Climberism Magazine Issue #14

APRIL | MAY 2013

THE NORTHEAST CLIMBING MAGAZINE

NEW JERSEY’S

GREEN POND FINDING

FARLEY NEWFOUNDLAND

MIST

ISSUE

ROAD

TRIP

CLIMBER WAGONS | NEWFOUNDLAND | TRAVEL PHOTOS

APRIL | MAY

Contents

4 10 12 18 2

UP AND COMING // Somerville’s New Gym

By Katie Williamson LOCAL LEGEND // Evan Race

By David Crothers MIST // Dispatches from Newfoundland

By Michael Wejchert FINDING FARLEY // Preserving Access

By Pete Ward

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GREEN POND // New Jersey’s Hidden Gem

By John Anderson CRAG WAGONS // Reviewed

By Katie Williamson & Melanie Hess Road Photos // Road Trip Photo Essay

By David Crothers

Devil’s Bay, Newfoundland. One of the most remote climbing destinations in the Northeast. // ANDREW GROWT

EDITOR

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David Crothers Jarred Cobb

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Most of the activities depicted in this magazine carry significant amounts of risk with the potential for serious injury or death. We do not recommend you try or participate in any of the activities depicted within this publication. Seek professional guidance or help from someone of expertise. You assume all risks associated with your decision.

Copyright Climberism. All Rights Reserved. No material in this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent.

Contributors Michael Wejchert lives in Jackson, New Hampshire and travels to Alaska, Patagonia, Peru, and other odd places to fail on large mountains. At home, he can be found chasing ice, sport climbing, or watching Star Wars. He believes in art, action, and large pizzas from Kringles General Store.

John Anderson is a guide and access advocate for the Green Pond area. He knows the area like the back of his hand: Thanks to him and a few others, access has been reestablished.

Pete Ward is a man of many talents. A WMCC board member, Pete reflects on the hurdles the organization has faced preserving access to Farley Ledges. A crusher himself, he’s one of the big dawgs behind the semi-annual Nor’easter event.

ON THE COVER: Andrea Charest makes easy work of the Rose Crack at Upper West, Bolton, Vermont. // DAVID CROTHERS

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UP AND COMING // SOMERVILLE’S NEW GYM Lead Monster. Walls being built by Vertical Solutions. // Stephanie Crumley

THE CLIMBING GYM STANDARD IS RISING. And jumping on the revamped-gym bandwagon is Brooklyn Boulders. The premiere bouldering facility of New York is opening up a monstrous 38,000 square foot second location in Somerville, Massachusetts in early summer. This begs the question: “So what? It’s just another climbing gym.”

Well, BKB Somerville has the amenities of a yoga studio, a sauna, several multifunction spaces for local artists and food vendors, plus a space for outdoor gear retailers to set up shop, with the gym rotating brands every three months. This, coupled with the fact that you’ll be able to watch T-Swift and Ondra’s new video in high speed while you’re warmed by a fire in the glass encased climber’s lounge, is sure to attract a lot of rock nerds in the Cambridge area.

it will become an area where people can just hang out (see what I did there?). There isn’t a single reason you would need to go home from this place. Food, clothes, showers, fire… and as for a place to crash, well…what’d you think all those mats were for?”

You’ve got Harvard Square, Central Square, MIT, Tufts University, it’s a really central location in a great community, we’re really excited about it,” says Gavin Heverly on the prime location of the gym. “We’re going to be driving traffic to the outdoors too, so that’s something that’s really important to us, that trickles down into how to teach people [about climbing outside], so all of our instructors will be AMGA certified.”

“If you look at the traditional, more linear climbing gym model…you come from work, you change into your climbing clothes you get your workout in, you go home. But we really want this to be a place where on your day off—because it’s a biking community, its a pedestrian area—that you’ll want to stop in there,” says Gavin Heverly, COO of BKB Somerville.

Within it’s 38,000 square feet, the new gym will consist of around 24,000 square feet of climbing including a 70′x14′ bouldering wall, 140′x22′ main bouldering feature, a 50′ lead climbing feature as well as 30′-50′ top roping and leading sections. It is hoping to be up and running by early June, and membership pre-sale is going on at their webpage bkbsomerville.com. For now, hard-hat, candle-lit dinners and gym tours are how BKB Somerville is connecting with the community:

This is not going to be your typical rock wall and workout room climbing gym. The idea behind this grand scale wonderland is that

For a mini tour of the gym head over to their website (bkbsomerville. com) to watch the BKB Somerville promo video.

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ANDREW BURR

Jonathan Thesenga, Orient (7b), Ala Dag Mountains, Turkey.

CHOSS ENCOUNTERS BlackDiamondEquipment.com Vector Helmet

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EDITOR’S NOTE // DAVID CROTHERS

ROAD TRIPS ARE JUST AS REWARDING LOCALLY

IN

2009 I WAS WORKING for the family business and was constantly on the road. On one occasion I was sent to Springfield, MA and was subject to eight hours of lectures for five days. That much time in hard plastic chairs reminded me of my elementary days. Luckily, I was able to get in touch with a well-known climber Grant Kendrick who gave me some local beta on areas north of Springfield.

Kendrick informed me that an AMC climbing group would be meeting for some climbing at Chapel Ledges and he was up for climbing at Farley the following day.

After my eight-hour lecture I headed north on Interstate 93 under a cloudless sky. Forty minutes of driving through construction zones and anxiously zigzagging around cars in the small towns of Florence and Williamsburg brought me to a parking lot half full and I was immediately surrounded by a quiet, densely-populated forest. I nervously sped up the trail to greet the group of climbers I had never climbed with or met before.

I was quickly pulled in by Ed Daniels, a local legend and long-time AMC member and instructor. He filled me in on the history of the area. “That one right there is Ken Nichols’ route dubbed Forget Me Knot, a hard 5.11 crack climb that pulls a peculiar roof with a notoriously wet hold.” The route gets is namesake from one of Ken’s attempts at the first ascent.

In the midst of climbing, he looked down and realized his knot wasn’t tied. He then jumped to the ledge below.

