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Rite of Spring
5.10+,
Trad, 50 ft (15 m),
Avg: 3.3 from 6
votes
FA: unknown
Connecticut
> Central Valley
> E Peak
> Rite of Spring
Access Issue: Permits Required to Climb on City of Meriden, CT properties.
Details
After many years, the City of Meriden has come to recognize climbing as a legitimate
recreational activity on town land only for those individuals who maintain active membership
with the Ragged Mountain Foundation.
As of late 2019, active members of the RMF can obtain permits sanctioned by Meriden’s
Department of Parks and Recreation that allow for the responsible use of the town’s many cliff
sides, trails, and boulders in pursuit of rock climbing.
Permits can be obtained (by active dues paying RMF members only) from the Meriden Parks
and Recreation building located at 460 Liberty Street between the hours of 7:30 am and 3:30 pm
for a $5 fee. The Parks Department maintains a list of all active RMF members. You can
purchase or renew your RMF membership here. You can also become a member via the “Joint-
Membership Program” with the Access Fund. Please be aware that it may take up to 30 days
between the time of purchasing a membership with the Ragged Mountain Foundation and
appearing on the city’s list of individual climbers authorized to receive permits. Also,
please be aware that permits are issued on an individual basis, and are not interchangeable
between multiple members in a single party.
The permits from the City are good for one calendar year from the date of payment, so you will
need to renew again the following year. Please keep a copy of your RMF membership and a copy
of your permit from the City (electronic image okay) on hand. As part of the agreement, park
rangers and City officials have been informed to ask for identification if they observe
climbers/climbing. Climbers without proper credentials are subject to fines.
This is a massive step forward in the relationship between climbers and the City of Meriden. For
more information on the agreement, please look at the RMF Blog.
As always, be safe and be respectful.
Description
A beautiful, overhanging crack line, that has a cave like start. The first 25ft, consists of the powerful crux with awkward jams and technical moves. Fun climbing on the warmest winter section of walls in CT.
Location
To the left of the Amphitheater proper. Between Castle Crag and the Amphitheater. Look for the obvious hard looking, overhanging crack line. To get down, walk around the block it's left side back to the start of the route.
Protection
Good gear, standard modern rack, selection of stoppers and cams to 2".
CT
Like many climbs in CT, a seemingly stout-for-the-grade on-sight ascent would be a proud and somewhat serious endeavor. However, with some reconnaissance, this CT classic is more approachable than it may seem; rewarding precise movement, attention to detail, and careful selection of footholds, combined with excellent gear.
Top-Rope Anchor:
A "standard CT top rope" can be set up from 2 large trees with around 75 of static rope or webbing behind the large top-out platform. Get the master-point to hang in the corner below the 4 tall evergreen where the climb tops-out. You can use a blue tricam, or similar, in a crack skiers left of this tree to keep the anchor from sliding skiers right if you feel the need.
To access this area from the base of the climb, head climbers left for a few hundred feet, then up a somewhat loose open gully that trends right. The top-out platform is where this gully levels off, before getting all the way up to the blue trail.
Climb safe and enjoy this stellar route! May 16, 2015
For a short while this desperate little climb was "The" Connecticut test-piece to do before Dol Guldur was climbed later in the same year. It was considered the first 10+ in the state, and repeating it became "mandatory" for aspiring hard-boys. I imagine, even with today's standards, on-sighting it feels like an accomplishment. It was named after Stravinsky's famous symphony. Jan 4, 2022