New Hampshire
Submitted by: Jay Knower
Description
New Hampshire is the Granite State. The state moto is "Live Free or Die." Need more be said?
Actually though, the rock in this state comes in many forms, from the rounded boulders of Pawtuckaway in the South to the clean fractured granite of Cannon Cliff in the North. We even have a world class sport climbing area, though the cliffs at Rumney are mostly schist. On the other side of the mountains, North Conway has its own scene and two of the best trad cliffs around. Cathedral and Whitehorse Ledges are just minutes from town. All of this within a state that is small enough to fit into some of your National Parks out West.
Whether you consider yourself a hard core traditionalist or a sport climbing wunderkind, there is a wealth of climbing to be found in this small state. Plus, there's some die-hard Libertarian blood around here, so don't expect to pay any taxes. And fall around these parts can be pretty close to heaven.
Getting There
Despite its diminutive size, New Hampshire should be found on most maps of the U.S.
Manchester hosts a major regional airport. The Boston airport is less than a three hour drive from most points in the state.
Peregrines
Please note that seasonal peregrine closures affect many cliffs in the state. Please check the information kiosks for more information. The closures are usually clearly marked.
Vegetation
| This is a picture of a boy being eaten by a tree on a winter ascent of Rock Rimmon... the trees get hungry...
Submitted By: lee hansche on Jan 15, 2008
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New Hampshire has no shortage of vegetation growing on the rock. While climbers should try to be respectful of the local flora, sometimes it feels like we are fighting a losing battle with the mosses, bushes, and trees that continually try to engulf the rock. It's not uncommon to find that a cleaned route has returned to its original scruffy state after only a year of neglect. The remedy? Get out and climb the routes!
Ethics
The climbing areas in New Hampshire display diverse ethics, though some common threads can be found. No chipping, drilling of holds, or modifying of existed routes. Beyond that, consider the local area's specific ethics. What's acceptable at Rumney might not be acceptable at Cathedral, for example. If you have any questions, ask a local, get a consensus (no small feat, to be sure), and think before you act.
Photos
Kayte Knower making the clip at the start of the crux bulge.
Remember your first time in the mountains?
Franconia Ridge, NH.
Winter '09. Why did I move to this state?
Famous climber. Posted for a thread. Hi Jay!
Just a few photos of NH climbing I put into a collage
Your administrator.
A night bouldering session in the woods of NH.
Cool problem in the Hanover area.
Tim getting the beta right.
Really fun boulder problem in the Hanover area.
anyone know anything about this cliff... i think its on the south side of Mount Garfield... this is the view from Mount Lincoln...
Cannon Cliff while driving north on interstate 93.
heading into crawford notch for another climbing adventure.
Bouldering in NH.
photo: Ryan Nicholson
The Guides Wall,Cathedral and Humphrey's seen from top of Whitehourse slabs.
Olga Mirkina starting up a TR run of "Fat and Happy" a steep 12b/c sport route on the main wall of Durrell Mountain (aka Whiteface). Durrell Mountain is a somewhat unknown area in Gilmanton, NH, kind of like a small version of Rumney, being a bunch of one pitch crags on a hillside with similar rock. Todd Swain is working on a guide that includes the area which should be out soon.
chinos mt club,watch out here we come!
East flank of Mt. Washington and the Presidentials
Chistopher Denver, getting ready to crank a new route. photo was taken in 2005.
dennis the menace getting ready to climb (Zackary)
Come check out our Community Bouldering Fundraiser to benefit the Access Fund!!!!!!!!!!!
Manchester
Stone bridge in Hillsboro
Acworth bouldering
Acworth
Bouldering Acworth
River
River
Stone Arch Bridge Keene, NH. This thing was built way back in the day without motar. It's quite the structure and great for climbing. Just minutes from campus/mainstreet. Watch out for poison ivy if you set up on sections other than in pic.
The Presidentials from South Twin Mtn
We are excited to announce that Manchester Vertical Dreams will be hosting a slide show by Joe Kinder on Tuesday, May 14th at 7:00pm... Come meet him, check out his amazing photos and videos and listen to stories of his climbing experiences from around the world!
Joe is a former Vertical Dreams local and is psyched to come back and share his endless energy with the current breed of NH climbers!
We are asking for a suggested donation of $5 for Joe who is a hard working guy and deserves to be paid for his time and effort :)
Comments
Ladd Raine May 10, 2007
For a sampling of New Hampshire climbing check out the film Uncommon Ground
Jay Knower Feb 1, 2008
All of New Hampshire's ice and alpine climbs have been moved so that they can be found under a single heading. If you are looking for (or planning on adding to) the ice routes in the database, then click on "NH Ice and Alpine Climbing" above.
john strand May 22, 2008
I do not climb in the area anymore since I live in southern colo now, but I would really like to contribute some routes and/or comments.
I have about 25 years climbing in NH as well as the rest of New England including about 50 F/A,s
Big question- most of my photos are slides, can these be scanned and put on the site ?\\
talk soon ,
john
jason seaver May 27, 2008
Hi John, I'd love to see some of your photos on this site. It would be great to have some contributions / stories from your days around NE. I know your slides can be scanned but you need a slide scanner which might be expensive, I don't know. Maybe you know someone with one?
Anyone else have better advice?
Cheers, Jason
jason seaver May 27, 2008
Nice..... Thanks Bob.
John, I'll look forward to seeing your photos and contributions.
I love that photo in Webster's guidebook of you on Unwanted Guests. I've rapped past those non-existent footholds, and have always wondered what the hell you were standing on in that photo.