I climbed with the group until dark, getting in a full afternoon of calf-busting slabs and sampled some of the classics.

Dangermouse (5.10-), The Nose (5.10-) and

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The Cave Route (5.8) were all subjected to my armchair climber skills.

The next morning I was greeted with yet another bluebird day and my legs shook with anxiety through my entire class. On break I emailed Kendrick to see if he was still willing to meet me at Farley. A few hours later the confirmation e-mail came through. As soon as 4:00 p.m. came, I packed up and sped north again. This time I crossed the Connecticut River in Deerfield and continued on Highway 47 through Sunderland.

I’ve lived in Vermont virtually my whole life and never visited this area. Farley has had somewhat of a rocky history. The guys and dolls that make up the Western Mass Climbers Coalition have worked hard at preserving this area and keeping it open. (Finding Farley, the article by Pete Ward on page 18, goes into detail about their work.)

I followed group of climbers from the crowded parking lot up the trail to the cliff. The AMC climbing group was right, I would love this place. It reminded me of the Gunks—horizontal cracks, finger pockets, and interesting features all over the place. Kendrick was there with a few friends snapping photos from above so I happily teamed up with Jason Graver. We climbed a 5.10 (the name of which escapes me) near where the trail meets the cliff.

I dodged hornets as Graver steered me in the right direction.

Thanks to Kendrick and his friends I was able to tour a small portion of what Farley and Western Mass. has to offer. It just goes to show that it doesn’t matter if you’re traveling two hours from your doorstep or 3,200 miles west, good rock and good company is all around us.

A boulderer taking advantage of good weather during a 2010 WMCC fundraising event. // DAVID CROTHERS

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Peter Doucette tooling up the steep Pilaf crack on Cannon Cliff in full Scottish conditions.

Photo by Alden Pellett

E

van Race is a young buck from Albany, New York. He’s been in the game since he was two and hopped on our radar after pulling through Roses and Blue Jays, a Great Barrington testpiece, in relatively quick time. We caught up with him to learn more about his rising bouldering career.

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SO HOW’S LIFE OUT IN BUFFALO GOING? It’s going good. It may not be for much longer. I’m in the process of moving down to New York City.

The Cliffs at Valhalla is in the process of opening up their new gym down there and I’m supposed to be going down there for a new setting position.

WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL? DO YOU HAVE TO LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND IN BUFFALO, ISN’T YOUR GIRLFRIEND OUT THERE? Yeah my girlfriend’s out here, but I’ll move down, and she’ll be done with school in December, so she’ll visit during the summer a bunch and then when she’s done, she’ll move down with me.

EVAN RACE // LOCAL LEGEND HOW DID YOU GET INTO CLIMBING? My mom actually owns, well, she runs a gym in Albany, NY called Albany Indoor Rock Gym. I’ve been in the climbing scene for a little bit. She has run it since I was two, so I’ve always been in there since then.

SO, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS HOW DOES YOUR FAMILY FEEL ABOUT YOU CLIMBING? BUT I GUESS THAT FITS RIGHT INTO YOUR FAMILY VALUES? [Laughs]Yeah, my mom’s psyched for me. She keeps up to date on my climbing and is all for it.

HAVE YOU EVER DONE ANY COMPETITION CLIMBING? I did a little bit a long time ago, like up at Petra Cliffs [in Burlington, VT]. I used participated in their ABS comps. I haven’t done too much else. I went to Dark Horse in Newburyport this year, but I didn’t climb super well.

I don’t do very well in competition scenes or on plastic. I’d much rather set. I have a much better time doing that, so when there’s a comp, I’m usually setting, not competing.

IS THERE ANY REASON WHY YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DON’T DO WELL IN THEM? I don’t have much of a competitive nature in me, I just climb because I enjoy it.

I have fun and I find when I’m competing I don’t have as much fun, especially when I’m inside and not outside.

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER PASSIONS ASIDE FROM CLIMBING? I used to snowboard a lot, and then a few years ago I got pretty sick and was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. So, that kind of put a stop to my snowboarding, and then kind of the same thing with climbing.

WHAT IS CROHN’S DISEASE? It’s like an autoimmune irritable bowel disease. Basically I have a bunch of ulcers in my large intestine. I had surgery two years ago to have a third of my large intestine removed. So that was kind of a big deal.

YEAH, SOUNDS LIKE IT. SO WOULD THAT JUST SEND YOU TO THE

BATHROOM ALL THE TIME? Yeah, you know you get stomach pain and stuff. I have to watch my diet and make sure I’m not eating things that will make me sick.

WHAT DOES YOUR DIET ENTAIL? [Laughs] Actually, a lot of junk food. I can’t do fruits and veggies, the skin makes it really hard for me to digest them. I can’t eat seeds or nuts.

So like all the healthy stuff…I can’t really eat.

I end up eating a lot of processed food, cheese, that kind of stuff. It’s delicious. I enjoy it.

I BET, NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVE THAT LUXURY TO SAY, “I JUST CAN’T EAT HEALTHY ANYMORE. GOTTA EAT JUNK FOOD.” I’M SURE IT’S NOT ALL THAT BAD. I’M SURE YOU CAN MAKE IT PRETTY GOOD. [Laughs]Yeah, I’ll go out with like a box of Cheezits and everyone else will have their good food, and I’ll just laugh at them.

IN A TYPICAL DAY OF CLIMBING, WHAT DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO MOST? OBVIOUSLY TOPPING OUT IS THE GOAL, BUT MOST PEOPLE, WHEN THEY’RE WORKING A PROBLEM, IT TAKES THEM A WHILE, SO IS IT JUST THE PROGRESSION, OR JUST BEING OUT THERE? I really like finding new things and I’m even more psyched on figuring out sequences.

Usually, even when I go to things where someone gives me beta, I’ll find other ways to do it. I like finding intricacies and making things work. I really like that aspect of figuring out every single move perfectly and then getting it done. And I have more fun doing that than I do topping out, which is probably why I punt so much, but that’s ok.

