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Rock Garden

5.4, Trad,  Avg: 2.5 from 65 votes
FA: Ed Webster and Billy Squier, summer of 1995
New Hampshire > WM: Kancamagus… > Sundown Ledge > Lost Horizon

Description

A fun and well-protected crack leading up to a tree anchor (two cords + two quicklinks as of 8/9/2021). 

Follow the hand-sized crack up into a left-facing corner with good protection along the way. A short chimney section up top will represent the crux for many. The crack will lead you directly to a tree with the anchor. 

If placing a top rope on Kennel Boy (5.10a just to the left of Rock Garden), there is an obvious bolt climber's left just before the end of Rock Garden that can be easily clipped on the way down and offers an easy directional. 

A 60M rope is sufficient length for climbs off this anchor.

Location

The route starts just to the right of a large, prominent overlap/roof (about seven to ten feet off the ground) by the cliffs left hand side. The crack, corner, and chimney of Rock Garden is very obvious.

Protection

Bring a standard trad rack. There are no bolts or pitons. 

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Rock Garden<br>
[Hide Photo] Rock Garden
12 year old Indigo getting ready to clean the gear.
[Hide Photo] 12 year old Indigo getting ready to clean the gear.
Me on lead, almost to the tree anchor.
[Hide Photo] Me on lead, almost to the tree anchor.
Standing at the bolted anchors to climber's right of the tree with the rap tat at the top of P1 of Rock Garden. There's another set of bolts up there. And it looks like there's climbing beyond that...? Not really.
[Hide Photo] Standing at the bolted anchors to climber's right of the tree with the rap tat at the top of P1 of Rock Garden. There's another set of bolts up there. And it looks like there's climbing beyond that…
Sydney just above the short chimney, about to top out onto a nice ledge. This is also a nice shot of [[106574159]] which climbs the face/crack in the center of the photo and then the scoop to her left near the top.
[Hide Photo] Sydney just above the short chimney, about to top out onto a nice ledge. This is also a nice shot of Kennel Boy which climbs the face/crack in the center of the photo and then the scoop to her left…
Sydney heading up Rock Garden
[Hide Photo] Sydney heading up Rock Garden
Madison getting ready to head up Rock Garden
[Hide Photo] Madison getting ready to head up Rock Garden
First time climber at the top. A bit of rope management beta- if you set up a top rope on this one, watch those 2 cracks at the top. We had the rope get stuck today on a lower because the climbers side was on top of the belay side... Made for an interesting couple of minutes!
[Hide Photo] First time climber at the top. A bit of rope management beta- if you set up a top rope on this one, watch those 2 cracks at the top. We had the rope get stuck today on a lower because the climber…

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Eric Nguyen
Natick, MA
  5.5
[Hide Comment] As mentioned by Dan, no second pitch. No bolts on this route either. Tree anchor above the chimney with webbing on it. Can't remember if there are rap rings or quick links, but something is there. And, thankfully, no snakes. That's a deal breaker for me! Aug 11, 2017
Argyle Nelson
Summit, NJ
[Hide Comment] As of 8/10/21, there is a tree anchor above this climb composed of tat that’s in good shape with two quick links. A bolt climber’s left just before topping out makes for an easy TR directional to climb Kennel Boy. I found both climbs fun. Aug 10, 2021
Robert Hall
North Conway, NH
  5.5
[Hide Comment] 1) 26OCT23 A good, new sling with ring(s) on pine tree.

2) Maybe it was the day, maybe the micro-lichen a bit greasy, but this didn’t seem 2-star to me. Grunt and-up, repeat…. Oct 26, 2023