Best Sport Climbs in NH/ME

Also Phil, for a real recommendation from me, take a road trip down to The Obed this fall/winter/spring. The routes there are exactly what you desire, and they all range from easy 11s to impossible 13+s with huge moves, mega steep roofs, and big holds. It is a hidden gem in the southeast, and there is not a lot of information on MP about it. If you want to check out the guidebook sometime just let me know, it is probably in my car.

Jon Frisby wrote:If you find yourself in southeast ct check out the 12s at Chatfield Hollow. Shape shifter 12c is excellent

Sounds nice! These responses are certainly making my ignorance of northeastern sport climbing very apparent. Thanks for the suggestion

Eli Buzzell wrote:Also Phil, for a real recommendation from me, take a road trip down to The Obed this fall/winter/spring. The routes there are exactly what you desire, and they all range from easy 11s to impossible 13+s with huge moves, mega steep roofs, and big holds. It is a hidden gem in the southeast, and there is not a lot of information on MP about it. If you want to check out the guidebook sometime just let me know, it is probably in my car.

Thanks, Eli! I bought the guide in preparation for a trip, back when I was living in Ohio, but it never came to fruition. That's my one big regret for not making time for a trip when I was living closer. I've heard nothing but great things about that area. In fact, I think the reason behind my posting this thread in the first place is that I miss the southern sandstone! Hopefully I can manage a trip soon

If you are willing to drive to VT, the high grade ledge at Marshfield has plenty of quality routes in that grade range on beautiful granite and it gets enough sun to climb on it until December. Look at Tough Schist and check out Marshfield.

Marshfield won't be that useful. There's one 13a there, everything else is harder.

Phil, it sounds like you should avail yourself to New River and Red River, if travelling 12+ hours by car is not impossible. The New for techy and sustained, and steeps too. The Red traditionally for less techy jug hauling but that has changed; it now has everything to suit every taste. Neither has a great cultural scene but they offer really good 1-pitch sport climbs to last a very long time.

S. Neoh wrote:Phil, it sounds like you should avail yourself to New River and Red River, if travelling 12+ hours by car is not impossible. The New for techy and sustained, and steeps too. The Red traditionally for less techy jug hauling but that has changed; it now has everything to suit every taste. Neither has a great cultural scene but they offer really good 1-pitch sport climbs to last a very long time.

Being from Ohio, I learned to climb at the Red and New and have spent a lot of time in both areas. Since I'm now a working stiff, I try to spend my precious time off going to new destinations, but it's high time I make a visit back!

I don`t know if I missed it in the previous responds, but if you are looking for hard high quality sport climbing, to me there`s one name on top! SHAGG!

mountainproject.com/v/shagg…

Phil, sorry I did not check out your Tick List in full before recommending NRG and RRG. You have done a lot at both places! I love climbing at both; been to NRG eight times since '92 and about to visit RRG the fifth time since '96.
How about Smith Rocks, seeing that you have been to Ten Sleep and Spearfish? Plenty of techy, sustained climbs of higher grades out there in Bend.

Someone mentioned Eyeless but there are TONS of good routes at Sundown with a similar feel. Dikenstein, Romper Room, and Mithras are a few that I enjoyed.

S. Neoh wrote:Phil, sorry I did not check out your Tick List in full before recommending NRG and RRG. You have done a lot at both places! I love climbing at both; been to NRG eight times since '92 and about to visit RRG the fifth time since '96. How about Smith Rocks, seeing that you have been to Ten Sleep and Spearfish? Plenty of techy, sustained climbs of higher grades out there in Bend.

I've had Smith on my radar for a while. It looks fantastic and really unique. I haven't done much sport climbing out west, but that would probably be near the top of the list. Is it supposed to be good in the dead of winter? That might be a good respite from the north country winter.

Hope you have a great trip to the red! You'll probably be getting perfect conditions! Super jealous. Also, it must have been cool to see the place come into its own since your first trip. I bet it was a relative backwater in the mid-90s!

Never visited myself but I want to give a shout out to the stuff JoeT (and Will Carey) have put up at Stonehouse Pond. I can imagine the grading is stiff but the climbs might be what you are looking for.
Spring seems to be the time people like to visit Smith (from afar). Too hot in the summer for sure.
Yeah, The Red in '96 was still a little sleepy. Hard to believe now. Miguel's was there; unrestricted access to both Torrent and Roadside. We even climbed at places which have since been closed to climbing. Motherlode had just opened. Hard to believe that was a mere 20 years ago. OMG, do I feel old!!

S. Neoh wrote:Never visited myself but I want to give a shout out to the stuff JoeT (and Will Carey) have put up at Stonehouse Pond. I can imagine the grading is stiff but the climbs might be what you are looking for. Spring seems to be the time people like to visit Smith (from afar). Too hot in the summer for sure. Yeah, The Red in '96 was still a little sleepy. Hard to believe now. Miguel's was there; unrestricted access to both Torrent and Roadside. We even climbed at places which have since been closed to climbing. Motherlode had just opened. Hard to believe that was a mere 20 years ago. OMG, do I feel old!!

I can vouch for stonehouse pond being all of those things. There are some fantastic routes there, a seriously badass project for you might be Moe Howard Died For Our Sins (5.13a)