SO AS OF LATE YOU’VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF BOULDERING, WHERE DOES ROUTE CLIMBING FIT INTO THAT? OR DOES IT? I’ve been route climbing a couple times. My girlfriend is more psyched on routes than boulders. We went down to The Red, and I really enjoyed the flow of climbing. I’m not psyched on climbing really hard sport. It’s kinda scary for me. I guess, I’ve always bouldered.

I like the philosophy of ‘when I fall I hit the ground.’ Even when I’m roped in, I still have that thing in my head where I’m going to hit the ground, so I hate falling. I also don’t have great power endurance, or any endurance really.

I’ve always just been much more psyched on really hard single movement type climbs.

IF YOU HAD TO PICK ANY ROPED CLIMB OR PROJECT WHERE WOULD YOU START? I really like The Red and I’ve been to Rumney once as well. I’ve always been psyched to try Parallel Universe.

HOW ABOUT BOULDER PROBLEMS? I want to get to Pawtuckaway and try Children of the Storm. I want to do The Fly at Rumney.

Those are some hard things I’ve had my eye set on, but then there’s a bunch of things that aren’t super hard that I’m still psyched on doing. I want to go to Farley and do Speed of Life. I went there a couple weeks ago, but it was soaked. Then there are a lot of things in the Adirondacks—projects that I’d like to get done.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN OUT IN BUFFALO AND HOW’S THE CLIMBING OUT THERE? I’ve been out here since August. It’s good.

I’ve really only been to Niagara Glen. There are a few other places to go, but they’re all super far away. But the Glen is like thirty minutes from my house. So it’s pretty convenient to go there. I find that I haven’t climbed it out, so to speak, but I’m getting pretty close. All the things that I’m psyched on doing are pretty much done. There are a few lines left, and then some serious projects, but they’d take me a really long time, so I don’t know if I will be able to get them done.

DO YOU HAVE A MOTTO OR MANTRA THAT YOU LIKE TO LIVE BY? Not really, I’m just not super serious about life in any aspect. In my climbing I just kind of go and hang out and climb. That’s what I like to do. My whole life if really centralized around that. I’ve got a job that allows me the flexibility to get out and climb. I don’t really have a mantra or anything. I just climb.

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NORTHEAST NEWSWIRE // REGIONAL CLIMBING RECAP

http://www.climberism. com/powerlinez-toreopen-on-may-1st/ Just a few days ago we published an article about the future of Torne Mountain climbing and the access issues that the Torn Valley Climber’s Coalition (TVCC) was having with an area called the Powerlinez. The area was originally closed due to a long standing regulation by the property owner, Palisades Interstate Parks Commission (PIPC). However, the area is now open as of May 1st! Climbers must fill out a waiver before accessing the area.

http://www.climberism.com/bkbsomerville-is-coming/

http://www.climberism.com/freegunks-clinics-again-this-year/

The climbing gym standard is rising, and jumping on the revamped-gym bandwagon is Brooklyn Boulders. The premiere bouldering facility of New York City is opening up a monstrous 38,000 square foot second location in Somerville, Massachusetts in early summer, which begs the question “So what? It’s just another climbing gym.”

Last season a number of local Gunks guides volunteered their time and gave free clinics on climbing safety. This will be happening again this year. The clinics will be held for a couple of hours on Saturday evenings at six in the Uberfall and will cover basic anchoring techniques, rappelling and various other tricks that keep us alive playing this dangerous game.

http://www.climberism.com/ minnewaskas-dickie-barre-areaopen-to-climbing/ Starting on April 30, the Dickie Barre area in Minnewaska State Park Preserve was officially opened to climbers. We have the Gunks Climbers Coalition to thank for working so hard at pooling their resources together

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and making this happen. In a relatively short period of time, they were able to build trails, roads, and got the area surveyed.

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“The idea of the north was taking him.”

-Annie Proulx, The Shipping News

Peter Doucette tooling up the steep Pilaf crack on Cannon Cliff in full Scottish conditions. Photo by Alden Pellett 12

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A

lden Pellett, turf climber extraordinaire, and survivor of some of the most heinous new routes in New England, is nervous.

I won’t say he’s scared: he doesn’t seem to get scared this Pellett guy. But he’s nervous. And if he’s nervous where does that leave me? Terrified? We are shivering at the belay. And, I at least, am dreaming about lying on a couch, many rappels, a Ski-doo drive, an eight-hour ferry ride, and 20 hours of driving away. Ryan Stefiuk has been silent for an hour now as he swims his way up horror-show, WI5+ slush. We are all acutely aware that not a single piece on the 60-meter pitch will hold if the ice spits Ryan out. Water drips down everywhere.

Alden and I are drenched. I can’t even think of Ryan up there, courting hypothermia as he fights for purchase in this frigid mush. He might as well have sprinted full-tilt through a car wash wearing his boots and crampons.

Welcome to Newfoundland.

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OST CLIMBING DREAMS FLOAT AROUND LOFTY PEAKS. To dream about ice climbing on a rainy island, then, may be viewed as a perversion, or decadence. It is precisely this opposition to the norm that makes winter climbing in Newfoundland so alluring. It is not traditional. Newfoundland may be smaller than Alaska, or the Canadian Rockies—but not by much. And its secrets are waiting to be unraveled, just a ferry ride away.

Newfie ice has a murky history. In fact, the ethics of Newfoundland as a burgeoning ice climbing destination, are still being formed. What we do know is that Joe Terravecchia, the talented and quiet New Hampshire-ite, climbed many of Newfoundland’s fivestar routes in the mid-to-late nineties with a cadre of equally strong partners like Mark Richey and Jim Shimberg. (And for our part, we let Alden do the talking on the ethics we bring to the place: “Ethics are no bolts, period,” he says. “Let’s just avoid anyone thinking it’s o.k. to bring a drill.”)

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Alden Pellett tooling up a steep mixed chimney in one of Newfoundlands many fjordland routes. Photo by Michael Wejchert

ARK AND JIM kept Newfoundland to themselves, for the most part. I first heard about the climbing here from an article in Gripped Magazine in 2008. Two strong French Canadians, LP Menard and Yan Mongrain, had stumbled upon two “new” lines snaking their way up incredibly steep terrain for 1500 feet. Terravecchia, Shimberg and Casey Shaw had climbed both. The article, and a follow-up on Alpinist.com, incited a lengthy discourse on the merits of reporting or not reporting new routes.

