Moss Slab Wall, Stonehouse Pond - Ice Climbing

Swing those ice tools!

Met up with Adam for some laps at the Moss Slab in Stonehouse Pond. Also met some new climbing friends, Kyle and Autumn - thanks for letting us use your excess anchor rope! Today's temps were cold and with the recent rain, the ice was soft and there was running water in a couple of spots. But still some good climbing laps to be had! With good chilly weather coming, the ice here should set up real nicely for the coming weekend! And thanks Adam for your help and support for my "Turning 60 and Climbing About It" project!

Kick those feet in!

Autumn's 2nd time on ice, swinging and kicking it!

Adam

Overlooking Stonehouse Pond from the top of the Main Cliff

Moss Slab Wall, Stonehouse Pond - Ice Climbing

More Stonehouse Pond fun! Warmer temps and another late start make perfect conditions for ice climbing laps. Nuno brought his binoculars and we took a look at the Flywalk route (WI3+, PG13), before heading out to the Moss Slab Wall. I was able to get in 6 laps on 3 different climbs. I also brought some of my ice screws so Nuno could practice placing them. Super fun swinging and kicking again! Really love Stonehouse Pond and am so glad to be back climbing here again. The new trails through the woods and parking lot make the approach super easy and is a remarkable improvement! And thanks Nuno for your help and support for my "Turning 60 and Climbing About It" project! Some photos taken of our day ice climbing at the Moss Slab Wall. 

Looking at Flywalk (WI3+, PG13) from across the pond

Todd leading the left side

Stonehouse Pond - Ice Climbing

Moss Slab Wall

Can't believe its been 5 years since I last ice climbed here! Joined Phil for some cragging at Stonehouse Pond in Barrington, NH. The place has changed but for the better! Phil pointed out that several new trails were put in. Besides reducing impact, these trails keep hikers and climbers off of the private properties of the surrounding residents. The parking is at the new Kiosk at the second pullout on the left. The approach from the parking lot starts through a gate and the hike is a scenic walk through the woods, taking you along the edge of the pond. There are trail markers on some of the trees and the elevation gain is mellow. Today's temps were in the teen's and as the day wore on, the rope iced up. But it was a good day for swinging and kicking laps and getting outdoors. And thanks Phil for your help and support for my "Turning 60 and Climbing About It" project! Enjoy a few photos taken of our day. 

Along the trail

Phil taking some practice swings and kicks

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?

Leprechaun's Lement (WI2-3) - Ice Climbing

Pano photo left to right: LL gully, LL slab. Hanging By A Moment

Leprechaun's Lement (WI2-3)
Kinsman Notch, North Woodstock, NH

The last of this season ice climbing for me....so I was glad I got to get in one lead. Like the past weekend at Arethusa Falls and weekend before that at Waterfall, we had the ice all to ourselves today. Overcast skies were sure promising and when we got to the base of Leprechaun's Lement, we were glad it was in the shade. For the most part, the slab was clear of snow. (below the base of LL lay the snow that had slid of the LL slab). 

John led the Leprechaun's Lement Gully, then we rapped down into the vertical section of the slab where we did a couple of laps. We also did a couple of laps on the Hanging By A Moment. And finally, in the late afternoon, I led the Leprechaun's Lement Slab. I led the center since I had only led the left hand side of the slab. The ice on the first half of the route was really still good. But by that time the clouds lifted and the sun had shown through baking the top half of the route. And after the half way point, the ice was just pure shitty. So I only placed pro up to the half way point and ran it out to the tree anchor. I could've put one more piece of pro in if I just scraped the shitty ice off of the top layer. But the grade was easy, I felt good, calm and not pumped and made sure all my sticks and feet were solid. Enjoy some photos taken of our day at Kinsman Notch.

Arethusa Falls (WI3-4) - Ice Climbing

Pano photo of Arethusa Falls

Arethusa Falls (WI3-4)
Crawford Notch, NH

Beautiful bluebird day for some spring ice climbing! John and I checked out Walk In The Forest and it wasn't looking good. Most of it was in full sun and looking really baked (scary). I suggested we check out Arethusa Falls so we back-tracked along the railroad tracks and headed up the Arethusa Falls Trail. The 1.5 mile trail was well-packed and there were some hikers already coming down. They confirmed solid ice and no flowing water like John and Phil had encountered couple weeks prior. Like Waterfall (WI3) the week before, we had the falls all to ourselves. But there were many photographers, hikers and their dogs who came to the falls while we were climbing. John did a fantastic job leading up the left-center. At the start the ice was solid. But at the middle there was a lot of snow and about 3/4 way the ice was pretty bad, but under it was solid. The flowing water in the center definitely caught my attention. At the top and off to the right, is a tree with a large red webbing  around it. John set up anchor and we rapped down from here. 

Great job sending Arethusa Falls John and thanks for another mellow day of ice climbing!

