Starting Out? Go to Pawtuckaway...

Oh fuck off all you "hardcore climbers" that can enjoy a day of getting a bunch of SHIT climbing in. I work my ass off 5 days a week and get to deal with the SHIT New England weather on my weekends. When there is 1 god damn day of sun and dryness in a 2-3 week period for me, I'm not going to fucking waste my time driving 3+ hours down to Land of Secret Awesome Boulders only to trudge around, have trouble finding anything interesting, and leave completely discouraged for a 3+ hour drive home knowing I could have gone to Pawtuckaway.

Eat shit. I'll climb however the fuck I want.

If you cannot find anything interesting at Farley with out a guide book you have problems. The rock is arguably the best place to find hard lines there is still tons of new things to be done. What happened to the idea of going climbing with out having every hold and move listed out and a Vwhatever grade given to it? Maybe its hard, maybe its not fun is fun regardless.

Eddy, man, not sure where all the anger is coming from. The beta for Farley was posted here and I sent it to you by PM. You can certainly choose to climb wherever you want...

Taken Verbatum from the WMCC Website:

Many climbers traverse Route 2 in Farley, Massachusetts numerous times, looking for - but never quite catching sight of - Farley Ledges tucked behind the trees. While this search might prove to be an apt metaphor for one's entire trip, the high concentration of tall, hard routes and excellent bouldering make the effort worth it.

These southeast facing chain of ledges, like much of the rock in the region, is granitic gneiss. This stone is characterized by big, sloping horizontals, small edges and sweeping features. At least four waves of route developers have put up a variety of lines spanning the gamut of highball bouldering to committing traditional lines to pumpy sport routes. The climbing is best when friction is the highest. Generally, ideal conditions can be found in spring and fall, although the heavily forested areas provide ample shade on hot summer days.

Farley sees more visitors each year, especially on the weekends and holidays. Plan on seeing other parties. If the the lots are close to full, consider a visit to Rose Ledges or Mormon Hollow: both are within two miles of Farley and offer more solitude.

In fact, the willingness to climb at a different crag on heavy use days is one big thing individual climbers could do to preserve access to Farley. Farley has been closed numerous times by landowners disgruntled by our numbers, our behavior or both. The WMCC was born to deal with the last closure and we have kept it open. Our purchase of the seven acre plot allowed us to build permanent parking and trail access, but we do not own any of the stone. In other words, we have stabilized - but not guaranteed - our access to the climbing. Please, tread lightly so we can all come back.

Parking

The primary parking area and the trail head can be found on a seven acre parcel purchased by the WMCC. Just west from Holmes Ave down Route 2 near a gravel pullout on the cliff side of the street, a new parking lot and trailhead have been built and the future is looking brighter. This new lot was built for 16 cars though can take a few more. Please park considerately.

Farley has two secondary lots: the old 8-car lot on Wells Street (Holmes Ave) located just to the east on Route 2 across from the cabin looking house. Overflow parking is also available across the Millers River on Bridge Street (Farley Rd) in the small dirt lot. It's a 5 min. walk to either of the two other parking areas from here. Please remember that both of these overflow areas are located on private property and exist at the generosity of the current landowners.

Map

Trails

The main access trail is located beyond the kiosk at the end of the parking lot. From the parking lot, walk north up the hillside to the intersection with the Red Dot trail. Turn right and the trail will wind through the boulder field before it meets the multi-state New England Trail (Metacomet-Monadnock Section) at Briggs Brook. Continue straight ahead and the trail will take you to the Wall of Early Mornign Light, the most popular sport climbing wall at Farley. To the left the Red Dot trail continues around the back and ridge of Rattlesnake Mountain which is spectacular 1-1/2 mile hike in it's own right. Many portions of trail are located on private property so please show your respect. Keep your dogs leashed when visiting Farley Ledge since many of the abutting landowners also have dogs.

Closures

CLOSURE A portion of Farley Ledge is currently closed due to falcon activity. In an effort to protect these state protected birds and their habitat and as suggested by the MA Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, the Yellow Wall and Main Slab areas are closed until June 15. This closure includes all bouldering and roped climbing ABOVE the following boulder problems: Terrordactyl, Tweaky Bird, Appetite for Destruction, and Mid-Sized Man. If you are uncertain about where these formations are, just be sure to stay off the trails, talus and cliffs ABOVE the flagging tape and signs.

