Climbing Near Bristol, New Hampshire

New Hampshire is the Granite State. The state motto is "Live Free or Die." Need more be said?Actually though, the rock in this state comes in many forms, from the rounded boulders of *Pawtuckaway in the South to the clean fractured granite of *Cannon Cliff in the North. We even have a world class sport climbing area, though the cliffs at *Rumney are mostly schist. On the other side of the mountains, North Conway has its own scene and two of the best trad cliffs around. Cathedral and *Whitehorse Ledges are just minutes from town. All of this within a state that is small enough to fit into some of your National Parks out West.Whether you consider yourself a hard core traditionalist or a sport climbing wunderkind, there is a wealth of climbing to be found in this small state. Plus, there's some die-hard Libertarian blood around here, so don't expect to pay any taxes. And fall around these parts can be pretty close to heaven. The Monadnock Region is home to fantastic rock and ice alike. Hewes Hill, Marlow Profile, Bear's Den, Fall Mountain, Keene RR Cut, the Cheese Cut. What's not to love?The Merrimack Valley hosts one the best cliffs in the south... unfortunately there's restricted access due to it being at an air force site where they still find unexploded ordinance (Joe English Hill). I guess we've still got Rock Rimmon, ey? Jokes aside, *Pawtuckaway is the southern NH crown jewel - world class bouldering accompanied with great trad and ice climbing.The Southeast / Seacoast part of the state also has a nice bouldering. The highest concentration can be found around Exeter. Don't miss Stonehouse Pond for some climbing and a swim.The Lakes Region has undergone some major development in the New Durham Area, specifically at Longstack Precipice and Devil's Den by the Chinos Mountain Club. *Rumney is located within the Lakes Region map but is such a popular destination we've kept it on the main page.The White Mountains region holds the majority of New Hampshire's climbing with a mix of sport, traditional, and outback alpine experiences. We've broken this region into subareas (prefixed with WM) based on pockets of climbing areas, frequently named after the notch or town they are near. A rough overview map of the White Mountain region is here The most popular areas (*Cannon Cliff, *Cathedral Ledge, and *Whitehorse Ledge) are currently listed on the main page.The Great North Woods region has seen more activity recently with routes on North Bald Cap, Outlook and Mt Forist, although it may be better known for areas in the * NH Ice and Mixed section. This region still has less documentation than the White Mountains but there is certainly plenty to explore here. Despite its diminutive size, New Hampshire should be found on most maps of the U.S. Manchester hosts a major regional airport and would be the airport of choice for areas in the western part of the state (Rumney, Cannon etc. about 1 1/4 hr drive). Portland, Maine has a good airport, and is only about 1 1/4 - 1/2 hr drive to areas like Cathedral and Whitehorse in the eastern part of the state. [Take Maine Rt 22W to Rt 114N to Rt 25W to Rt 113N to Rt 302W in Fryeburg ME, then 302W into North Conway; do NOT take Rt 302 all the way, esp. in summer) The Boston airport is less than a three hour drive from most points in the state. The climbing areas in New Hampshire display diverse ethics, though some common threads can be found. No chipping, drilling of holds, or modifying of existed routes. Beyond that, consider the local area's specific ethics. What's acceptable at Rumney might not be acceptable at Cathedral, for example. If you have any questions, ask a local, get a consensus (no small feat, to be sure), and think before you act. For those needing to study the Forest Management Plan 2005, last revised 2009, there is the link. The most climber relevant sections are (section-page) climbing: 1-14, 1-15, 2-22, 2-23, 3-15, 3-77>78 wilderness:1-22, 3-9>18, 3-47 New Hampshire has no shortage of vegetation growing on the rock. While climbers should try to be respectful of the local flora, sometimes it feels like we are fighting a losing battle with the mosses, bushes, and trees that continually try to engulf the rock. It's not uncommon to find that a cleaned route has returned to its original scruffy state after only a year of neglect. The remedy? Get out and climb the routes! Please note that seasonal peregrine closures affect many cliffs in the state. Please check the information kiosks for more information. The closures are usually clearly marked.

A fun little crag with two left facing corners. Just right of the popular ice climbing area. Parking is a challenge here. The best bet is to park at the trail head near the state beach, and walk or ride your bike about one mile to the crag. Find Bristol ... At the town center take Lake st. (route 3A north)... Follow this till you can take a left on to West Shore Rd.... Follow West Shore with the lake on your right till you see the two corners on your left (its a pretty obvious cliff at the top of a short steep hill). Now turn around and go back and park.

A fun little ice crag with a few worth while lines... Actually all the climbs that regularly form are really nice , then there are some obscure mixed or less reliable routes that are worth doing if they are in, but not classics... Crowds can sometimes an issue on weekends but midweek its a nice secret stash... The biggest challenge is the parking situation which is often changing... The roads are narrow so parking on the sides of the road is out... There was a small parking area a little north of the cliff that was recently developed by the owner of the property... Word on the street is that the owners of the lot are cool with you parking as long as you ask... If anyone has more info on parking please post... There are Two popular routes both of which hold a few variations between grade 3 and 4... There is also a nice grade 5 curtain when it is in good shape... Routes are all 1 or 2 pitches and finish in the woods... Double 60m ropes will get you down from all routes... You can also walk off to the left (south) but its much easier to rap... The best part of the crag is that you don't have to drive far for fat consistent ice... Rumney is great but it gets too much sun to be reliable... Being east facing, Newfound only gets the cold early morning light and there for it forms well... From south take exit 23 and head west on route 104 to the town of Bristol... At the town center take a right onto Lake st. (route 3A)... Follow this till you can take a left on to West Shore Rd.... Follow West Shore with the lake on your right till you see the ice climbs on your left (its a pretty obvious cliff at the top of a short steep hill)... Drive by the crag and the parking area is the next spot on the left... Ask Permission to park unless you know you can do otherwise..NOTE- See Comments- it is probably best NOT to park here. Two better spots are a pull-out on the Lake side about 5-10 min walk south of the crag, and the parking  at Wellington State park, about a mile south of the crag. R Hall 2022From the north take exit 26 as for Rumney and head west... At the traffic circle Head south on Route 3A for a while till you see a sign for the town of Hebron (This is North Shore Rd.) Follow North Shore Rd. in to Hebron and take a left on to West Shore Rd..[NOTE: In Feb 2017 we found a parking pullout about 1/3 mile (5-8 min walk) south of the crag, in the lake-shore side of the road. Neither house (on the immediate other side of the road) look occupied so we just parked. As it was plowed in 2017 (heavy snow year) 3, or maybe 4, cars could have parked there with wheels off the white road stripe. R Hall NH Admin. 2017 ]Another parking option is 1.0 miles south of the climbing area on the west side of West Shore Road at the Wellington State Park trail parking lot. It offers a larger parking lot and an easy walk along the road that avoids issues with landowners and snow removal operations. We thought thought it was well worth the 20-minute walk to avoid other problems. It is likely the parking lot conditions vary widely following snowfall, but recommend checking it out. Coordinates: 43.64003697070776, -71.78191886094307