Updated 9/3/00

North Shore Bouldering
by Paul Lembeck and photographs from the Lembeck collection

Castle Rock, Marblehead, Massachusetts
Take Ocean Avenue out to Marblehead Neck. Bear right at the end of the causeway and after a bit look to the right for a mammoth stone house and a sign for Castle Rock. The rock at the end of the cinder road (approach - 30 seconds) is the Castle Rock.

Though obscure, I must say that the setting is absolutely spectacular. I can think of about 20 problems, with some potential for harder stuff and dangerous stuff. At the end of the rock are steep faces. There are easy highballs on the north face and slightly harder, scarier ones around the corner to the left (V0). On the top of the rock is a mini 'turret' or 'parapet' of the 'castle' that faces east. Several cool problems grace this section, some with spooky landings. Some freakier problems exist along the south side as well. The beach to the left of the cinder road is semi-cool to boulder on access-wise. Be mellow please. Most of the bouldering is only possible at low tide. The tallest, steepest section has several worthy problems (V1 to 3). I called this area the Prow. Most of the year a thick bench of polished pebbles covers the base, but after storms it is 4' lower and with a wavy ledge base. There are also some buttery problems along the ledge around the corner, the hardest of which might be V4.


Paul Lembeck on a V2 traverse on The Parapet at Castle Rock in Marblehead.


Paul Lembeck on The Prow, V2, on the beach at Castle Rock in Marblehead.
Peabody Boulders/Route 128 Boulders
Somewhat centering at Peabody, to Saugus the south and Gloucester to the north, on both sides of the highway are quality boulders. I found a few really big ones, and regrettably, several are now gone due to road and office construction. Look under power lines and into the woods after the foliage has dropped, preferably while someone else is driving! There is definitely bouldering at Kallenberg Quarry, a place I found once and never located again (sounds like a Twilight Zone episode!) Look on a map, it is East of 128 near Lynnfield. I remember a good crack and a wild hand traverse there.

The conservation land west of Manchester, that borders 128 northbound, has two areas that I found. One is lame the other features a severe overhang and very thin jams (couldn't do the obvious wild looking line). Just off the dirt road/trail.

Black and White Rocks
Described in Hendrick's book, this area is in Melrose in the Middlesex Fells Reservation. Most of it is really easy, but what's wrong with that! I imagine a discerning eye could ferret out a few toughies.

Lynn Woods
I bouldered and toproped here a long time ago, as did people way before my time. I recall some topropes that would make good for good highballing. Again, an eye for tough lines might be rewarded. I never scoured the place myself and am 20 years out of date, perhaps someone has good beta for the place.

Nahant
Hendrick's book is way off on this one. He describes a place where it is not too hot, at the old cannon fort. The best stuff, some of it pretty necky, is at the old NIKE missile site at the eastern tip of Nahant. Haven't been there for 20 years, maybe there is a bunch of rich folks' houses there now!

Den Rock
This place features really coarse pegmatite and granite. I remember that there was potential there for all manner of eliminates and hard lines, though there is not limitless rock by any means. Perhaps this area, which is hopefully still there, might be worth a look.

Rafe's Chasm
I mention this area for nostalgic reasons. In Magnolia, South of the Hammond Castle, there was a huge "blowspout" an eroded basalt dike that left a two sided huge chimney that had wild bouldering out of it at low tide. Alas, the last time I visited, it had been filled in with rocks and rubble and was fenced off. If you are having access issues at a cool area, take action! This is what can happen.

Purgatory Chasm
Located off of 146 in Sutton Massachusetts. This place was very frustrating! "Back in the day" there was a funky administration (that might be better or worse today, if there is climbing access at all today!). Toproping only was the rule and unroped climbing (bouldering) was strictly forbidden and enforced. There would certainly be some awesome bouldering if that has changed.

Gloucester
My first experience here was great as have all subsequent visits. I have done a huge amount of bouldering over the last 25 years on every type of rock imaginable, from Hawaii to Aroostook County Maine, from utter choss that disintegrates when you look at it to the best possible stone. Gloucester offers a quality of granite that is as good as you could hope for! This makes up for the lack of a large quantity. Some of it could be dropped into Yosemite, and it would be good there too.

