Surely this digression in the Overhanging Layback thread deserves its own discussion. The R&I Daks classics apparently were:

- No Man's a Pilot, 5.9, Wallface Mtn.
- Fastest Gun, 5.10a, Poke-O-Moonshine
- Flying and Drinking and Drinking and Driving, 5.10 (TR), Beer Walls

Of these, I've only done the last, and I agree with Kevin that it's surprising it's on the list. It's a nice face climb, maybe even a better route than Never Never Land, but there are only about a thousand great 5.10s in the Daks, many of them crack climbs. And the route it's next to, Frosted Mug, which is sort of the MF of the Daks, is much better.

Of the limited number of Daks routes I've done, my favorites have been Pegasus (5.7+, Beer Walls), which might be the best 5.7 in New York State, and Gamesmanship (5.8, Poke-O). I also second the nomination of Little Finger (Direct) on Rogers Rock, I liked it even better than Catharsis.

Okay, with that preamble, let the games begin.

Would have to say Hesitation. (5.8 ***)
Cheers,
Christian :?)

Straits of Fear (5.8)
Little Finger Direct (5.6 I think)
The guide shows this as starting to the left of the crack, and then going straight over the bulge when Little Fingers traverses right. I always just go as direct as possible, the crack to the bulge, straight up the bulge and on to the top, or at least towards that rappel off to the side. Does anybody go to the headwall on this one??
I would also nominate the climb that shares Catharsis most of the way (except pitch 4) on Poke-O. I still can't recall its name.
Chapel Pond doesn't quite make the list (the cliffs or slab) wihch I guess says a lot about how good climbing at the Daks is.
Ian

"Ice ice baby!"
Maybe we've misjudged Vanilla.

well, I would nominate FM (5.7), and Outer Space (5.9) at Poke-O. But I enjoy fear :)

So Steven....are you going to show me some of these climbs this year?

Dizz

Live LARGE or don't even leave the house!

For nominating a route as a "classic", I consider routes that, for one reason or another, have drawn me back multiple times. I'll nominate some of my favorites:

Jump, Fly, or Die, 5.11-, Spider's Web
Roaches on the Wall, 5.10, Pitchoff
Bloody Mary, 5.9, Poko
My Favorite Martian, 5.9-, Cascade Pass
Tequilla Mockingbird (or any of the 5.10's on this wall), 5.10, Beer Walls
Kingdom Come, 5.11, King Wall
Thrilla of Cobble Hilla, 5.10, Cobble Hill
TR, 5.10-, Spider's Web
Talis Man. 5.10+, Good Luck
Insomnia, 5.11-, Huckleberry
Life During Wartime, 5.11, Echo
Bushido, 5.11, Poko
Coffee Achievers, 5.10, Pitchoff

As Steven says, this is just a game. By the way, regarding "Flying and Drinking..." at the Beer Walls, if you traverse in from the base of the Frosted Mug crack, it makes for a well protected and spectacularly exposed lead, IMHO. As a lead, it is one of those routes that "draws me back", so it fits in with my definition of "classic".

Read the book as soon as I got home last night. Last Chance is the name of the variation to Catharsis. Would love to hear someone elses comment on the grade of that last pitch. Incidentally there are two Lost Arrows (shiny new as of two years ago) pounded in to the crack before the hard stuff begins on pitch 4, I didn't clip them... I used Metolious #0 and #00.
If you haven't done this one and are in the area, I reccomend it if you like hard slabby runouts.
:)

"Ice ice baby!"
Maybe we've misjudged Vanilla.

Ian, the first time on Little Finger I angled up and right to the right section of the discontinuous headwall. A little runout, still 5.5. The second time I went straight up to the main headwall.Very runout. From there I traversed left until a break in the headwall, and pulled around and up. Maybe 5.7.

Christian, Hesitation is a great route. I've heard that the 5.9 over there (Overture?) is even better.

Jim, I didn't mean that F&D&D&D isn't a great route, just that I wasn't going to call it one of the three best routes in the Daks.

Diz, whenever you're ready!

Let's keep 'em coming!

Ran into a guy at the Gunks yesterday who told me he had done the runout bit to the headwall as well. He said it was very run out. If I recall that last belay wasn't exactly the world's greates anchor either. :)

Whoever said the 80's sucked never listened to the Replacements or the Pixies. Random thoughts.

> Jim, I didn't mean that F&D&D&D isn't a great route, just
> that I wasn't going to call it one of the three best
> routes in the Daks.

Yup, agreed. Btw, I forgot to include Blacksmith, one of
the best routes up there.

Also, in my opinion, Hesitation is good line on a steep bit
of crag, but also dirty, dangerous (R for the second), often
wet, and loose. I can't understand its appeal when there are
routes like Quadrophenia, Gamesmanship, The El, and Pegasus.

Overture (5.9+) is really out there (exposed third pitch),
but, on the first pitch, be prepared to make hard moves
with the bolt way below your feet!