Begin in the left-leaning crack located between two others. If you keep both feet in this crack, the route is probably 5.8 or harder. The crux is getting off of the ground. Finish the lower crack and insert yourself into the obvious squeeze chimney above. Exit the Big Squeeze and collapse onto the upper slab to your left. Finish through the flakes on the face above, pull onto the summit ridge, and head for the obvious tree near the summit, on the left margin of the east face. Pro at the top and bottom is solid. Cams and hexes.  A pink Tricam comes in handy in a horizontal crack on the east face before you enter the Big Squeeze.  Squeeze chimney is run out.

The Big Squeeze

Alex's Dinner Plate

Corkscrew Traverse

Face to Face

The Moss Monster

Grease Monkey

Charitable View

Fin Land

Climb the crack to the mouth of The Moss Monster.  Jam the off width crack and surmount the beast's back.  Don’t get eaten.  Ascend the ramp.  Sling a tree.  Jump right onto the face at the upper flakes.  Place a couple of good cams.  Scramble onto the summit and make your way 10 feet higher through excellent moss to a bomber tree on your left at the margin of the vertical face.  Can't miss it.  Sling the tree with a couple of solid runners and lower off.

Climb the crack on the left side of the north face.  At the top of the lower face traverse right and lie back flakes onto the headwall.  Climb to top.  Named for a flake that took flight during early an reconnaissance of the route.

A multi-pitch route in The Gunpowder.  Really?  Yes, really.  This is a mash-up of two routes—Fin Land and The Moss Monster. P1: Begin on Fin Land. Complete the traverse to the left. Instead of continuing upward, keep traversing around the arete onto the northeast face. Set up a hanging belay in the horizontal cracks. P2: Move left and up. Place cams in the flakes overhead before moving further left into The Moss Monster off width crack. Place bomber cams in the crack. Climb the back of The Moss Monster to flakes up high on the east face. Put in a couple of good cams and lie back onto the summit ramp. Once on top look for a couple of horizontal cracks in the moss for placements. Then head up the ramp to the tree on the edge that overlooks the east face. Use the tree for an anchor, equalized with a couple of gear placements in cracks higher up. Rap off the tree.

From one face to another. Climb the lower face using the middle (i.e., the lower section of Big Squeeze) crack. Stay in the crack as much as possible. This is the crux. At the top of this lower slab continue up and right on the arete. You can make this a fun 2-pitch route by building a bomber anchor in the horizontal at the top of the slab. If you chose to continue as a single pitch, avoid stepping on the ledge to the left. Lie back flakes up and right, onto the upper face. Sink some good cam placements. Become one with the moss (this is Maryland after all). Rock is sharp. You may draw blood. Follow a line just to the left of Charitable View.

Climb the right leaning crack on the east face. Greasy when the humidity is high. Crack seeps in the middle. Work your way up and right. Hands OK. Feet not so much. Sharp edges in the crack.  Look for flakes overhead.   You may donate blood. Monkey onto a right foothold on the arete. Turn the corner onto the northeast face and link up with other routes.

Follow the obvious cracks to a scalloped "ledge" at the top.  Build a 4-point equalized anchor in small cracks just above the scalloped area.  Deal with the moss.  It's Maryland.  

 Once your anchor is built you can rap off.  Pull the rope and lead several other variations on the same face.

 Much of the face has been cleaned.  The rock is sharp, so friction is good despite the remaining moss and lichen.

Welcome to the land of Fin.  The full experience—flakes, cracks, moss, a traverse, and a head wall.

Crux is lower down as you ascend the flake with small fingers.  Flake is solid and takes small cams. Make sure your pro is good before you move left into the traverse toward the arete. Turn the corner at the arete and ascend the face using the cracks for protection.  Here the route merges with Charitable View.  Moss is a factor and gets an M3 rating toward the top of the route; though this will change as more cleaning is completed.

A blade of rock with top rope and trad climbs. Better quality rock than other Gunpowder crags.  Cooler than the other Gunpowder crags in the summer. 

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Fin