One thing was clear: For better or worse, Newfoundland was on the radar.

It’s February 2012 and I don’t care what ice has been climbed or not. My Corolla bucks wildly at the hands of whoever drives, skating across icy roads, grappling with Canadian Semis.

Ryan and Alden are old hands. They have climbed together frequently. Three years ago, I had no clue how to stitch up mixed leads, or bang tools into icy cracks, or bail before it got too thin, but with the guidance of these and other stout New Englanders I have continued my winter apprenticeship. After a year or so of wild soloing, I feel lucky to be driving to Canada with solid partners. My only worry is keeping up.

In the ferry terminal, 12 hours later than expected, the sea roars. Truckers talk about the weather. BjornEivind Aartun, the brilliant Norwegian alpinist, has just been killed on a coast across the Atlantic from where we now sit. I think of him holding court in Patagonia the year before: his warm smile, his willingness to talk politics, music, art, love, and his reticence about discussing his terrific climbs.

The gray presses the ferry terminal towards darkness.

We drink beer in the car as we wait hours to get onto the ferry, which will pitch and yaw towards Newfoundland, a place still intangible to me.

Moments of uncertainty seldom occur on the climbs themselves. This is what I love about climbing trips. Will the burro driver meet us as planned? Will the weather lift enough for us to glimpse the mountain? Is this the right

M

dirt road? For a simple road trip, Newfoundland feels logistically similar to these places, as inaccessible as South America, or the Alaska Range.

E CONTINUE when the weather lets up. The fluorescent lights of the ferry and echoes of car doors slamming awaken us from our reverie. We arrive in Port-AuBasques, Newfoundland, rolling through ghostly, winding streets full of fisherman’s homes and closed bars. We book a hotel room at two a.m. and awake at 6:00 to finish the drive up north.

Alden and Ryan are used to little sleep, it seems. And I? I can barely keep my eyes open, let alone contemplate leading ice. But finally, after days of travel, we stagger out of the car and grab our tools: objects I had almost forgotten about. We have arrive at Cox’s Cove. Boats are frozen into the beach and the sea still roars towards the shore.

A host of 100 foot WI4’s split the skyline between sea and land. Ice climbing above the ocean? This, I realize, is what we came for. We time our mad dash across the beach at high tide. My soft shell pants are soaked with salt water by the time we solo up the first pitch.

This is Newfoundland ice climbing! No guidebooks, or bolts, or fixed anchors. Self-reliance, and an array of options. We are free to choose whichever climb looks good.

As we kick off funky, sea formed ice, I look out at the vast potential this island has to offer. Ice is everywhere. These routes would be classics back home. Here, they’re small change. Four pitch WI5’s and WI4’s speckle the landscape. Above the ocean. Above roads.

Everywhere.

After two routes we get back in the car and plan for the first day of real climbing. Rocky Harbour is the jumping off point for Gros Morne national park, a sweeping landscape of fjords, sparse vegetation, and isolated climbing.

The wind howls—it’s below-zero—not ideal for tricky ice, and we clip into our skis, ready to find some long, moderate ice above Trout Brook Pond. After two miles or so skimming across a frozen lake, the ice thins, and Ryan

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It’s the biggest playground east of Banff on either side of the border.

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TRIP LOGISTICS Gros Morne

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Number of hours from New England to the Newfie ferry

Newfoundland

200 $ 120 39

$

PACK BETA

Cost for a car to ride the Newfie ferry

Always, always fill up gas tanks in Newfoundland.

They’re closed often, and few and far between.

HE NEXT MORNING, after 20 cold minutes on a sledge behind a snowmobile, we are dumped at the most incredible ice climbing venue I have ever seen. I think of Shaken, Not Stirred on the Moose’s Tooth and Polar Circus in the Canadian Rockies, except there are ten of them. Lake Willoughby on steroids, we joke. The first climb, Terravecchia and company’s Double Penetration, 16

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Number of Tim Hortons on the drive to Gros Morne

Scotch, a ton of spare gloves, and two pairs of double ropes (they’ll get soaked).

hugs the shore. Alden follows him and I, with a broken ski pole, to take up the rear. I hear a crack and helplessly start to tumble backwards. The ice shifts and black water rushes towards me. Oh god! I am falling in.

Fortunately, the pond is shallow. My skis against the bottom of rocks, and I’m soaked to my waist. I am more ashamed to have ruined a good day of climbing than anything else. I refuel with beer and paste my feet to the car heater. Back at the cabin, Alden hands me his swim trunks, unable to hide a mirthful grin.

We arrange for a snowmobile ride into the biggest Fjord, where Terravecchia and company have established a slew of long, incredible WI5’s and 6’s.

Our snowmobile driver, Walt Nichol, is indicative of Newfoundland: honest, friendly, and impossible to understand. He doesn’t judge our insane sport because after all, he’s crazy enough to live on this rock. Walt is one of many locals scattered around these small fishing villages who offered us places to stay, a spot by the fire, a meal. The howling wind and weather seems to draw people together here, and this friendliness is one of the best memories I’ll keep of Newfoundland.

T

Rate per night in a cozy Gros Morne Cabin

is 800 feet of WI5 off a snow ramp. I take the good lead: a full 60 meters of vertical ice that eats my screws and tools better than any ice I’ve ever encountered.

We whoop and holler into the Fjord. This place exudes a certain feel. These routes are secret, a treasure-trove we’ve stumbled upon, and we are alone with our plunder.

The next day we attack Fat of the Land, and as the sun pokes out everything starts to melt. It is here Ryan battles with upward progress. Alden tells the story of his tools shearing halfway down the first pitch of Omega. Finally, Ryan yells. “Off Beelaaay!” “Climb fast,” says Alden.

HEN WE GET TO THE BELAY we are greeted by Ryan, soaked. But he still seems keen to continue upwards.

What is another hours’ worth of suffering? The terrain eases off into sixty more meters of rolling WI3 and 4. I lead us to the top and we immediately rappel. The ice barely holds together, as we rush back down the monster and sprint out of the way of its massive hangers.

