I am hiking up airline trail tomorrow with a friend who loves hiking above treeline but has real issues with "exposure" as it relates to being too close to an edge with a precipitous drop (not exposure to weather). He's fine as long as the trail is wide enough and the edge not too sheer. He didn't like the description "knife edge." I hiked the airline trail a while back and I don't recall any parts of the trail that were narrow and where you were close to a precipitous edge where you could fall to your death. Is my recollection correct? Like I said, he has no issue with heights and great views, but has trouble being close to an edge.

Correct, its not like the knife's edge on katahdin or even the one on Capitol peak in Colorado. He should have zero problems with that route and i prefer that one to valley way.

Greg

I agree with HcI. No knife edge. Like many trails in the Whites, there's a sharp drop in spots on one side, but not on the other.

What they said. There's optional short spurs to those places with great views 500 feet straight down into the ravine but nothing you have to go out on. Stuff like this...



I actually don't know of any true knife edged trails in NH even though there's plenty with lots of exposure.

It not so much of a knifes edge as a baseball bat edge. Nothing that made me ever feel like id tumble to my death.

There's a few crags to test your fortitude on.

Thanks all for your tips on Durant's ridge. You're right, it wasn't a problem at all. Absolutely beautiful day in the high peaks.