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Climbing at Joe English Hill

Original Post
will ar · · Vermont · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 290

Someone mentioned Joe English Hill to me the other day since they thought I would be able to get legal access because of my current line of work, but he had never climbed there and didn't know much about it.

Anyone climbed there that can provide some background on the style of climbing, length of routes, difficulty, etc? I'm also curious if anything forms up in the winter. Might also be looking for partners to head up there with, but my days climbing outside are fairly limited right now.

Eric Engberg · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 0

I climbed therre a lot in the 70's including some FA's/FFA's. Haven't been in ~30 yeras - probably wouldn't be able to find much today. Typical ne granite. Fairly extensive.

Derek Tremblay · · NH · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 110

I know someone with legal access. Bring a brush and some goggles . Much of what I've seen has been reclaimed by Mother Nature.

Amy Colburn · · Boston, MA · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 361

I'd like to check it out also.

Travis Dustin · · Mexico Maine · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 1,665

You get access and Ill go out there with you!!

Healyje · · PDX · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 422

Lived in Francestown for a couple of years in the mid-80s and used to go free-solo there every now and then. Good blueberries up higher as I recall. Would just go hangout up on ledges in the sun and it was always a nice escape from a fairly intense R&D programming job whenever I got overly saturated with code. At the time I didn't realize it was closed to climbing. I believe I read somewhere that it was where Dean Potter started as well.

Derek Tremblay · · NH · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 110

Healy you were prolly ok. I think it was closed after 9/11.

Christopher Gagne · · Dover · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 1,112

As far as I know the base is still off limits to the general public. You can hike up to the top of the cliff to the old fire tower site, from the back side, but not the base of the cliff.

I have heard and read that the military has opened the base to military personal and dependents of military personal to camping. So this could possibly lead to the land around the base to be reopened to the general public at a late date.

One of the big reason that the base was closed to general public was on the grounds that the site was once a bombing and strafing site for the air force and had/has a large amount of unexploded munitions on the ground. Sometime in the early to mid 2000's they went thru the site and removed all of the munitions that they could locate up to 3' below the surface.

It would be nice if the military would open the cliff to the general public again.

Jeffrey LeCours · · New Hampshire · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 1,381
NC climber · · North Conway NH · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 5

I have climbed at Joe English on and off for the past 10 years. You have to be very low key to say the least. I have been there climbing while the military was preforming exercise at the cliff and they said nothing. Other times they will escort you out and hold on to your rack for you( no joke). The other problem is there is no place to park that is low key. The neighborhood at the base enjoys it being closed and not looking for traffic. If you park there they will call the base. That being said some really good route and most important some historical routes. I have climbed a route up the center of the cliff unearthing old ring pins!!! I think it was an early AMC practice cliff

will ar · · Vermont · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 290

Thanks to everyone who replied or sent me PMs. I finally made it out to Joe English Hill this past weekend to check out the climbing. While quite a bit of the climbing looked like it was covered in lichen or had dirt filled cracks there were still a decent number of climbs that were quite clean. We got on everything from slabs to cracks to overhanging sport. If the access was open to everyone it would be a popular climbing area.

joe english

joe english

joe english

joe english

AWinters · · NH · Joined Apr 2007 · Points: 5,120

Man I miss that place. Used to go out almost everyday after school back in the late 90's, 2000's. We never got kicked out or had problems until 9/11 which is when they really upped the security. Before that we'd see base personnel patrol the road but they never paid attention to us.  There is certainly a lot of decent lines there, it really is too bad about the access. Thanks for the photos!

Christopher Gagne · · Dover · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 1,112

Seeing that people are sneaking out to Joe English for a little fun... Here's the a link to the old 1977 guide to the cliff.

dropbox.com/s/sdkehj7ek9dsv…

Derek Tremblay · · NH · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 110

I was contacted by the "head of security" tonight and informed that NOONE HAS LEGAL ACCESS TO THIS CLIFF. It is to be considered off limits to all climbers including active duty military personnel. Sorry folks

will ar · · Vermont · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 290
Derek Tremblay wrote:I was contacted by the "head of security" tonight and informed that NOONE HAS LEGAL ACCESS TO THIS CLIFF. It is to be considered off limits to all climbers including active duty military personnel. Sorry folks
I recently got a message from someone at the base as well. Apparently there is an endangered species of bat that lives on the cliffs.
Jeffrey LeCours · · New Hampshire · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 1,381

Bummer.

Michael Dalton · · Derry, NH · Joined Jul 2020 · Points: 1

I just stumbled across a mention of this place in an older version of Rock Climbing: New England, are there any recent updates on access or is only the top of the hill still open for hikers?

Sean T.Bowen · · New Boston, NH · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 1,025

I live in town and climbed there extensively PRE-911 with the help of Gerry Hapgood at the local YMCA gaining us weekday permission. I wish those day's were back, it's literally 10 min's from me, I can see it from the porch! Wonderful Trad/ Sport and ICE !  Maybe the access fund can get the new Space Force Commander to look at the issue again !

Alan Rubin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 10

I climbed there a fair amount in the '70s/'80s with Paul Duval and others. It is an excellent crag with a good selection of one and two pitch routes with a good range of grades. Pre-9/11 it would be closed, then reopened at the whim of the current base commander. As others have noted, since 9/11 it has remained off limits to most.

Todd's ( Gunkswest) most recent information gives reason to hope that this situation may now be ripe for change. I think this would be a good time to organize local climbers, along with others ( such as the Boston AMC climbers) who would be interested in having climbing there reopened, to work to approach the Base authorities in a unified manner to attempt to achieve this goal. While I'm sure that the Access Fund will be willing to provide support, it will require 'local energy' to take the initiative.

Alan Rubin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 10

I want to supplement my post above to add,  that while I think this is a good time to organize and plan on how to approach those in charge at Joe English, it would probably be best to hold off on actually doing so until COVID concerns lessen significantly.

Mike Morin · · Glen, NH · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 1,355

After receiving a few inquiries about Joe English Hill at events, I reached out to Congresswoman Kuster's office for assistance in engaging with the Air Force in 2019 to learn more about the rationale behind the closure. I hadn't read the Joe English section in the new S. NE Ice Guide. It's interesting that there seem to be two different stories related to whether access is permitted for those with the appropriate military credentials.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northeastern States
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