunt your way up the layback flake, slam a #4 Camalot in the off-width and figure out how to get yourself to the top of the off-width below the first roof.place a Camalot under the roof, undercling and jam your way around this strenuous section until some feet can be had off to your right. Take a quick rest, then finish up the jamming/layback section to the slung blocks. Step left and continue over to the left below the double crack system running vertically above you. (100')Pitch 2:Follow the seemingly endless twin cracks above you to a small roof. Pull this, then continue above the broken dike, climbing slightly to the left to a ledge. (140')Pitch 3:A bolt marks the third pitch. Climb off the ledge to a thin crack on your right. Pass the 1/4 inch bolt at a hard move, then place some small gear, and run it out (5.6ish, but heady) to the large left-facing corner capped by a roof. (160')Pitch 4:The roof move. A series of hard moves gets you to the base of the corner. Crank your way up and left over the roof past some loose flakes, and then climb up to the top of the cliff and anchor. (150')Well done!

About 70 feet to the right of the Bloody Mary corner is a major right-facing flake/crack behind a tree. This is the first pitch.

A full rack with doubles in the mid-size range (green through yellow Camalots), plus a wealth of nuts including a good selection of RPs or brass nuts.