Now it’s more drying, and one more day of climbing. I

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Ryan Stefiuk follows a stellar WI5 chimney system in Gros Morne National Park.

search in vain for one more pair of dry gloves before we go out for fish and chips. Walt, of course, owns the restaurant, and the waitress knows how many people to seat even before we walk into the joint: we’re the only visitors in Rocky Harbour.

It’s our last day and it’s 800 feet of fast, WI3 soloing which gains us a twisting couloir and a brilliant, Alaskastyle WI5 chimney. Alden styles this pitch and the next one: a loose M4 R. Wonderful to toprope, heinous to lead.

We top out on the plateau above the fjord. After climb-

ing three massive ice routes in three days, we are spent and happy.

Newfoundland packs a punch. In four days of climbing we got soaked, scared, and more than we bargained for.

The place puts you through the ringer. That’s the point. It’s the biggest playground east of Banff on either side of the border. And although I will miss this year’s excursion north with Alden and Ryan, it is comforting to know those routes still wait for more comers, untouched by all but the brutal elements and climbers with a love of great adventure. climberism | MAGAZINE

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THIS PAGE COUNTERCLOCKWISE: Local developer Glenna Alderson bolts a route at Farley. (Photo: WMCC) Glenna and her husband Earl have been Western Massachusetts mainstays for over 25 years. Kevin Jorgeson on Speed of Life (V10). (Photo: Tim Kemple) A boulderer works on a problem.

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By: Pete Ward

P

aying off a mortgage can take 30 years. But when your mortgage is on a climbing area, and you’ve got a lot of friends helping you hit the bill, sometimes, you can settle up in only a few years.

Recently, that’s what the Western Massachusetts Climbers Coalition (WMCC) did to their note on Farley Ledge in Western Mass. Shortly after that milestone, the WMCC was awarded a land conservation award by the Access Fund for years of work protecting the climbing at Farley. While work remains to ensure permanent access, both at Farley and at the many other quality crags of Western MA, this was a huge milestone for the group. It’s a success story about how a small group of friends can affect change in their own backyard.

Farley Ledge in Erving, MA is a fascinating collection of Granitic Gneiss cliffs and boulders situated just off the major East-West road, State Route 2, near the Northern border of the state. And, it’s arguably the best climbing between Rumney and the Gunks. Cruising along at 55 mph you don’t even have to blink to miss it. In fact even with the new parking area, you have to know where you’re going to get there. Before the work of the WMCC, Farley was even harder to find: A collection of myths and overgrown undergrowth clinging to cliffs and boulders made it look as though no human had ever been there. Still, old bolts and fixed gear in the most unlikely places are evidence that New England legends passed through here “In the 70’s”.

BOULDERING BEGAN TO TAKE ROOT in earnest at the end of the 90’s. Prior to that Ward Smith and his legendary “Team Tough” established sport climbs that were chopped by the infamous (and now legally banned) Ken Nichols.

Pete Clark is perhaps Farley’s most prolific First Ascentionist and here is shown replacing a 1/4” bolt from time-immemorial

Not to be deterred, The Team re-established the sport climbing only to have Nichols chop it again, and so the Bolt Wars of the early 90’s found a home in the rolling hills of Western MA as they did elsewhere in the country.

But before bolts there were rumors of “The Phantom Crack”, an offwidth so fearsome that it had never been climbed despite the efforts of the famous Henry Barber who seemingly never went anywhere without climbing everything. The Phantom crack was located somewhere above the overgrown boulder field on the hard-to-find “Second Tier”. It’s a topography constantly unfolding and not so different from diving down the rabbit hole in Alice’s journey into Wonderland.

On paper, Farley is a crag of perhaps a quarter mile in length with a maximum height of maybe 150ft at its highest point. In practice, Farley unfolds on itself into a labyrinthine of complex rock with top ropes on top of multi-pitch routes; sport climbs that deliver you to the foot of death trad leads; and boulder problems in hidden chambers. And that’s just the beginning. For those of us lucky enough to climb there in the early days, Farley was simply too good to let go.

And so, when it was officially closed to climbing in the late 90’s, and when the local climbing community heard of the State’s plans to expand the West-bound lanes of Route 2 into the boulder field, the climbers did what climbers do in these situations: They went drinking at the local pub.

And slowly, without any real intent to do so, it became clear to the locals that they should at least cast off in an effort to save Farley. In the Fall of 2000 the WMCC was birthed on the barstools of Packards in Northhamption, MA. with the initial mission to gain access to Farley Ledge and protect the recreational opportunities there. climberism | MAGAZINE

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Blake Cash on Diahbolic (5.12d). (Photo: WMCC)

WHEN ONE THINKS of the United States of America it is natural (even for someone from New England) to think of the wide-open expanses of the Mountain West. There, infinite deserts expand into soaring mountain ranges in a scope so barren and so wide open that it seems like the whole of the known Universe could fit into a single landscape. Some of our great Western landscapes are so big that we’ve created a 3rd tier governmental agency, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) whose sole purpose is to ignore the land they manage. Stay 150ft away from a road and you can basically stay on BLM land for your entire life. And people do. Because, it doesn’t matter.

But in New England? That’s not what it’s like. New England is the Hobbiton of the U.S. and here you can’t leave your own doorstep without crossing over three different pieces of private property. And so it came as no surprise to the WMCC that four separate families and a public utility called First Light owned Farley. There is no BLM here and it was clear from the word “go” that clandestine access was simply not an option. To climb unrestricted at Farley would mean the approval of no less than five landowners plus local and state government and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). And to do this would mean cooperation and compromise.

As climbers, our semi-religious pursuit of our passion seems, from the outside, to be patently absurd. In fact, it’s hard to argue that it isn’t. But if we stay away from the details that consume us—and stay focused on conservation and outdoor recreation—it’s not very hard to build support for our cause. So two of the first initiatives of the WMCC were to organize a biological survey of the natural resources found at Farley and to write a management plan for recreation there.