Waterfall (WI3) - Ice Climbing

Waterfall (WI3)
Frankenstein Cliffs, Crawford Notch, NH

Great conditions, mild temps, no wind makes for a great climbing the last day of winter! John and I climbed the Waterfall route - had this area all to ourselves. Mellow day of climbing for sure!

Leprechaun's Lement Gully (WI2) - Ice Climbing

Leprechaun's Lement Gully (WI2)

Thanks for the belay, Ken!

Usually when I shut off my truck engine, the headlamps automatically turn off. But not today. Had to make a trip back down to the parking lot to turn them off. If you ice climb at Kinsman Notch, you know that very steep approach well. Great warmup hiking the approach twice, fer sure. But would have rather spent the warmup actually climbing. But my truck - she started right up. ;)

Met Ken and Dominique for some mellow climbing at Kinsman Notch. Ken thought the ice might be thin from the thaw, but the conditions were really good!  I thought it would be crowded but we had the climbs all to ourselves. Counting the three of us, plus a solo climber, two parties of 2, and a guided group, there were 18 total at the crag today. At one point we even left our rope hanging on the Leprechaun's Lement route and went to check out The Beast. Enjoy a few photos taken of our day.

Dominique on Leprechaun's Lement (left) and Hanging By A Moment (right).

Ken on Hanging By A Moment

This solo climber made his way up Hanging By A Moment. He climbed up to the trees, then rapped down. Then climbed back up to the trees on a solo belay.

Met Sharon and Don. Sharon is a new ice leader too! 
Look at her go! Yay Sharon!

We checked out The Beast - looking good!

From the base of The Beast

Leprechaun's Lement

Selfie

Lost In The Forest - Ice Climbing

Lost In The Forest
Frankenstein Cliffs


A frigid cold, but fun day at Lost In The Forest! Met Ken, Zarina and Tim for a cold day of cragging.  - 4 in the parking lot at the start of our day. I got in a couple of top rope laps; some solo-climbing on short, low-angle ice; some downclimbing practice; and some anchor building. So good to be back climbing at Frankenstein Cliffs and looking forward to coming back during the ice season!

We think think that's Art Mooney at the top of Chia

Leprechaun's Lement (WI2-3) - Ice Climbing

Thanks for the belay, Ken!

Great to get out on the ice for the first time this season - a meetup event at the Kinsman Notch in Woodstock, NH. Just got a couple of top rope laps in but my last climb of 2016 was a lead on the fun & easy, Leprechaun's Lement. Ken Domino on my belay.

Ueli Steck 2016 Tour - Boston

Got the chance to meet "The Swiss Machine" in person! Watching videos of Ueli Steck run, yes run, up mountains without a rope is jaw dropping. So to see him in person, be in the same room, shake his hand, thank him and tell him how much I enjoyed his presentation, was just as amazing for me!! Just a few photos of his presentation, Q&A, and autograph signing and photo taking.

The Man, the Legend, The Swiss Machine!

Presentation, Q&A, autograph signing

(3rd photo is Brian of MetroRock)

I wished I had brought my ice axes for Ueli to autograph....I could've fit them both in my day pack! There was a smart dude who brought a poster as well as his copies of The American Alpine Journal 2014 (88, Vol 56). Also, during his presentation he did mention sore/bad knees 4 times!

Frankenstein Cliffs - Ice Climbing

Frankenstein Cliffs

Lost In The Forest

Crawford Notch, NH

Hero ice is better than no ice! 

Geoff is a leader with the AMC Berkshire and organized an ice climb for today. We met up in the upper parking lot of the Arethusa Falls trailhead along with Steve, John, Dane, Toby and Graham. The day before NEClimb posted ice conditions which were very promising, so I was counting on getting in some laps! We hiked across the trestle and stopped to read the ice at the slab area - so thin in most parts and baked as well. So we continued down the tracks until we got to the bottom of Lost In The Forest. There were only two parties of 2 already climbing so we made our way up. To the left of Lost was a lower angle slab so one rope was set up and used for warming up, the other 3 ropes were set up on Lost. The rest of the day was pretty mellow with the 7 of us climbing. There was lots of fat ice, but it was soft and easy for the tools and kicks. It made it easy for me to practice my climbing technique that I learned during my lesson from Alexa the week before. Don’t know how much more of a winter we’ll have left. But sure am glad to get in as much climbing as I can! It was a great day for climbing hero ice! Enjoy a few photos taken of our day at FC! And thanks for the belays Steve!!! :)

Low angle slab to the left of Lost

Geoff with Graham on his belay

Graham and Toby

Dane and John

Toby taking a break on the rock behind me

Steep stuff to the right is really fun

John with Toby on his belay

Steve on the steep (short but sweet) stuff!

At the end of the day we rapped down to the tracks

Toby with Steve on his belay

On our way out, we came across Alexa Siegel & Laurie! 

Laurie was taking the 2-day, Ladies-Only Steep Ice Climbing workshop

through Cathedral Mountain Guides.  She was rocking the steep stuff!