Stage Fort Park
Classic! Just before Route 127 intersects Route 133, in Gloucester, is some incredible bouldering if you can climb slabs and don't mind necking it out a bit. The main rock will be obvious, if not there is a big plaque inserted into the middle of it. A number of moderate highballs, some quite high, grace this dome. Straight over the small overlap is the most committing and hardest line (V3 or 4?). All lines were bouldered out, "back in the day" in EB's (I'm sure glad we're no longer back in the day!). Behind the dome is some more bouldering. The playground area has a block worth visiting, as does the buttress on the left side of the beach in the small cove left of the big slab.

Two anecdotes:
1) One time myself and a friend, probably Mark Jannell, were bouldering the buttress when a lifeguard yelled up that we couldn't do that. I mouthed off and he returned with a cop. The cop told us climbing was only permitted on the big slab area. "Ok" I said, and we went there. Sure enough, the cop comes back shortly and calls up "You can climb here but only with a rope." I was pissed and said "I seem to be doing fine without one." He paused and then looked up and winked and said "That you are" and walked away. I've never had any kind of interference there before or since.

2) On the left flank of the Main slab is a smaller, shorter slab. It is steeper and has a black streak up it. The streak had always thwarted me, couldn't do it in Converse All-Stars. Couldn't do it in EB's. Couldn't do it the first generation sticky-soled Boreal Fires. I suspect Henry Barber, John Hollenbach, or the like had sent it, but no go for me. A couple of years after moving to Colorado in '85, armed with first generation Ninjas. I found myself once again savoring the spicy slabs. A young guy starts following me around and lets me know his buddy can "climb these rocks like a spider". Intrigued, I asked him "What's hard here?". Standing at the base of the black streak, he tells me 'This is the impossible route' or something like that. If it had been done long ago, these folks were not privy to it. This time it looked definitely do-able. I sent it first go. Gave it a 'easy B1'. Today maybe it might by V4.

If you poke around this area you will find some more stuff.


Paul Lembeck on Sharkbait, V0, the obvious line on the big slab at Stage Fort Park.


Paul Lembeck on Jaws, V1, left of Sharkbait at Stage Fort Park.
Red Rock
I sure hope everyone in Eastern Massachusetts has been here! What a little gem this place is. Some of the problems here have been the highest and most fun of my entire bouldering experience. I assume no directions are needed to this spot. If not it's at the intersection of 128 and 133, on the West side, just a couple of hundred yards along side 128's Southbound side. You'll come to a large block right of the trail that is gridded with high quality short problems; this is where I learned mantles, (an extremely useful but overlooked technique that will make almost any top out a lot more confident). Past this the trail veers right and uphill. Directly in front of you where the trail goes right is a tall wall with an ultra classic flake (V-easy). Just left of the flake is a tall stem/gaston affair that is (V-not as easy).

This reminds me another anectdote, probably BS but maybe not:

I had heard that the guy who was in on the developing of the area in the 60's/ early70's, a guy named Ray? I think, was soloing (highballing!) the big face and had done a bouldering ascent of the Morning Glory for a Boston early morning news broadcast. He did the gaston/stem thing and thought it was hard and was all stoked about it. Supposedly, he hooked up with Henry Barber at some function and asked him about Red Rock. 'Did he climb there ever?', 'Oh, yeah, I've climbed there'. 'The face by 128?' 'Did that first try, in my tennis shoes'.

Tip: If you walk past Red Rock and continue looking you will find some good bouldering near the old road/mountain bike trail and if you bushwhack along 128 you'll find some good, but isolated blocks.


Paul Lembeck "bouldering" the V0- flake at Red Rock, circa 1983.

Red Rock North
If you cross Route 133 from the Red Rock parking area and go up the offramp, turn left into the brush and head into the draw to the right you'll find quality rock. There are several worthy blocks and a highball/toproping area on the top of the hill on the left. Not completely developed; bring brushes and a rad attitude, and have at it.

Mount Ann
Across Route 128 from Red Rock was an area that used to be accessed by a road now closed. There is some stuff there, a cool crack and some faces. The area across from Red Rock, indeed the entire area, has potential for blocks if you poke around.

The Boston Rocks guidebook (new edition due out soon) has information on  many of these areas.

Disclaimer

Bouldering is dangerous. You could be seriously injured or killed. Do not attempt any of the problems described in this web page unless you have the expertise to do so. NewEnglandBouldering.com does not assume any liability for your safety or well being.