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TAKEN TOGETHER the biological survey and the Management Plan provided the WMCC with the means to simultaneously create a plan for climbing and preserve Farley’s ecosystem. For example, the WMCC successfully reintroduced a protected Peregrine Falcon habitat and nesting area to Farley.

In that plan, the WMCC recognized climbing as a legitimate recreational use of the crag and openly assessed its impact. Recommendations were made for areas that needed to be improved to mitigate use and for areas that should be closed to climbing altogether. The WMCC organized trail building days, which standardized routes to the crag and hardened the cliff bases to prevent erosion upon arrival. Even non-climbers and government officials could look at the WMCC’s course of action alongside hard data and thoughtfully consider the situation at Farley. In that context it was hard to argue that climbing is anything but a completely responsible use of the land. And no one tried to do so.

From the perspective of the core climbing community, the WMCC Management Plan laid out a local ethos for the climbing at Farley. Regardless of style: whether trad, sport or mixed, the WMCC agreed that climbers at Farley would respect the style of the First Ascensionist. This means that Farley offers all types of climbing from the most dangerous leads to the safest sport climbs all in close proximity to one another. Additionally, WMCC put in a place a responsible anchor replacement policy.

And perhaps most interesting, due in equal parts to the concerns of local land owners and to the WMCC’s desire to preserve Farley’s tradition of adventure climbing, it was agreed that there would be no guidebook for climbing at Farley. While controversial to some, this policy insured some reduction in crowding at the crag while also maintaining the spirit for which the area became popular in the first place. Now, even on the busiest day, a climber doesn’t have to walk far to find routes of all grades that are rarely climbed and the limits of what you find are simply at the extent of your willingness to look.

THE QUALITY OF THE PLAN put together by the WMCC and spearheaded by WMCC President Jeff Squire was independently recognized in 2005 when the American Society of Landscape Architects presented the WMCC with a Land Management award for the Farley Management Plan. The WMCC’s Climbing Management Plan for Farley demonstrated to landowners and to State and Local authorities that climbers can develop a significant climbing area in a sustainable and responsible fashion.

Further, it demonstrated that we can be self-regulating, a huge precedent for climbers unless we want our local governments deciding which routes should be bolted and which shouldn’t.

Following the adoption of the Farley Management Plan, the WMCC kept its eyes open for additional opportunities to improve the access situation at Farley and in 2007 a parcel of land came up for sale that was immediately recognized as a potential development threat with houses planned for within 100ft of the crag.

The WMCC intervened and began the Farley Preservation Initiative with the goal of purchasing land and building a parking lot for climbers.

With a freshly motivated community, the WMCC raised $60,000 in donations and long-term loans that enabled it to secure a $300,000 bank loan that made up the purchase price. This deal was made possible through the efforts of the WMCC Board of Directors and membership as well as the Access Fund, Appalachian Mountain Club and a handful of grants from non-profit groups with shared goals.

FOR THOSE OF US LUCKY ENOUGH TO CLIMB THERE IN THE EARLY DAYS, FARLEY WAS SIMPLY TOO GOOD TO LET GO.

IN JANUARY the WMCC paid back the last of its interest bearing loans, bringing New England Climbers one step further down the road to protecting our best climbing for generations to come. The Farley Preservation Initiative has been the most visible work to date done by the WMCC and has resulted in the largest of the three available parking lots at Farley Ledge. Still, on a busy weekend, all three lots are full and climbers continue to park illegally on Route 2. climberism | MAGAZINE

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CLOCKWISE STARTING FROM TOP: Farley Ledges from above. (Photo: WMCC) Author, Pete Ward on Ward Smith’s classic route, Afterburner (5.12+). (Photo: Ralph Munn) WMCC President Jeff Squire leads a volunteer day to install an informational kiosk at the Farley parking lot that was purchased and built by the WMCC. (Photo: WMCC)

Climbers should please feel free to educate anyone who needs to know where one can and cannot park while climbing at Farley.

And if you’re into negotiating public policy in support of climbing, the WMCC is working on that too. Currently, the WMCC has stepped into the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relicensing process to allow Northfield Mountain to generate electricity. Northfield Mountain owns a good portion of the climbing at Farley and the original license didn’t recognize climbing as a legitimate activity that could take place. Being recognized as a stakeholder will further legitimize climbing as a valid recreational activity and hopefully continue to secure a management position for climbers. This license will be good for a minimum of 30 years and the WMCC is working to permanently enshrine conservation of recreation at Northfield Mountain in that license.

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manage Farley Ledge and its amazing resources. As they become available, the WMCC will work to acquire any of the remaining privately owned parcels at Farley.

Additionally, there are over 40 independent climbing areas in Western Massachusetts and the WMCC needs a war chest to protect all of them.

Finally, the point is this: Even if you’re not a Farley local or someone who might travel to its convoluted ledges one day, you should still grab a pint at the local pub with your friends. Bring a pencil and a piece of paper, make a goal and get to work in support of that goal. It doesn’t matter what your goal is, what matters is that history is written by the victors, and, in this case, climbers won.

About the author: Pete Ward is a founding member of the Western Massachusetts Climbers Coalition.

“Discovery is supposed to

involve remoteness.�

- Dr. Robert Dickinson, 1930

Green Pond EW JERSEY CLIMBING N OF EL W JE N OW CR E : TH PHOTOS AND WORDS BY

JOHN ANDERSON

Editor’s Note: This article revisits some of the history of New Jersey’s rock climbing heritage, as well as potential opportunities for AMGA Certified Guides.

MOST OF NJ’S CLIMBING OCCURS IN THE HIGHLANDS, where gently rolling-to-rugged terrain runs along a northeastern axis that largely parallels the winding path of the Delaware River all the way to the New York border.

Green Pond Mountain, at 1,289 feet in elevation, is located in Rockaway and Jefferson Township, NJ. The elbow of the Pequannock River edges its broad expanse.

Green Pond Mountain is a good example of Highlands geography. The Green Pond Outlier is a complex Northeast-trending belt of Paleozoic sedimentary rock that bisects the Precambrian crystalline rocks of Reading Prong and extends for 65 miles into New York. The climbing here is highlighted by a Matt Carlardo cover shot and associated article in the AMC’s Outdoors magazine in 2006.

