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Comments: On Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, we went to Cathedral Ledge, and hoped to climb the popular Into Thin Air. Having slept at the yurt at MITOC's Intervale cabin, we got up before 8, and reached the base of the climb before 9, but there was already a party of 3 on the first pitch. We waited for a while, climbed the first pitch, and decided to quit due to the extreme slow climbing speed of the party ahead of us. We drove up to the top of Cathedral Ledge, and did Upper Refuse instead before the crowds reached it from below. I had done it a year or two ago with Marta, so Alberto led it all the way and I followed wearing running shoes. Pitch 1: (5.3) Climb the right slanting face to a two piton anhor. Good protection following the left corner, which causes a lot of drag to link Pitches 1 and 2 (recommended). Pitch 2: (5.5) Climb a "V" chimney, and continue left up a gully until a tree ledge. Alternatively, to the right of the gully there is a slightly harder face climb split by a crack. Pitch 3: Continue straight up in between the 2 trees, and either climb the corner on the left (slightly harder) or the thin crack on the right (easier, but exposed). Belay at 2 pitons right atop of the climb, or continue slightly up to a ledge with a tree. Walk off left to the fenced overlook. Alternatively, we climbed a short and very thin crack on the right, in front of a big tree (probably 5.9). It took us about 2 hours to complete the climb. Afterwards, we came back to Into Thin Air, and climbed it having it all for ourselves.
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