Baron's Direct

With a pretty short and simple approach, manageable loose rock and short simple crux sections Baron's Direct offers a good intro to Katahdin climbing. The climbing is quick with good belay ledges. As always route finding was somewhat of an issue, but when in doubt just climb the better quality looking rock. The route can be done in far fewer pitches with some easy soloing or simul climbing applied on the upper ridge. Located just left of Pamola 4 Baron's Direct follows the major buttress eventually connecting to the ridge line.

Pitch 1-3 Head up the path of least resistance through the slabs on pretty easy rock. We eventually passed two pitons before trending right to the krummholz. 5.3-5.5

Bush wack and wade through the krummholz for a few hundred feet to gain the meat of the route.

Pitches 4-5 Pitch 4 starts on the center of the buttress following a right facing corner for 90' eventually ending on a ledge. Keep heading up the most prominent crack system passing a mangy piton under a somewhat precarious block then up a short wide crack to another great ledge. 120' 5.7

Pitch 6 Aim for the center crack climbing a short lay back section ending on another good belay ledge. 100' 5.7

Pitch 7 The money pitch. Climb up the right on a short horizontal crack before heading straight up. Look ahead and jam up the splitter crack. Belay from a good ledge just above. 150' 5.7

Continue up the ridge for another 500' through mostly 4th class terrain and short sections of 5.4.

Same approach as Pamola 4. We followed the first major slide path on the left after heading up the stream from Chimney Pond.

Standard rack