Recommendations for sport Boston or DC area

Hi,I

I'm a climber from India and am traveling to the US for work this summer. I'm looking to do a three or four day trip out somewhere on the east coast where I can do some climbing. I have been climbing for a while but have mostly climbed in a gym. Indoors I boulder upto V6 and sport climb a 6c max. 

I don't have any experience with gear and set ups. So would love to find a community or some people who might be interested in such a trip? And if nothing else, just to grab some mats and go bouldering outdoors somewhere. 

I will be in both DC and Boston and wondered if anyone had any rec for anything around there?

Thank you!

For Boston, There are several bouldering areas in the suburbs, top--roping as well and multiple gyms. For sport climbing, the best area is Rumney in New Hampshire about 2 hours north. There is also sport climbing and bouldering at Farley Ledge in Erving, MA about 1.5 hours west off of Route 2.

Sport climbing is limited near Washington DC, but there is some quality TR at Great Falls and Carter Rocks, and you won't have a problem meeting up with folks to do that.

Closest sports routes are Talking Heads Wall and Buzzard Rock, located at Elizabeth Furnace, VA and found on MP under same. The later is mostly slab and may require some light trad supplementing. 

Good luck

Alan Rubin wrote:

For Boston, There are several bouldering areas in the suburbs, top--roping as well and multiple gyms. For sport climbing, the best area is Rumney in New Hampshire about 2 hours north. There is also sport climbing and bouldering at Farley Ledge in Erving, MA about 1.5 hours west off of Route 2.

Thank you Alan! 

And is there a place in the burbs near the bouldering where I can rent crash pads? And find folks to go climb with?!

Michael Catlett wrote:

Sport climbing is limited near Washington DC, but there is some quality TR at Great Falls and Carter Rocks, and you won't have a problem meeting up with folks to do that.

Closest sports routes are Talking Heads Wall and Buzzard Rock, located at Elizabeth Furnace, VA and found on MP under same. The later is mostly slab and may require some light trad supplementing. 

Good luck

Thank you Michael. Do you have any recs for companies who would organise trips out to great rock for some TR? I won't have any gear of course and also I don't know how to set stuff up myself. Or if you know folk who might be making trips out there in the latter half of May?

Anirudh Nair wrote:

Thank you Alan! 

And is there a place in the burbs near the bouldering where I can rent crash pads? And find folks to go climb with?!

I'm not a boulderer, so have no idea of places that might rent pads. My suggestion, though, is that you go to one of the many climbing gyms in the Boston area, several of which are bouldering specific. You can boulder there---they rent equipment to use in the gym--and also meet folks who might invite you to climb with them outside. The Central Rock Gyms ( CRG) have several locations in the Boston area---2 in Cambridge that are bouldering only and a couple in Boston ( North Station and Fenway) and are very good facilities.  They also have several locations close by with roped climbing--the main one close to the city is in Watertown.

For DC, I'll mention that Carderock is in Maryland but just outside the DC line and is very accessible--I believe that you can get there by bus. It is in the C and O Canal Park along the Potomac River. It is a short top-roping cliff ( VERY slick rock) and is very popular. There will be folks climbing there any nice day and crowded on weekends. I'm sure that some of them would be willing to let you join with them---though you will need your own harness and shoes at least. If you can't bring yours with you from home, it would be worth buying them while here--a chalk bag will also be very useful and a belay device as well--though neither would be absolutely necessary. Hope this helps. Have a nice visit.

Anirudh, Try Sport Rock. Good climbing gyms, and they run a number of classes at Great Falls and Carter Rock

Anirudh Nair wrote:

Thank you Alan! 

And is there a place in the burbs near the bouldering where I can rent crash pads? And find folks to go climb with?!

Some branches of Rock Spot rent crashpads around Boston.

nat han wrote:

Some branches of Rock Spot rent crashpads around Boston.

Metrorock in Everett also does, according to their website.

Amazing. Thank you. 

Will be in Boston second half of May and will check it out.