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I'm looking for a multipitch route with decent exposure, and rated 5.5 or below, preferably with a topout. I have some ideas from the online guidebook, but I want your take. Any ideas?

Big Country. Bring your bushwhacking clothes.

you could always try cavers route

Just do Foxfire. If you can climb 5.7 sport, you can climb foxfire.

Yep, Cavers, as long as you're OK with 4th classing an easy to moderate 5th class chimney. Foxfire is awesome, but it's a bit harder than 5.5. Start early.

tpowell wrote:Just do Foxfire. If you can climb 5.7 sport, you can climb foxfire.

This is bad advice

WDW4- You've touched on the basic problem for beginning climbers in the RRG, that is the almost complete absence of very easy multipitch trad. Compare it to Seneca Rocks, for example, which has many fine routes between 5.0 and 5.4. The RRG is kind of a tough place for the beginning traddy. Imagine what it was like before the advent of cams, it kept climbers away in droves. It might be best to pour over the guide book in order to identify easy to protect routes on which you can push your leading ability up to 5.7 or 5.8 then attack the multipitch stuff. When you're ready for it, Jewel Pinnacle has what might be the best two pitch 5.6 in the RRG. The first pitch isn't very nice, but the second pitch and the top-out is incredible. Get ready for that one and get on it as soon as you can.

Caspian wrote:

tpowell wrote:Just do Foxfire. If you can climb 5.7 sport, you can climb foxfire.

This is bad advice

How? Foxfire, if the standard route is done, is not a crack climb and works well for beginners. If you can pull off jugs and plates for 60-70 feet, you can climb foxfire. The first pitch is 5.4, the second is 5.4/5.5, and the third pitch is 5.7. The only part of the route where beginners will have trouble is midway through the last pitch where a small bulge needs to be surmounted. It's easy climbing to and from there (like 5.5ish). There are excellent belay ledges, protection where you need it with great stances to place from, and the third pitch is just fantastic. Plus, if they get to the bottom of the third pitch and decide it's too tough they can just rap off on climbers right. I've never done Caver's route, but I've been told it's more of a solo than a trad climb. So if they're looking for good adventuresome trad climbing that will help you grow in your trad leading skills, foxfire is an excellent choice. Sure it may be out of the grade range specified, but climbing is about challenging ourselves and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones. Thankfully foxfire offers plenty of places to safely bail in the event that it proves to be too much of a challenge..

I recommend Caver's route. You will do it on Trad and then you will solo it.

tpowell wrote:Just do Foxfire. If you can climb 5.7 sport, you can climb foxfire.

Let me clarify. Foxfire is a great route and recommend it to someone who is looking for a 5.7 trad route.

I think it is poor advice to tell someone asking for a gear route two grades easier that they will be fine if they can climb 5.7 sport. Just my opinion.