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Jim E
climber
away
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Hands down the coolest of cool routes I've done in the Northeast in many years.
Foxhole Prayer
Very difficult to do this climb justice with photos. It lives deep inside a wide chimney where it is pasted onto the side of one wall. First pitch ascends one of the craziest ice formations I've ever seen and ends at a comfortable ice ledge. At this ledge is another chimney to one side that cuts in behind the cliff. It's really more of a cave than a chimney as it is fully capped and with a level ice floor. The cave goes on for over 100' and probably more but was filled in by ice at the far end blocking me from further travel. Great exploration potential.
The second pitch climbs out of the chimney in a rather disheartening line. The chimney is capped by a jumble of large blocks and earth.
From the ice ledge, visible at the bottom, you climb almost straight sideways over the abyss and out of the chimney. The pitch is actually reasonably easy. However, from inside the chimney it wasn't possible to see the line of holds due to the extreme back lighting caused by a gorgeous sunny day.
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perswig
climber
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Wootles goes spelunking.
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Jim E
climber
away
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Ice spelunking!
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 9, 2009 - 01:33pm PT
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Those photos are great! Where is this thing?
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cowpoke
climber
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that looks/sounds wild!
and named appropriately.
cool share.
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Jim E
climber
away
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"Those photos are great! Where is this thing?"
It's at a crag in very northern NH. It's on a Nature Conservancy preserve so access is delicate. Climbing is fully permitted but with strong restrictions. No bolts or fixed anchors of any kind, no chalk, and no cleaning of routes. Basically a true 'leave no trace' policy.
The 2 hour approach will likely ensure there are no violations. Follow a labyrinth of logging roads and then a convoluted system of snowmobile trails. Once you are certain you are lost begin bushwhacking in circles until you spot the cliff.
I actually went with guys that have the approach fully dialed in so there were no missteps. Tradition dictates that the exact details of the approach only be passed on by word of mouth, trial and error or some combination there of. I was fortunate enough to have guides.
The 2 hour approach time is true only if you know exactly where to go. I've heard from folks who've thrashed around for an entire day and never got to the cliff and others that arrived just as darkness fell upon them.
The first ascent of Foxhole Prayer was done last winter but was mostly a straight rock affair. The second pitch actually climbed through a very narrow passage in the jumble of cap stones. One member of the party was too claustrophobic to follow.
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Jim E
climber
away
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Here's a pic of the top out on the FA.
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cowpoke
climber
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already bumped this once today for JimE's adventure climb, but got to double-down after seeing that last shot -- like looking down the rabbit's hole!
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 27, 2009 - 07:56pm PT
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Porkchop_express
Trad climber
the base of the Shawangunk Ridge
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Mar 27, 2009 - 08:11pm PT
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this thread is awesome! I am going to have to remember to bring my camera out so I can represent some gunks love...i always ask my wife if she has it once we are like 10 minutes out from the car, and by that time the juices are flowing and i can't go back...
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perswig
climber
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Mar 28, 2009 - 08:15pm PT
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Sara's home for the weekend and Saturday looks good for a run up to Acadia.
Crossing onto Verona Island, Bucksport; old bridge in background.
Ice climbing got veto'd (looked solid to me)....
....but crampons and an axe would have helped the approach to Otter.
No-one else around, great views...
...but d/t wet walls, climbs vanished from last year's rockfall, and Sara getting mildly freaked by the surf crashing at her feet, we migrated a bit farther south to cosier surroundings.
Short-roping Sara down the descent.
Less threatening water, apparently.
Maybe the next formation to keel over into the sea? I try to belay off to one side without Sara noticing.
Scudding streams of fog, cold hands, and hungry dogs at home create enough reasons to end the day.
A poor excuse for climbing, but an excellent day out - I think of it as part of the 12-step program to let go of ice for the season.
Random sighting; I tried to ignore it but Sara was fascinated. Whatever.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 28, 2009 - 09:17pm PT
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Rockfall at Otter Cliffs? I hadn't heard about that.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Mar 30, 2009 - 04:46pm PT
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My friend Eric leading the crux of Blue Ice Bulge, Smuggs. A week and a half ago.
What a nice sandbag.. its graded 2 to 3 in my Wilcox book. I have led it twice, followed it once and rapped it once decending from Blind Fate. I have yet to find the grade 3 path up P2???
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GOclimb
Trad climber
Boston, MA
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Mar 30, 2009 - 04:52pm PT
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Nice TRs!
Chiloe - I'm trying (and failing) to guess the base of the cliff at which is that little stream is flowing. Definitely screams "early spring in New England" though!
GO
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 30, 2009 - 05:00pm PT
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Here ya go, GO -- it's New Hampshire's Least TR-Worthy Crag!
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meclimber
Trad climber
Dover, NH
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Mar 30, 2009 - 05:11pm PT
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Where is that? Glad to see other New Hampshirites representing the early season. Larry, what's crag Y like. The descriptions make it sound like a crack paradise, but some verbal descriptions make it sound lacking. What's the real story!
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 30, 2009 - 05:26pm PT
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Haven't visited Crag Y in years myself, so it's possible that triffids have reclaimed it. However ...
The best climbs on the Sunkist Wall of Crag Y are, IMO, comparable to the best in their
length and grade on Whitehorse or Cathedral. She-Ra comes to mind; other good ones
include Autobot and Ooh Mow Mao. Beyond that, at least a dozen others seem like they
could be well worth doing if you're up there.
I would bring a bolt kit and think about replacing some of the old fixed pins, one-for-one,
with new bolts if that seems necessary (you'd have my blessing).
Jim E probably has more up-to-date gossip if not firsthand experience of the place.
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GOclimb
Trad climber
Boston, MA
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Mar 31, 2009 - 12:11am PT
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Parking lot wall at Rumney?
GO
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Aya K
Trad climber
New York
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Mar 31, 2009 - 12:38am PT
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3/15/09
3/17/09
(rope management skills FAIL)
3/19/09
little too slushy so back to the rock!
3/20/09
And no pics from the spiders web on 3/21/09, alas. It was a full on hangover flail and fail day anyway so it's just as well.
Last weekend? My TR would have been photos of me sanding a painting our kitchen. It was ugly and all black before. Now it's clean and girly, all white and light blue gray!
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