Where should I climb over Spring Break?

Thomas Carson wrote:I'm glad to hear that about the New. I'll have to check it out for sure. Thanks for correcting my misconceptions, guys.

are you getting the red and the new confused? RRG is notorious for being overhung jug hauls (though obviously not 100% true) and NRG is famous for good face climbing and all-around awesomeness.

Mark Paulson wrote:Spring break at the RRG is the craziest zoo imaginable. All classic 5.10's and under will have lines. It's certainly an experience, and if you're actually in college, might be fun. I was there in 2003 for my actual spring break, and it was pretty mellow. A lot has changed since, and nowadays I would avoid it like the plague.

Depends on how cold it is. Last year there were no lines for us because most people were scared away by the temeratures and rain.

If 5.10 is really your limit, then be prepared for the possibility that nowhere within 8 hours will be dry. If you're open to spending a day of goofing around on a 12 with permadraws, then the Red is the place to be even if the weather is miserable.

T-Wall for sure, a great place. Gunks might be dicey and NH will really be hit or miss.
It's only a 24hr drive to Shelf Road !

Hey man I'm a Pitt student but from NEPA. i was looking to do some similar climbing over spring break as well, let me know if you are looking for a partner or something.

Anyone have any personal experience at Rumney or bouldering at Pawtuckaway in early March? That's where my buddies and I are headed (we're a mix of Granite and Bay staters)..I'm worried about the snow and or leakage.

Rumney abd PWay CAN be great..but with so much snow/ice this season I don't know...Seepage is a problem.
Personally, I have climbed at tons of NH early in the year and also been washed out plenty.
I would check with neclimbs.com for more up to date info,,they have a conditions section

john strand wrote:Rumney abd PWay CAN be great..but with so much snow/ice this season I don't know...Seepage is a problem. Personally, I have climbed at tons of NH early in the year and also been washed out plenty. I would check with neclimbs.com for more up to date info,,they have a conditions section

agree with this and will toss in that unless it warms up pretty soon, a trip to rumney in mid march will probably end up being pretty uncomfortable

Ben Thesing wrote:Anyone have any personal experience at Rumney or bouldering at Pawtuckaway in early March? That's where my buddies and I are headed (we're a mix of Granite and Bay staters)..I'm worried about the snow and or leakage.

Mid-March in Rumney can be surprisingly awesome, given a stretch of warmish/sunny weather. I've had some really good days there at that time of year. With leaves off the trees, many of the cliffs and cliff bases get tons of sun exposure, so 40s and sunny can feel quite nice, especially after a long winter. Seepage and runoff can be an issue, but there is always lots of dry rock to be found too, especially on the harder/steeper stuff.

That said, I don't think I'd ever plan a trip there in March. It is more of an opportunistic weekend thing if you live nearby and the forecast is promising. Much of the time, the weather is heinous for rock climbing at that time of year. If you do take a trip to that area in march, your most reliable option would be to pack all the gear...rock shoes in case it is warm, ice tools in case it is cold (lots of ice up in Franconia, or over in Conway), skis in case it is dumping snow, and whiskey in case it rains.

Mid-March? I'd say no way do you want to be in New Hampshire. The weather is just too dodgy — it could easily snow a foot. I wouldn't plan to go to the Gunks either. As Horace Greeley said, "Go South, young man!"

dont go to rumney in early march for a trip. its still winter and it could snow a lot, and even if it doesnt snow, theres too much snow on the ground already for it to be good and it aint melting any time soon.

Dont go to the red either. go even more south. red will be too cold also.

I've had lots of mid-march breaks (courtesy of a Ph.D. at Umass). It's unreliable everywhere on the east coast, and it's like that all the time. This seems like a cold year, too. Been snowed out of the New the day after climbing Supercrack in a tank top, roped up at Looking Glass in 28 degrees and shivered/convulsed my way up The Nose, and sat through three inches of rain in Brevard...all on separate trips. My most memorable east coast spring break included: Pinnacle Gully on Mt. Washington one day, rained out the next (rain!!! at 6,000!!!), more rain and a bail to my house in Massachusetts for a BBQ, then a couple of days sunny climbing at the Gunks highlighted by a Son of Easy O onsight in a Hawaiian shirt.
Those were good times.

I guess I'm saying, if you got free time and a good partner then go for it and see what happens. Make a memory.

Nick Grant wrote:As Horace Greeley said, "Go South, young man!"

He was something of an abolitionist, no? If so, then take over the confederacy you yankee!

Nick Grant wrote:Mid-March? I'd say no way do you want to be in New Hampshire. The weather is just too dodgy — it could easily snow a foot. I wouldn't plan to go to the Gunks either. As Horace Greeley said, "Go South, young man!"

They're skiing the best snow of the spring in Tuckermans ravine about then! No way north until late May! This wicked winter also has the Red in risk by late March....looks like you need to be southwest in deserts, Joshua Tree, maybe Red Rocks in Vegas,,but doubt if much in southeast is going to thaw out fast this spring. Good luck.

Woodchuck ATC wrote: looks like you need to be southwest in deserts, Joshua Tree, maybe Red Rocks in Vegas

It's funny cause just yesterday I was asking around to see if anybody is free to climb during my spring break. Everybody is going to Red Rocks. haha

Thomas Carson wrote: It's funny cause just yesterday I was asking around to see if anybody is free to climb during my spring break. Everybody is going to Red Rocks. haha

Good climbers think smart.....that's why.

JCM wrote: Mid-March in Rumney can be surprisingly awesome, given a stretch of warmish/sunny weather. I've had some really good days there at that time of year. With leaves off the trees, many of the cliffs and cliff bases get tons of sun exposure, so 40s and sunny can feel quite nice, especially after a long winter. Seepage and runoff can be an issue, but there is always lots of dry rock to be found too, especially on the harder/steeper stuff. That said, I don't think I'd ever plan a trip there in March. It is more of an opportunistic weekend thing if you live nearby and the forecast is promising. Much of the time, the weather is heinous for rock climbing at that time of year. If you do take a trip to that area in march, your most reliable option would be to pack all the gear...rock shoes in case it is warm, ice tools in case it is cold (lots of ice up in Franconia, or over in Conway), skis in case it is dumping snow, and whiskey in case it rains.

Lucky for me I'm only about 40 minutes from both Rumney and P-Way. So if the weather is too rough up North we'll head down South!

john strand wrote:Rumney abd PWay CAN be great..but with so much snow/ice this season I don't know...Seepage is a problem. Personally, I have climbed at tons of NH early in the year and also been washed out plenty. I would check with neclimbs.com for more up to date info,,they have a conditions section

Thanks John. I'll play it by ear; thankfully I'm close!

Is anybody looking for a climbing partner between March 15th and 23rd? I can't find anybody around here.

john strand wrote:Rumney abd PWay CAN be great..but with so much snow/ice this season I don't know...Seepage is a problem. Personally, I have climbed at tons of NH early in the year and also been washed out plenty. I would check with neclimbs.com for more up to date info,,they have a conditions section

I would second Strand here, except to add that some cliffs are generally dry no matter what the issues might be with seepage. Main Cliff (at least the center routes) is almost always dry. In over 10 years, I can remember Underdog only wet once. We still climbed it, though.

Also, look at Sundown Ledge. Those routes are almost never wet. They're all 5.11 and up, but when that's your only dry option, it's fun to go bolt to bolt on those climbs.