Bondcliff Trail (NH White Mountains)

[Clint3]

The AMC guide describes one section of the trail as a "rather difficult" scramble. How does this compare this to, say, the slide on North Tripyramid, or the scrambles on the Holt Trail up Mt. Cardigan?

[BRAVEJARED]

but not as steep as The North Slide. At least you have good footing and hand holds.

[minx]

(with copious handholds) you have to negotiate. Other than that, the Bondcliff trail is typical of ascent trails in the Whites. Not a "scramble" in the same class as the fan in Huntington Ravine or Six Husbands or the like.

[stringman83]

rock face that appears in front of you just a couple of minutes before treeline. Lots of hand and footholds. At one point I had gotten so familiar with it I could approach it and, without breaking stride, go right up in 4 effortless steps. Jaws would drop.
Memory has faded but I think you can also hug the left edge (at that point maybe only 7-8 feet) and use some shrub roots for handholds and it`s nothing special.

[spade78]

trail descriptions that were written DECADES ago, and that word "scramble" is one of them. Also "sporty", which is how they used to describe the Holt Trail.

[Aldorae]

out and hike every trail in the book. In the case of the two NH guides, a total of two were involved.
There is an effort to be consistent, but I think the book descriptions are aimed more towards novices, with an attempt to cause conservative decision making.
It is hard to edit an update of such a large project, and a certain tendency to maintain the "voice" of the previous editions.
The same book makes little mention of winter hiking, less of bushwhacking or other off trail hiking, and avoids climbing alltogether.
Happy trails, Gary (net.yogi.bear)

[spade78]

useless until they changed it after McDonald Barr died...