THE CLIFFS PROPER Green Pond Green Pond Mountain features

two noticeable bands of cliffs located in the Craigmeur Recreation Area. The eastern end of the precipice is known as “Green Pond Cliffs,” while the western cliff-band

has historically been labeled “Hawks Cliff.”

This section of cliff ranges from 180’ to 220’ in height and 2,000’ wide. At the base of these cliffs is a large and complex talus field presenting many potential bouldering opportunities. The cliff angles outward and upward with some of the most committing multi-pitch routes in New Jersey. Horizontal holds, thin faces, vertical cracks and overhangs abound. Hawks Cliff offers a rare opportunity for true adventure climbing and first ascents of traditional routes and highball boulder problems. There is historic evidence of climbing here, ranging from rusty pins and bolts, to the old Goldline rope found on what is known as Goldline Ledge. The site has some of the most beautiful vistas anywhere in the state, and most climbers that have visited, agree that the area could be a major regional rockclimbing destination. climberism | MAGAZINE

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ACCESS TO GREEN POND Green Pond climbing was ramped up a few notches in 2010 after 20-plus years of dormancy. Andrew Sinclair, a local climber, and John Anderson, an AMGA member since 1987, along with a small group of AMGA Certified Guides, have completed a series of first known ascents at Green Pond. Their goal was to assess the quality of climbing as a public resource for the Morris County Park system. Their proposal, which would allow for access to AMGA Certified Guides and their clients, is currently

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awaiting finalization by Morris County. For liability reasons—and considering the adventurous nature of the climbing—the area will not yet be open to nonguided climbing. It is important to note that this article does not guarantee climbing access. Access at Green Pond will be under specific regulations set forth by the Morris County Parks Commission.

Climbing on this unique and fragile resource is a privilege as well as a unique experience in this part of the country.

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GEAR REVIEW // CRAG WAGONS

Car, whip, rig, shaggin wagon, ride, clunker, set of wheels, crag mobile, Vanagons, trucks with toppers, gypsy vehicle.

Whatever you call it, these rides will get you to the crag.

WAGONS SUBURU OUTBACK (THERE’S A REASON YOU SEE HERDS OF THEM) MPG (CITY/HWY): 24/30 RETAIL: $25,000 USED DIRTBAG PRICING: $1,300$8,900 SNOOZE ROOM: Fits 2 with folded seats, plus some gear STORAGE: ”I’ve fit everything I own in it at least a half dozen times.”

—Tyler Cohen, a proud Outback owner

Y

ou have seen heaps of them before and you will see them again. With symmetrical all wheel drive, this car is perfect for unpaved roads (and as we all know, most roads in the Northeast are not paved right up to the approach). This set of wheels has over eight inches of ground clearance and will get you through any kind of terrain the Northeast throws at you. It is perfect for transforming into a comfy place to rest for two by folding down the seats and there is still room for gear.

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PROS

CONS

Smooth ride Rear seat space All Wheel Drive Impressive ground clearance Seats fold down for sleeping

Minimal towing capacity Navigation is not up to date Stereo system is not impressive

VOLVO WAGON (GREAT FOR A SOCCER MOM AND THE WEEKEND WARRIOR) MPG (CITY/HWY): 18/22 RETAIL: $35,000 USED DIRTBAG PRICING: $3,995-$7,500 SNOOZE ROOM: Fits two with folded seats, plus some gear.

STORAGE: With a box on top and the roomy interior, this baby will fit a giant.

PROS Comfy seats (leather) Lots of room for cargo All Wheel Drive Impressive ground clearance Seats fold down for sleeping

CONS Rock-solid towing capacity Stereo system is good

A

bit more pricey than the Subaru but you will be looking fresh in this whip! The snooze room is a bit larger than an Outback.

It sleeps two by folding down the seats. There is space in the trunk for gear. The wagon is perfect for sleeping or throwing a keg in the back and celebrating that much awaited ascent.

VW GOLF

(SWEET CAR TO ZIP AROUND IN, BUT TYING YOUR CRASH PADS TO THE ROOF IS GOING TO GET OLD REAL QUICK)

MPG (CITY/HWY): 23/33 RETAIL: $20,000 USED DIRTBAG PRICING: $1,600-$5,000 SNOOZE ROOM: Only if you enjoy sleeping sitting up STORAGE: Ain’t much.

PROS

CONS

Fuel Economy Sporty and handles well

Lacks interior storage space It would be easier inserting your gear into your partner’s ass

T

his ride is great for day adventures but not so good for overnights. It’s small and compact and will get you to your destination wherever that may be. However, depending on how much gear you have you may be able to fit friends in the back seat. climberism | MAGAZINE

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Home sweet home in this dirtbag rig.

VANS CHEVY ASTROVAN (GUT THAT SUCKER AND GO!) MPG (CITY/HWY): 14/17 RETAIL: $10,000 USED DIRTBAG PRICING: $2,000$5,000 SNOOZE ROOM: You bet. Modify as you please.

STORAGE: “I’ve got a bed platform that runs the entire length, with about a foot to spare between it and the driver’s seat, and under the platform are giant 6-foot long drawers that hold all my gear.” —Brendan Leonard (lives in his)

A

treasure to live in, a joke to drive. It is about as small as you can get as far as vehicles you can comfortably fit a twin-size IKEA mattress in.

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PROS

CONS

Rear-wheel drive and all wheel drive An extended body provides for substantial cargo capacity

“Handles like a bread truck, especially with a couple bikes and a rocket box on top.”

—Brendan Leonard

GEAR REVIEW // CRAG WAGONS

DODGE SPRINTER MPG (CITY/HWY): 20 MPG RETAIL: $35,000 USED DIRTBAG PRICING: $8,000- $27,000 SNOOZE ROOM: Like a mansion on wheels.

STORAGE: check.

(STAND UP AND STRETCH OUT IN THIS MONSTER)

PROS

CONS

A lot of cargo capacity Comfortable seats Like a house on wheels

Limited towing capacity blind spots (don’t hit anything).