Good luck, Jason
john strand Jun 24, 2008
Please check for seasonal Peregrine closures throughout the state
matthewWallace Jan 7, 2009
I have a question, I hiked Rattlesnake Mountain in Holderness NH this is the mountain that looks over Squam Lake, not the one in Rumney, while doing this I walked down infront of the slabs there and found three short sport routes four or five bolts a piece, does anybody know anyting about these routes, before I get on them? Also does anybody know Trad routes that are there.
Thank you for any help in advance.
matthewWallace Jan 13, 2009
I am curious if anyone else thinks putting up indoor gyms on this site would be a good idea. I believe it would be because it would provided places for people to train and for people to go on bad outdoor days, also it will benefit the climbing community by developing newer climbers and it will benefit the gyms by bringing in new customers.
There would have to be regulations for this such as not posting routes it would just be a way to get the gyms more known and develop the climbing community.
What are your thoughts...
Ladd Raine Jan 14, 2009
We already invented the wheel on that one.
??
lee hansche Apr 30, 2009
jakob and i climbed cathedral, whitehorse, and cannon cliff within 17 hrs the other day (and night)... The idea was to do what we see as the 3 proudest cliffs in a day or so... now that we see how fun and easy it was taking the moderate routes we are thinking of doing some harder routes in the same style... here is a video of the adventure:
Jay Knower May 1, 2009
Nice video Lee. I especially like the Cannon footage. Wind blowing, getting lost. It really captures the Cannon experience.
Peter Beal May 1, 2009
Agreed, though the Cathedral footage was a bit underexposed:) Thanks for posting it!
matthewWallace May 1, 2009
Lee cool video looks like a fun way to spend 17hrs...
lee hansche May 1, 2009
Yeah peter i was bummed about how dark to night footage was... but it was an important part of the adventure... glad you liked it over all...
Peter Beal May 2, 2009
Bombardment was my first 5.8 lead way way back and still stands as one of the great pitches of the grade in NH.
matthewWallace May 18, 2009
I heard a rumor of a multipitch slab climb in Crawford Notch (Willey Slide area?). The description I recieved was three maybe four pitches of 5.6ish slab climbing anyone know anything about this?
nhclimber May 19, 2009
TONS of climbing in Crawford notch. Mt Webster slabs has old and new routes some documented (bore tide, lost in the sun), some not. Mt willard has a ton of classics. Lots of slab climbing with a traditional bolting ethic.
Adam Wilcox May 19, 2009
Yeah, Lost in the Sun (5.5) and Bore Tide (5.6). Each is 6-8 pitches or so. You park at the Willey Slide turn out, cross the river and wander up to the Slabs on Mt. Webster. You can find directions and a topo at NEClimbs.
I climbed Lost in the Sun in October '07 as my first decent multipitch trad climb. It was a good experience, and with more efficiency than I had at the time you could bag both routes in a day easily. All the belays are bolted and you'll only need a light rack. You will need two ropes to rap, as the routes don't top out. I'd reccomend going during a dry spell, lots of the protection bolts were under running water and I had to trailblaze on easy runout ground a little.
nhclimber Jul 20, 2009
I was going to add some routes on sundown's outback cliff, but I didn't think that they really belong in the same section. It would be like lumping painted walls and rainbow slab together. Actually those cliffs are closer together than sundown main cliff and the outback cliff. Any thoughts?
Jay Knower Aug 18, 2009
I combined all of the crags off the Kanc into the Kancamagus Crags area. This includes Sundown, Woodchuck, Painted Walls, etc.
I also added Sundown's Outback Cliff under that area. Having never climbed there, I don't know much about it. Nhclimber, it would be great if you would add routes/info to that cliff.
nhclimber Aug 18, 2009
I'll get some info up, thanks for adding it.
Jay Knower Apr 2, 2010
A Granite State of Mind:
Mike C. Robinson Jun 22, 2010
Please help me with the name aof the boulder at the rest stop off of 93 south between exit 20 and exit 18
Jay Knower Jun 23, 2010
Mike, I'm not sure of the name. It looks cool, though.
lee hansche Jun 23, 2010
i always called it the rest stop boulder... i dont know any names or grades but ive poked around on it... i know brett myers and company climbed some hard-ish highballs on the big boulder years ago...
matthewWallace Jun 23, 2010
Is it generally accepted to on the Rest Stop Boulder?I have seen it a few times from the highway and didnt know if it was ok to climb there.
lee hansche Jun 23, 2010
as far as i know climbing at the rest stop is legit...
bradley white Jul 19, 2010
The rest stop boulder was climbed in 1982? by Tom Bowker and Jay Golden. They may have actually led something up it, besides top roping on it.
Mike C. Robinson Aug 10, 2010
I spoke with a couple of the folks that work at this rest stop and no problems with climbing there, I cleaned a couple of (new?) lines on the right corner of the boulder as you are walking to it from the parking lot, V4ish and very good!
lee hansche Nov 7, 2012
This Friday Vertical Dreams Nashua will be hosting a Community Bouldering Fundraiser to support the Access Fund (the people who secured Rumney access for all of us)... Lets give back!
Friday the 9th from 7pm-10pm, $20 gets you all new boulder problems! Pizza! and we have a pile of prizes and swag for you!!!!!!!!
James Otey Jan 2, 2013
Join us this Saturday January 5th for the Grand Opening of Evolution Rock + Fitness, New Hampshire's newest climbing gym. We will be holding tons of promotional events, and expect a high energy day among community locals. For details check out www.evolutionrock.com. We'd love to see you there!
Part of the proceeds will be going directly to the RCA.
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