Current issues

Commercial Guiding

Since a portion of Farley Ledge is owned by FirstLight & Power, climbers and other visitors to that land are obligated to follow the rules and regulations established by the Northfield Mountain Environmental & Recreation Center. Part of these regulations include restrictions on the licensed use of their property for professional guiding services. At this time, FirstLight and Northfield Mountain are not interested in allowing licensed use of the cliffs for commerical climbing classes or trips. This is limited to the portion of Farley Ledge owned by FirstLight. Property owner information can be found on the kiosk at the main trail head.

Joe M. wrote:Eddy, man, not sure where all the anger is coming from...

Really? You can find all the good boulders at Farley but not Internet hard-mens posting above?

Joe M. wrote:Eddy, man, not sure where all the anger is coming from. The beta for Farley was posted here and I sent it to you by PM. You can certainly choose to climb wherever you want...

Sorry but I really hate the "you're only a real climber if..." or the "why don't you just climb in a gym then" mentality. Its bullshit.

Comments like:

"Farley is amazing... If you're unwilling to explore areas or don't like that sort of thing, one should really consider staying in the gyms at the least. Obviously if you want to have an 'agenda' and make the world and area fit into your nice little box with a guide to coddle you around an area, sometimes you miss out on life."

"you need someone the climb the problem for you also??

kids today: they want to swallow, but they don't even know how to chew….

ed "who doesn't enjoy wankers who demand a "guarantee…" e "

"Deserved response.. They need to unwad their panties and simply go. and then, realize those NE Bouldering guidebooks they scheme thru like bibles- have the cover graced with a Farley classic....."

Don't do anything but make the poster feel like they are better than someone else. Cool, congrats, I'm glad that you can do that, but that's something I do within my own fucking state. Like an hour away. Not 3+ hours drive, 6+ hour round trip. If I want to spend my 1 day of outdoor climbing going somewhere with a guidebook, I'll fucking do it.

It doesn't make you a better climber than me. It doesn't make me a gym rat. It doesn't make me someone who "needs to unwad my panties" or be "coddled" (I have done my fair share of searching for/cleaning off/FAing boulders THANK YOU)

IT MEANS IM A PERSON WITHOUT MUCH TIME. It means I'd rather my 3+ hour trip be an area I can get a FULL day of climbing without hiking and looking for 3 hours and climbing for just 1 hour.

Now if any of you jackasses had been actual good people (like Joe M) and maybe, I don't know, offered to climb with me and be a guide, give me ANY kind of beta or resources to use, then I wouldn't be mad. But no, I get assholes telling me to unwad my panties. Don't fucking tell me to "stay in the gyms".

I can guaran-fucking-tee you that you will find interesting things to climb by just showing up at Farley and walking up to the cliff\boulders. 100% worth the drive. I have been on five occasions, none of those with any beta other than my own, and had a blast, bouldering, sport, and trad. Just dont expect to be able to claim any ticks hereon MP. Again, not sure where the anger is coming from. If you hate the weather in new england, move to J-tree. We don't need angry climbers in new england. That's the realm of Colorado ( wink wink )

I'm sure many on here (including myself) frothing at the bit to share with anyone the total radness that is the 250 or so established routes and problems at Farley would have loved to PM you maps, route info, topos, and all manner of beta; this is the norm when dealing with such a sensitively accessible spot. buuuut then you went and came across as an asshole.

Bill Kirby wrote: Really? You can find all the good boulders at Farley but not Internet hard-mens posting above?

Thanks for recognizing me as a hardman of any kind Bill- it's about time.

B-Mkll wrote:I can guaran-fucking-tee you that you will find interesting things to climb by just showing up at Farley and walking up to the cliff\boulders. 100% worth the drive. I have been on five occasions, none of those with any beta other than my own, and had a blast, bouldering, sport, and trad. Just dont expect to be able to claim any ticks hereon MP. Again, not sure where the anger is coming from. If you hate the weather in new england, move to J-tree. We don't need angry climbers in new england. That's the realm of Colorado ( wink wink ) I'm sure many on here (including myself) frothing at the bit to share with anyone the total radness that is the 250 or so established routes and problems at Farley would have loved to PM you maps, route info, topos, and all manner of beta; this is the norm when dealing with such a sensitively accessible spot. buuuut then you went and came across as an asshole.

