Dog Wall - Rock Climbing

Peanut gallery on the upper trail from the 1st pullout parking lot

Spent the morning at the Dog Wall crag in Red Rock Canyon. Yup, the rock was dry enough! The climbs here were overhanging and I only attempted one climb, Pleasure Dog (5.10) but quit when I couldn't get to a hold (too reachy for me). After that I just sat out and belayed. It was amazing to watch Linda and Tim leading the overhanging routes! And it was good to get out - I got to spend time with my climbing buddy who was visiting from Colorado for the weekend! 

Liz leads Catwalk

Trad routes on the left of the Dog Wall
Unknown Dihedral, Doggy Style and Wok The Dog

You can spot a climber on The Slab

Tammy on Pleasure Dog

Linda leading Cujo

Unknown Dihedral - Trad

Beginner's Route - Rock Climbing

At the anchor of Beginner's Route

Well, I sure didn't expect to lead a trad route here at Rumney, but there's always a first time! We headed up to the Parking Lot wall first and Jackie and I both warmed up leading A Week With Pete (5.3). Then Jackie lead the route to the left of it, Shealyn's Way (5.7). 

Photo right: Jackie at the anchor of Shealyn's Way.

Looking down from the Beginner's Route anchor

We headed to the Meadows and was looking at Bolt Line (5.8) when I spotted Beginner's Route (5.5). So I ran down to my truck and grabbed my trad rack. Part way up the route I thought I may not have enough pro and quickdraws....from here I had to manage placing pro to make certain I had two quickdraws left for the anchor. And at the ledge just before the anchors, there was sooooo much rope drag. I realized then I should've brought my alpine draws along to use. I asked Jackie what I should do and she said to take up some rope and carry it up to the anchor. I was sketched out at first, but the footholds were all solid, so I did what she said and finished the climb. Whew! Definitely an onsight!

Afterwards we headed up the the Crow's Nest where I didn't feel like leading Pee Wee's Big Adventure (another trad route), but Jackie crushed Scuttlebutt (5.6).

Photo right: Jackie at the anchor of Scuttlebutt.

Indoor Drytooling - MetroRock Station

My first time Drytooling
The pieces of black squares under some of the holds are rubber

Was supposed to get some climbing/leading done in Bolton, VT but rain prevented that. So I headed to MetroRock Station in Essex Junction, VT and Jackie showed me some “Drytooling” moves! It’s was fun, intense and hard...just like crack climbing!  I can't wait to try this again, but on some real rock! We also did some climbing with Dry Ice Tools. Unfortunately, we had to cut our climbing session short because the climber's chalk and poor air filtration in this gym triggered my asthma.

Jackie crushing it!

We left the gym and headed to the Outdoor Gear Exchange to ogle over the climbing gear. Their consignment basement is huge! Some old pitons and hexes hanging on the wall. Afterwards we had dinner at the Asiana Noodle Shop.

Laughing Gull - Rock Climbing

Pano of Main Crag

Super fun, super mellow day of rock climbing at Redrock in Gloucester with Etha! I didn't expect to climb my second 5.11 slab today, but sure glad I did. The start of Laughing Gull was so polished so I started to the left just under the cresent. Found a really good foothold to gain the cresent. Finding holds at the mid-section was definitely challenging. But that left-leaning crack was a sweet finish. 

Etha also didn't expect to climb a 5.12 today, but she did and she killed it! She climbed the Andromeda Direct Start, without even knowing she was doing the Direct - we both hadn't looked at the guidebook or MP beta on this climb. While belaying her I kept telling myself, "this couldn't be a 5.11!" Sure enough, after she finished the climb, we looked it up in the guidebook and got all giddy when we realized that she took the direct start and climbed her first outdoor 5.12 -- Congratulations!

Zipper was a fun layback. I started up the Zipper route climbing it like a crack, but meh, it's more of a flake climb and I quickly had to layback on it. The climb is fun, but way too short. 

Left to right: Andromeda Direct Start (5.12), 

Zipper (5.6), Laughing Gull (5.11)

Toe Jams was an interesting crack. Etha, who lead Toe Jams and is smaller than me, could get her legs including her knee right into the OW section at the start of the climb. She lead it and then I tried to lead it. I found it wasn't going to be as easy as Etha made it out to be. It was too wide for foot jamming, but too narrow to even get my knee into it. As a result, it sketched me out and I backed down. That's the first (and I'm sure not the last) time I ever backed down from a lead climb. I TR'd it afterwards and still found the start sketchy. Near the top is perfect (for me) #2 handjams and smaller. Perhaps having doubles of #3 and #2 to place at the OW beginning may have lessened the sketchy-ness?



Lots of polished surfaces on a lot of these routes, but it was fun to get out to climb before the rain. We had this crag all to ourselves today. Last time I climbed here was 7 years ago. Hoping to get back soon to get on those routes we didn't have a chance to climb.

The top of the Masters Wall from the top of the Main Crag

Along the trail

The Dome, Pawtuckaway - Rock Climbing

Dome Face Right (5.8)

Another stellar day for climbing! This morning Noreen, Nuno and I headed out to The Dome at Pawtuckaway State Park. At first the weather didn't look promising, but forecasts called for afternoon sun. The morning fog did eventually burn off and blue skies warmed up the slab quickly. It was peaceful and we had this crag all to ourselves. 

