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Updated 7/24/02 |
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New Hampshire Bouldering |
Rumney The bouldering here is located in two areas in the town of Rumney, NH. To get to Rumney take exit 26 off of Interstate 93. Follow route 25 west past Glory Jeans Diner. Take a right onto Main Road at a flashing yellow light. Follow this for about a mile to the center of Rumney village. To get to The Pound take a right on Quincy Avenue and go about a half-mile until you see a large boulder right on the road (this is it). To get to the rest of the boulders, take a left. Park in the designated parking lot, and walk down Buffalo Road until you get to telephone pole #38. Follow a trail into the woods, bear left at a junction, and you will see the boulders. Click here to purchase the guidebook to this area. This guide includes bouldering at The Pound and the Blackjack Boulders. Classics at The Pound include: Public Utility Crack, V2, a nice high ball problem right on the road and Pound Crack, V2, another high ball problem on the opposite side of the street. Classics at the Blackjacks include: Zig Zag Crack, V0+, Umbrella Traverse, V2, and Richochet, V3. For the real high ball master, the Black Jack Crack (10d or V2?) is a must. It seems like there may be more potential for bouldering at the Meadows and below the Main Cliff, but I don't know of any documented problems. It would be nice if someone produced a more detailed and up to date guide to the bouldering. Dave Graham and Luke Parady have been busy putting up new, hard problems on the Rumney boulders. Dave completed an extension to Jerry's Traverse that he calls Landshark, V10/11, and did a V9/10 on the Umbrella Boulder that he calls Satan's Sister Sally. Luke did a V10 to the right of the Zig Zag Crack that he calls Satan's Choice. Dave said that they have done some other hard problems, but they haven't rated or named them yet. |
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Pawtuckaway The bouldering is located in Pawtuckaway State Park in the town of Raymond, NH. To get here, take exit 5 off of Route 101 in Raymond. Take a right off the exit to a traffic light, take a left at the light, then take a right onto Route 156. Follow the brown signs for the state park to Deerfield Road. Go past the official entrance to the park, to a small dirt road on the left (click here for a map). The key to find this road is a grey mobile home with blue shutters on the opposite side of the street, and the fact that the road takes a sharp angle back off of the main road. I missed it the first time I went, so keep a careful eye out. Go down this dirt road to a gate and park. Walk down the road, and you will enter the map area below where it says "To Deerfield Road."
Corey Hebert of Vertical Dreams climbing gym in Manchester, NH (see their ad above) provided us with some rough maps to the bouldering at Pawtuckaway. Click here to view these maps. Tim Kemple has recently published a guidebook to this area. Click here to purchase a copy from our online store. The Round Pond area has a lot of good problems, with The Whip, V2 being an obvious, highball classic. Other good problems at the Pond include, Mutant, V8, Anasazi, V9, and Minion, V10/11. Ride the Lightning, V6 in the Boulder Natural area is another stunning line, to which Tim Kemple has added an extended start, Downward Spiral that goes at V8. On the other side of this boulder, Tim also added Polish Terrorist, a slopey V8. Dave Graham recently sent new problem on a boulder to the right of the Ride the Lightning Boulder, which he calls The Heart of Darkness. Other good areas include the Devil's Den (not pictured on the maps) where classics include Numb Thumb, V8, Red Devil, V8, Vertical Ocean, V6, and Up In Smoke, V7/8. The testpiece of this area is Ashes to Ashes, V9. The potential for new problems here appears limitless. There are several extensive areas which have hardly been touched. Stay tuned for future updates. |
Humphrey's Ledge A North Conway local recently turned Brett Myers and Shawn Porter on to the bouldering possibilities at the base of Humphrey's Ledge. Reportedly, there has been some bouldering activity here, but, according to Brett and Shawn, there is potential for some high quality bouldering on tall boulders with some interesting roof features. This area is located along West Side Road in North Conway, north of the popular Catheral Ledge. Stay tuned for more details. If you have any info on this area please e-mail us.
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Sundown This area is located off the Kancamangus Highway and has been a trad/sport climbing area for years. Recently, boulderers have discovered the area and have begun development. Luke Parady provided me with some info for bouldering here and is in the process of compiling some maps and photos for publication. Luke says that most of the bouldering is on the Boulder Loop Trail. Classics in this area include: Mount Everest, V4R, Mud Dyno, V6, Larry's Problem, V3, Utility Knife, V6, Bruce Willis, V3, Ill Communication, V8, The Pit, V4, and the testpiece Pain Train, V10. Luke has a V8 and Dave Graham has a V9 at the boulders near the Swift River. Stay tuned for more info. |
Fall Mountain Matt Kmiec reports that the total problem count at Fall Mountain in Walpole, NH stands at 213, fully half of which are V0. There are now four main developed areas within FM, each of which has over 30 problems. The largest of the four, the Right Boulderfield, has over 50, all within 5 minutes of each other. Godsmack, the former area testpiece, is no longer a problem, since the departure of the better share of it's holds. There are six V3's, three V4's, a V5, and a V6 (the latter two courtesy of Chris Ryan) at FM. More trail work has been done, improving one trail and partially adding another. |
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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. |