T

he modifications that can be done to this rig are endless. Lots of room to play around with. There is extra overhead space so lots of room for gear, just don’t put your ice axe overhead, that could be bad.

THE EUROVAN MPG (CITY/HWY): 17/20 RETAIL: $11,000 USED DIRTBAG PRICING: $1,500- $5,000 SNOOZE ROOM: Pack ‘em in like sardines.

STORAGE: Dance Parties?

(ANOTHER CLASSIC FOR THE DEVOTED DIRTBAGGER) PROS

CONS

Safe Handles well A lot of them come with a bed

Get your wallet out, it’s expensive to fix.

M

uch like the Chevy Astro Van, this van is great for camping.

Seats can fold down to become a bed or take the seats out and install a bed. There are no compartments for gear but there is certainly room for it. . climberism | MAGAZINE

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Dirtbag? Or homeless?

TRUCKS HONDA ELEMENT MPG (CITY/HWY): 20/25 RETAIL: $18,000 USED DIRTBAG PRICING: $4,000-$7,500 SNOOZE ROOM: Front AND back seats fold down.

STORAGE: If you take out the seats you’ve got “a shit-ton.” —Gwen Cameron

T

his is the ride I’m trying to get my hands on. The best car for sleeping in, the front AND the back seats fold all the way down making for an extra cozy night. Stuff as many people possible in this bad boy or enjoy all the room to yourself.

Neat feature is the sunroof which on some models, is larger than normal. Perfect for stargazing. Price is just right for the amount of space and the MPG. 32

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(PERFECT FOR WOOING THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE, EVEN IF ITS JUST YOU AND YOUR BROS. ) PROS

CONS

Lots of windows—great for stargazing at night Cargo capacity and towing capacity are exceptional

Noisy Suspension can be quite “bouncy” in the rear seats

GEAR REVIEW // CRAG WAGONS

FORD RANGER MPG (CITY/HWY): 20 MPG RETAIL: No longer made USED DIRTBAG PRICING: $15,000-$500 SNOOZE ROOM: 1-3 bros STORAGE: Depends on model. Can

(ADD A CAP TO AN OLDER MODEL FOR A BOMBER SETUP)

PROS

CONS

Good towing capacity Add a cap and call it a night Put a mattress in the back and you can sleep two (or three?)

Seat in the back are meant for one thing: A suffer fest

be tight, but it has room to make it work.

T

his crag mobile is great for those boy’s weekends when you just need to get away. Put a top on it and you have yourself a nice little shelter perfect for some pillow talk. It’s durable enough to get you through tough Northeast terrain, yet small enough to have somewhat good gas mileage.

Dirtbags can throw a different colored cap (think craigslist) on it and not think twice.

TOYOTA TACOMA (EXPENSIVE BUT RELIABLE) MPG (CITY/HWY): 21/25 RETAIL: $A LOT USED DIRTBAG PRICING: $2,000-$8,000 SNOOZE ROOM: Will fit 2-3 climbers STORAGE: Lots!

PROS

CONS

Reliable and Durable Smooth ride Sexy and popular

Older models have rust problems Rear seat rooms ucks

T

he Tacoma is the ultimate crag-slash-carpenter mobile. You can sleep in the back (build a bed platform and store gear and tools under it) and still have room for storage behind the seats. They look cool and drive nice. Aftermarket upgrades are almost endless. climberism | MAGAZINE

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PHOTO // DAVID CROTHERS` RYAN MACLEOD FIGHTING BULLDOG (V6) DOVER ISLAND, NS, CANADA

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ON THE ROAD: A PHOTO COLLECTION OF TRAVELING NORTHEAST CLIMBERS

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// focused

PHOTO // JEREMY YOU CLOSE TO HOME BUT STILL HAVING FUN AT MAINE’S SHAGG CRAG.

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PHOTO // DAVID CROTHERS JARRED COBB SOLOING THE APPROACH SLABS ON KATAHDIN IN MAINE

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PHOTO // DAVID CROTHERS GWEN CAMERON SHAKING OFF THE HEADY PITCH TWO TRAVERSE OF BONNIE’S ROOF IN THE GUNKS

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PHOTO // TODD GILLES ROAD TRIPPIN’ SOMEWHERE IN UTAH

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PHOTO // DAVID CROTHERS KEESE LANE WORKING THROUGH THE CRUX PITCH OF CANNON’S WHITNEY-GILMAN RIDGE

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PHOTO // NIC LAZZARESCHI ICICLES FORM AFTER A COLD NIGHT AT THE RED RIVER GORGE

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PHOTO // TODD GILLES CLIMBING PICO DE ORIZABA IN MEXICO

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Endeez The Endeez rope end-icator was designed to aid climbers with a quick physical means of identifying their rope ends as they are rappelling, belaying, climbing or handling rope.

Ideal for use as a back-up knot while climbing, providing quick identification of rope ends or as a physical marker while working on or with rope.

Endeez provide users with exceptional performance in the simplest form as a physical link between the rope and the climber.

For more information visit www.SMCGEAR.net or call 360.366.5534

AROUND TOWN // CLASSIFIEDS

www.cloudsplitterguides.com PO Box 11, Keene Valley, NY, 12943

(518)569-8910

AROUND TOWN // CLASSIFIEDS

rumney

Guidebook is Going Mobile Witness The Evolution of the Climbing Guidebook

Rumney Climbing app Explore the entire content with a few taps using interactive maps, topos, and wall photos.

Search for your next route by custom criteria such as difficulty, stars, conditions, area, route name, etc.

TickList the climbs that you want to get on.

Log the climbs you send and keep track of your progress on projects.

Navigate the crags and terrain in real time with embedded maps and GPS points.

Test Drive all the features with the Free edition that contains three of Rumney’s classic walls.

Check Out all of our other guide-apps.

ADVERTISE WITH

CLIMBERISM JON HOWARD 802.644.6606 x201 JON@HOLPUBLICATIONS.COM

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CLIMBERISM MAGAZINE PAT DYESS ON PREDATOR (5.13b) RUMNEY, NEW HAMPSHIRE PHOTO BY: DAVID CROTHERS