I came across as an asshole after being insulted by other assholes. Apparently you don't want angry climbers in NE, but are perfectly okay with everyone who was a complete dick to me before I got angry. I got 3 responses that contained ZERO HELPFUL INFORMATION and instead were clearly made to insult me. Thats why I reacted as I did. If people were so "frothing at the bit" they would have responded with all those things you said INSTEAD OF TELLING ME TO GO CLIMB IN A GYM OR UNWAD MY PANTIES.

Is it really that fucking unreasonable to be mad when I have people telling me shit like that?

christopher adams wrote: Thanks for recognizing me as a hardman of any kind Bill- it's about time.

Nope, not even. Haha.. You were helpful. You have to run your mouth and write insulting nonsense to be an Internet hardman. Maybe if you would have posted all that information and wrote something like " God I found these directions in like two seconds. Go back to the gym where you belong!" At the end then you would've got some recognition.

Bill Kirby wrote: Nope, not even. Haha.. You were helpful. You have to run your mouth and write insulting nonsense to be an Internet hardman. Maybe if you would have posted all that information and wrote something like " God I found these directions in like two seconds. Go back to the gym where you belong!" At the end then you would've got some recognition.

Thanks Bill.

Bill Kirby wrote: Really? You can find all the good boulders at Farley but not Internet hard-mens posting above?

I've been on the interwebs so long I don't even notice that crap anymore. In real life, pretty much every climber I've met has been cool, so the rhetoric just goes in one ear and out the other...

UNWAD MY PANTIES, Dude, you wear panties?

eddysampson,

go back and re-read your posts…

they make you sound like an entitled, whiney cry-baby.

maybe you are and maybe you're not. but, they make you sound like one.

you don't want to go to farley, don't. but please don't whine about how bad everything and everybody is to you. it's unseemly and embarrassing to read.

your "hush hush BS…" comment was out of line and completely disrespectful of the landowners who allow total strangers doing a high risk activity (like climbing )to use their property freely. but, you think they're "BS" because they ask one restriction.

as for you needing a "guarantee…" i don't know what to say. climbing doesn't "guarantee" anything.

respectfully, but barely ;

ed e

ed esmond wrote:eddysampson, go back and re-read your posts… they make you sound like an entitled, whiney cry-baby. maybe you are and maybe you're not. but, they make you sound like one. you don't want to go to farley, don't. but please don't whine about how bad everything and everybody is to you. it's unseemly and embarrassing to read. your "hush hush BS…" comment was out of line and completely disrespectful of the landowners who allow total strangers doing a high risk activity (like climbing )to use their property freely. but, you think they're "BS" because they ask one restriction. as for you needing a "guarantee…" i don't know what to say. climbing doesn't "guarantee" anything. respectfully, but barely ; ed e

Thats not an out of line statement coming from someone who has no idea what the situation is with the landowners there other than people acting like its a big secret. No where in this thread does it mention how they let people climb there until you said it just now. I was under the impression they did NOT allow climbing and that all the local climbers were holding on to it as a secret (which is what all posts before mine insinuate). So what if I'm not a fan of secret areas. Its my opinion.

When I clearly outline the fact that I have LIMITED TIME for climbing outdoors and that LIMITED TIME is often hampered by New England weather, I don't expect to get told to go climb in a gym, unwad my panties, or get told I want to be coddled when I post that I'm not interested in an area that may be tough to day trip. Seriously, though. Why dont YOU go back and read my post. Why the fuck does saying I have limited time to climb and thus wan't some sort of guarantee (and YES there are fucking guarantees in climbing) warrant an insulting response? You people up on your high horses are fucking ridiculous. Elitist jerks is all you are.

I'm looking to CLIMB on my CLIMBING day trips. Not explore. And I'm not looking to be insulted for wanting to fucking climb somewhere on a climbing forum.

got it, man…

rock on with your bad self.

ed e

youtu.be/FJtpwsiHAcI

mr ed?

oh, oh, i get it..mister ED

i've never heard that before…

that's just soooo funny…

how'd you come up with that, 'cause it's just so original…

ed "with friends like these…" e

rough day? I think we need a little entertainment break to put everybody back in that happy place
youtu.be/9Y41K5aZONQ?t=7m35s

Hey, eddy, not for nothing but we all have jobs and climb on the weekends too. Just sayin'....