Dreaming up Epic climbing trip to the NE.
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I'm scheming up a late summer early Fall climbing trip to the Northeast (next year). I have family in New York and New Jersey I'd like to see, love colorful autumn foliage, and have recently been reading the works of Guy and Laura Waterman - which really peaked my interest in the area. |
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I got some places for you ?? |
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The scoop is that the Dacks are fucking sick. From what you've said you're interested in doing, I'd say you could spend the whole time just in the Adirondacks. |
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Another plug for the 'Dacks. Plenty of awesome climbing. Be sure to climb at Poke-o-Moonshine and Moss Cliff for long (400-600 ft) crack and face climbing on generally awesome rock (especially on Moss Cliff.) |
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Consider swinging through central Connecticut on your way north. I might be biased, but having climbed throughout much of the north east i still think we have some real gems. |
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Overall, looks like a good plan, and you are going at the best time of year for the NE. A few comments on your itinerary Kevin Landolt wrote: New Hampshire - Cannon Cliff - Whitehorse Ledge - Cathedral Ledge - Rumney - Pawtuckaway - Mt. WashingtonGood list. Overall, NH is the best concentration of destination crags in the NE, and this is where you should spend the most time. Pawtuckaway may not be full destination-quality, and is a bit farther from the other crags, so you could omit that one. Kevin Landolt wrote: Vermont - No ideaDon't bother. I used to live in Vermont, and love the state immensely, but the rock climbing there doesn't compare to its neighbors. If climbing is your main priority of the trip, spend your time in NH and NY. Ice climbing in Vermont is a different story... It is still worth passing through Vermont for the scenery, especially in the Fall. If you really want to rock climb there, then your best choice for a couple days passing through is sport climbing at Bolton (especially the 82 Crag) and/or bouldering at Smugglers Notch. Kevin Landolt wrote: New York / New Jersey - The Gunks - The Daks (I always hear great things about the Daks, whats the scoop?)The Gunks are amazing and classic and a mandatory stop. Don't worry about chasing high numbers there, just cruise around on the moderate classics; they are all great. Go on a weekday, if you can. Trying to get on the famous routes there is like trying to get on the Batille Crack on a Saturday in October. The Dacks are a huge area, and the climbing is superb. I think that they are one of the the best overlooked/unknown/underrated areas in the country. It is mostly crack climbing on good quality granite-esque rock (anorthosite) in a remote and scenic location. For a visitor, yoy should spend your time around the Keene Valley / Chapel Pond area. This is a good concentration of classic climbing, is very scenic, and has easy access to the good crags. The Spiders Web is the one world-class, must-visit cliff there. There is now a very good Dacks guidebook available. Kevin Landolt wrote: Maine - Mt. Katahdin? - Clifton Crags - What are some good sea cliffs or crags by the water?This list...not so good. The most visit-worthy stuff in Maine is at Acadia NP and at Shagg Crag. Acadia is your classic Maine sea-cliff area. Shagg is inland, close to the NH border, and is an amazing quality little sport crag. Katahdin, while a great alpine resource by East-Coast standards, probably won't be too impressive to someone who lives close to RMNP; I'd skip it. |
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A summary, based on what you are looking for: |
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Few things: |
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doligo wrote: NE could be a tough place finding partners on the fly (with the exception for the Gunks and Rumney) - locals seldomly venture out to climb with new people. Make sure you have partners lined up before heading to especially North Conway.Ditto that. If you show up in the Dacks w/o a partner, you'll pretty much be SOL. Even the Gunks and Rumney are not the easiest places; there isn't a main climber's campground or a permanent dirtbag scene in which to find partners at any NE crag. None of them offer the easy partner finding that you can expect at major western crags like Indian Creek. If you are rolling in solo, you'd likely have better luck with regard to finding partners by heading south to the New/Red in late Sept. |
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It wouldn't be an awful idea to hit up Devils Lake, the Red, and the New on your way east. I mean, if you have no time restraints, you might as well hit all the big spots on the way to figure out what area, if any, you want to get back to someday. |
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Hey, disregard what one guy said about Maine too cold in late August. Definitely Not true. Anyways, if you're planning to go to Newfoundland, definitely hit up the Welsford valley in Southern New Brunswick. It's like Precipice in Acadia (pink granite) with 5 times more routes and free car camping. The MP page for it kinda sucks but it's a great area with a small motivated climbing community. PM me if you need more details. Good on ya for planning to come East of the Maine Border. I wish more people did! |
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If you can follow the foliage South from Newfoundland, that would be fabulous. At Acadia, The Precipice and Great Head are standouts. If you like sport .12's on overhanging granite, spend a weekend at Shagg Crag in ME. Great stuff all around Conway and North Conway. Sundown is worth a day, at least. You can read all about Rumney and decide for yourself. |
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PM sent, but I will be around in the Fall without a partner because he is going to Denmark, so let me know if you need someone to share a rope with. |
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I'd skip Acadia, comparable climbing to the precipice in the Whites and ADKs. Unless you're climbing ocean side, and otter cliffs is only 'okay', then climbing inland at Acadia is just like climbing inland anywhere else. It's been discussed here before. I wouldn't drive all the way from upstate NY to Acadia again just for the climbing. If you're passing by on your way to/from Canada or Katahdin, then sure why not. |
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If you did go north-south, cap trinite area is pretty unique and a side of scary. Acadia may be a bit overated but Great head is way cool and would be fine experience. |
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Finding climbing is the easy part. It's everything in between that will make your trip memorable. |
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coldatom wrote: Quincy Quarries is another example. If you're in Boston anyway, it's cool to see something with such a different character.Quincy quarries is not a valid follow up to Otter Cliffs. Otter Cliffs has averagely fun climbing in an uncommonly beautiful setting. Quincy Quarries is mostly mediocre climbing that's hard because it's covered in spray paint, in an uncommonly shitty setting. The Precipice at Acadia is good climbing, and the view out to sea is gorgeous. Go there. Rumney is fun times, a very different character to the sport out West that I've been on. Cathedral is one of my favorite cliffs in the country, I've yet to go anywhere else that has that much multi-pitch that's that accessible. If you're in North Conway for a bit, swing out to Sundown for some great sport climbs (it's worth noting that the easiest bolted lines are in the 5.11 range). There are some cruiser trad lines there, but don't let the rating on Vultures fool you, that isn't one of them, and you should absolutely give it a go. Pawtuckaway is fun if you like the pebble wrestling, and there's even a few hard roped lines tucked away there at Devil's Den. If you make it to Newfoundland, write us a trip report. Oh, and Maine is not cold in either August or September. Even at Acadia. It's humid just like the rest of New England. |
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Just a heads up, while New England is rather small, Newfoundland is days of travel away, by car and boat. Far enough away that it won't really plug into a trip to New England. |
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Wowza! Thanks for all the suggestions and psyche. |
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I'd plan on spending most of that time around the Adirondacks and White Mountains. It's not hard to fly under the radar indefinitely at either area if you have a pickup truck with a cap to sleep in. There is enough good climbing in both those areas to last a long, long time. |
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Just a quick note about the "local" scene in Maine. You'd have a hard time just showing up at, say, Shagg Crag and finding a partner, but if you post up here ahead of time, you have a good chance of finding someone headed there and willing to give you a catch. |