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Franconia Notch Bouldering

M Sprague · · New England · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 5,090

Russ, there are tons and tons of bouldering to be found all over in the Whites. Yes, much of it is going to require some work to get to and most likely there will initially be a lot of growth and lichen to deal with, but it is New England. That is the way it is. Builds character. The bouldering potential in the Whites has barely been scratched. You just have to get out there and look beyond the bases of the most popular crags. Id suggest checking out around Sundown, near Madison (can't remember the name of the lake there)and below Harts Ledge near Bartlett (only a 15 min hike down a mellow logging road) to start. I am sure the locals have plenty more secret stashes.

There is great potential in the alpine zone, but I don't think it is necessarily great to encourage masses of boulderers up there unless they are really careful to go low impact. Scrubbing lichen and wearing spider trails is a whole other thing there compared to lower elevations that grow right back if not climbed on regularly.

Russ Keane · · Salt Lake · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 392

Yes, true, thanks Mark. Spread out and mysterious. While this is fun, and might pay dividends over a long stretch of development, I find bouldering to be a quick-fix type of thing. Before/after work, need a burn for an hour or two.... And if I'm going to spend an entire day for bouldering, I'll want a decent amount of options in one place.

Pawtuckaway- It's so clutch how so many gigantic beautiful boulders ended up tumbling down from God knows where, ending in a nice gently soft and flat area, all sitting there just desperate to be climbed.

I think the nature of the rugged steep alpine terrain in Franconia and elsewhere in the Whites makes it difficult for the same bouldering to be available. Granted I am not discounting the infinite number of boulders that are in the wilderness up in the north country. To be sure there's more to climb than you could ever count. It's just where and how.

M Sprague · · New England · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 5,090
Jonathan Steitzer wrote:For what it's worth I'd encourage people not to post it up. Just go talk to the boys at IME.
Personally, I think that is kind of lame. It is not like the bouldering is even remotely getting overrun. Just look at Rumney, the most densely used area in NH and you head into the boulders and you can almost always be alone, there is still tons of potential for quality new lines and stuff grows back so quickly that lines get new "FAs" every 5-10 years.

Take the Sugar Maple Grove Boulders below Harts for example. I know Rich Baker and others did a lot there, but Rich passed away a few years ago and now I can't find any information beyond a little from Handren.
M Sprague · · New England · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 5,090
Russ Keane wrote:Yes, true, thanks Mark. Spread out and mysterious. While this is fun, and might pay dividends over a long stretch of development, I find bouldering to be a quick-fix type of thing. Before/after work, need a burn for an hour or two.... And if I'm going to spend an entire day for bouldering, I'll want a decent amount of options in one place. Pawtuckaway- It's so clutch how so many gigantic beautiful boulders ended up tumbling down from God knows where, ending in a nice gently soft and flat area, all sitting there just desperate to be climbed. I think the nature of the rugged steep alpine terrain in Franconia and elsewhere in the Whites makes it difficult for the same bouldering to be available. Granted I am not discounting the infinite number of boulders that are in the wilderness up in the north country. To be sure there's more to climb than you could ever count. It's just where and how.
I have often thought it would be nice to have some heavy lift helis and snitch all the best boulders in RI and put them in my back field, plus seeing the look on people's faces when they arrived at the former site of Try Again would be priceless.
eddysamson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2014 · Points: 2,088
M Sprague wrote: I have often thought it would be nice to have some heavy lift helis and snitch all the best boulders in RI and put them in my back field, plus seeing the look on people's faces when they arrived at the former site of Try Again would be priceless.
Lol could you imagine that? You get bored of the problems so you take your heli and flip it over, new problems!
edward pinskey · · Bethlehem NH · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 727

Good place to start your search for the torcher would be around Boise rock in Franconia notch... maybe above.. or up the 2nd drainage north along the highway... ;)

Eli Buzzell · · noco · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 5,507
edward pinskey · · Bethlehem NH · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 727

Ya I’ve been up to it now I could have swore it was up there at the time. 

Dogarf · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2015 · Points: 571

Hello bouldering fok.
Myself and a group of locals have been developing the bouldering through kinsman notch for about four years now and I am currently trying to a release a small guide book this coming spring/early summer which will contain roughly 200 previously un published problems. It is obvious that a group or groups of people that I have been unable to track down have been developing underneath the primate/lower primate wall and I would love to get as much information as possible from them! I have GPS marked all the boulders and climbed quite a bit in this area, but Boulder/Problem names, grades and FA info would be really awesome to get ahold of. Trying to avoid having a whole area of (unnamed V4, on Unnamed boulder, FA unknown) or for simplicity sake giving these numerous problems arbitrarily names (I have a good sense of the grades) with unknown FA's, and snubbing people of recognition for their work. If you have any info please message me!
-Cheers, Dogarf

Aunt Patty · · Fryeburg, ME · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 116
Dogarf wrote: Hello bouldering fok.
Myself and a group of locals have been developing the bouldering through kinsman notch for about four years now and I am currently trying to a release a small guide book this coming spring/early summer which will contain roughly 200 previously un published problems. It is obvious that a group or groups of people that I have been unable to track down have been developing underneath the primate/lower primate wall and I would love to get as much information as possible from them! I have GPS marked all the boulders and climbed quite a bit in this area, but Boulder/Problem names, grades and FA info would be really awesome to get ahold of. Trying to avoid having a whole area of (unnamed V4, on Unnamed boulder, FA unknown) or for simplicity sake giving these numerous problems arbitrarily names (I have a good sense of the grades) with unknown FA's, and snubbing people of recognition for their work. If you have any info please message me!
-Cheers, Dogarf

From my understanding, which is by no means fact, a group of students from the White Mountain School did a fair amount of developing in that area. I myself am not a boulderer, and am unclear if those students are still enrolled, or in the area. 

Dogarf · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2015 · Points: 571

Hey Dhane thanks for the response!
Unfortanitly that group of WMS students was my friends and I, I was a day student at WMS for four years and started developing in Kinsman during my Junior year.  I have a fair amount of contact with the climbing program still and it is not any current WMS students developing under the Primate walls. 

Nick Grant · · Tamworth, NH · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 424

Dogarf, have you talked to Mike Kenney about bouldering in the Kinsman Notch area?  He lives on Easton Road and has been climbing in the area for over forty years.  I guarantee he's got "secret" info about great boulders in the area (if he agrees to cough it up).

Dogarf · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2015 · Points: 571

Cool thanks for the tip Nick, funny Mike and I live like five minutes from each other, but never thought to hit him up.
-Cheers, Dogarf

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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