The Railroad Cut - Ice Climbing

 

Checking out the ice for climbing. Photo by @nunofsantos

It was a cold morning but good for getting some laps in while there's still ice in the area. For the most part, the ice here is still holding up. But some of the routes are baked/delaminated in the areas that get sun and hard and brittle in the shaded areas.

RR Cut Keene - Ice Climbing

Usually, I would have been out on the ice climbing by this time of the season. But this winter season I've been busy traveling and yesterday finally got out onto some ice. It felt good! I joined the AMC-NH Mountaineering group today for some top rope climbing. It also felt good to get back to "The Cut" and reconnect with old friends as well as make new ones. Ice conditions were perfect! Enjoy some photos of our day.

Top row left to right: Jenifer, Jennifer
Bottom row left to right: Darrell, Finn

Ben Greene

Left: Tom Sintros
Right: George Adams on Solo

With Tom Sintros

With Jen

What's ice climbing without Hawaiian chocolate?

Railroad Cut, NH – Ice Climbing

Railroad Cut – Ice Climbing

SW4-Cheshire North Rail Trail

Keene, NH

So here we go again....another single digit day, but the addiction is strong and I couldn’t resist, yet again! Was supposed to be climbing the Auburn Ice Canyon but that got cancelled because the floor wasn't hard enough and there was only one flow up compared to the 4 we climbed on two weeks ago. So Kevin and I drove up to Keene, meeting Jeff on the way. Nuno and his son David was in the parking lot when we pulled in. Later George Adams came by and climbed with us. The low temps were really tough on my asthma and breathing. It went from 13 to 7 degrees in 3 hours. Plus, The Cut is like a wind tunnel and as the temps dropped, it got harder for me to climb. At the end of our day I felt exhausted, like I had felt when I hiked to Lion's Head the weekend before. But my exhaustion was due to the low temps. I did get in 4 climbs but could only finish the first two, my hands were so cold. Just a few photos of our day at “The RR Cut”.

Jeff checking out the climbs

Climbs are in, but it's gonna be brutal!

Jeff gearing up

Nuno setting up

Jeff up top, Kevin & George looking on

David

Nuno with David on is belay

Kevin

George

Jeff did a fine job on this flow but near the top, lost his right crampon

Kevin and I selfie....it's too cold to smile!

Kevin

George leading some real nice, thin stuff!