| Jay's Discovery (5.1) Route |
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| Jay's Discovery (5.1)   | 
| Page Type: Route Location: Virginia, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 38.99620°N / 77.2536°W Route Type: Scrambling Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter Time Required: Less than two hours Rock Difficulty: 5.1 (YDS) Difficulty: Feels more like 5.3 Number of Pitches: 1
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| Page By: Bob Sihler Created/Edited: May 3, 2007 / Oct 3, 2007 Object ID: 290494 Hits: 1335 Loading... Page Score: 86.78% - 3 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Jay's Discovery is a nice route for free soloists because since its rating is just 5.1 (more on that with the route information), it sees little use by roped climbers, making it an ideal climb for scramblers at this popular climbing area.
ROUTE INFORMATION: The climb is a single pitch of about 55 feet. It is rated 5.1 in my guidebook, but this is a hard 5.1, much harder than other 5.1 routes I have climbed in the area. And because I'm pretty tall, reaching the good holds was much easier for me than it would be for people at least a couple inches shorter than I am (I am 6'1"), and sometimes it was quite a stretch for me to reach something. This climb feels more like 5.3 or 5.4, but I'm not claiming I know enough to change the rating.
The route itself is obvious, and the picture shows it in full. The rock, though solid, can be quite slippery, so be aware and cautious. Holds are sometimes delightfully large, but they're often only large enough to get just one or two toes, or the tips of the fingers, on them. At times, you may have to use stemming or smearing techniques.
The lower half is the hardest part. That stretch ends where it runs adjacent to the overhang shown in the photo. If the lower half proves too difficult unroped, you can bypass it with Class 4 upclimbing to the left, up to the overhang, and then right into the main route. I have taken both the main route and the alternate up, and the move from the overhang into the main route is harder than any one move on the main route itself. It's awkward for the balance and has you almost on your back.
GETTING THERE: Just past the entrance station for Great Falls Park, make a right onto a road that descends to a parking area. Hike a minute or two toward the river until you reach the River Trail, where you turn right. Soon after passing a small pond (could be gone during very dry periods) on your right, you will reach an outcrop (on the left) overlooking the river. There is a plaque dedicated to Stephen Mather on one of the rocks here, and there is also an interpretive sign at this spot, which is atop the Dihedrals area. Just past this area, the trail passes a sign indicating access to the Dihedrals climbing area. Descend the route, which is Class 3 if you take the easiest way. Turn left (upstream); a few feet of walking will place you at the base of Jay's Discovery, which you can't miss if you've studied or printed the picture here. It should take 10-15 minutes to walk from the parking area to the top of Dihedrals, and then a few more minutes to descend.
EQUIPMENT: Helmet, rock shoes; if you do rope up, there are plenty of natural anchors to set up for toproping.
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