Nuno setting up top rope

Nuno start, Another Face (5.7)

Noreen on the Pine Tree Crack (5.5)

This crag is perfect for a hammock!

Left: Start on the Half Moon Crack (5.7)

Right: Making my way up the crack in the short corner.

Looking down from the finish, Dome Face Right

The Dome overlooks the marsh that feeds Round Pond

Lower Slabs & Upper Cliff Pawtuckaway - Rock Climbing

Besides having crack climbing goals, I also have goals for climbing steep slab above the 5.8 grade. Today I got a chance to climb my very first 5.11! On a whim, I climbed Thin Face, a 5.11, one pitch route on the Lower Slabs at Pawtuckaway State Park in New Hampshire. It sure was balance-y, finger-y and lock-offs came in handy in several sections, but the climb was so fun!. Slab climbing, what's not to love! *grin* Joined good climbing friends Noreen, Nuno and his son Daniel. We started at the Lower Slabs and then moved to the Upper Cliff. I tried The Horn and it was tough. Had Noreen lower me from the top to see if I could jam the right leaning crack. It's also a bit overhanging! Think I'll stick to leaning cracks on a slab! :-P

Rose Ledge - Rock Climbing

Met up with Nuno for some craggin' at Rose Ledge in Erving, MA. The last time I climbed here was back in 2015 and I don't remember the hike up to the Main wall at all. Today Nuno and I did some "extra hiking" to get to the crag. ;) But on the way out, we found the trail to be straightforward after all.

Surprisingly, there were no crowds today and Nuno and I pretty much had the Main Cliff to ourselves. Couple of boulderers hiked past, a couple climbed Guillotine, and then left. And there was an AMC group that hiked up to the Amphitheater and back out. A quiet day great for Nuno's first time climbing at Rose Ledge!

Nuno's first experience climbing at Rose Ledge

Greeting Crack (5.4) at Introductory Buttress

Main Wall

Top Left: Tennessee Top Right: Marie Antoinette -Guillotine
Bottom Left: Beginners

Bottom Right: Double Helix - Pumper Pillar - Off Width

Approach Directions:
Park in the lot and pay $3 in locked box on tree. 
Walk uphill to the left fork in the road with a yellow gate. 
Take this paved road uphill until it turns right. 
When the paved road turns right, look left and there should be an opening in guard rails.
Continue through opening in guard rails and follow gravel road slightly right and uphill.
Continue uphill through woods.
Follow until you come to the Rose Ledge trail junction.
Turn right at "Rose Ledge trail" sign. Tree behind trail sign has red blaze and "snowshoe trail" signs on it.
Trail will take you to Introductory Buttress on the left.
Continue along trail to the Main Face.

Connecticut Rock Climbing

Shaka from the top of Wiessner's Slab

Ragged Mountain, Connecticut

Spent the Memorial Day weekend with Nicole and climbing in her neck of the woods. It was amazing an amazing day!

On the first day Nicole and I went to Ragged Mountain. I wanted to lead a slab so Nicole showed me the Wiessner's Slab. I quickly learned their slabs aren't the same as the slabs I'm accustomed to in NH. 

Nicole didn't want me to miss an opportunity for an on-sight - so I lead Wiessner's Slab and it sure was fun. There were a couple of hand and finger jams as well as a couple of foot jams to satisfy my crack fix! LOL!

Right: bringing Nicole up!

Rain the second day so we shopped at REI. It was cool to see Wilson hanging out!

Afterwards we headed over to Prime Climb climbing gym to do some indoor climbing. There are two crack climbs (in the wall) and I got on both. They're both narrower than the crack I get my lessons on, but I was able to climb both several times. Still fun and it satisfied my urge to climb crack!

The last day we climbed at Pinnacle Rock. I followed Nicole up Double Crutch.  

Nicole at the belay up top!!
Trad is Rad!

Vee Zee (5.4)
FA: 1988 Claude Mallegol & Nunzio Marino

Then I saw this crack that I just had to lead. It's located immediately right of the Emerald City Slab. The start was tough and a reachy for me. It was wide in the beginning and my small hands and feet weren't jamming. But there were good foot places at the back of the crack and the crack was wide enough for me to fit up to my calf. However, as I got higher the crack narrowed and I was able to get a few (shallow) hand jams and a 4-finger slot. Near the top and at the end of the crack I was able to get a couple bomber foot jams in as well. It was an amazing weekend!

Bringing up Nicole on Vee Zee.

Pano from the top of Pinnacle Rock, Connecticut

Pinnacle Rock - Rock Climbing

Met up with Nicole to do some climbing in her backyard. We headed out to the Pinnacle Rock crag in the Central Valley of CT. This is the first time I've ever climbed on Traprock and it reminded me of Granite, but more smoother. One of the climbs we did (First Crack) was interesting. I climbed it trying to use as many hand and foot jams as I could, and I was able to get a few good hand and foot jams. One thing I learned while climbing that route - I actually felt more secure using of foot jams to get me through a couple of sections - so fun! Thanks for a great day Nicole! Enjoy a few photos of our day.

Pinnacle Rock in the background

Tadpoles in a puddle at the trailhead

First Crack (5.4)

From the top of Cracked Wall

Bumped into Matt Shove

Here he is leading Second Crack (5.7)

Also got to chat with Bob "Bob-O" Clark