Monthly Archives: August 2013

Aug3

Climbing at Rumney with a big crew

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Climbing at Rumney with a big crew

18-May-13 through 19-May-13

Daniel and Erin had planned a whole weekend of climbing up at Rumney.  Unfortunately I couldn’t make the first night, since I’d set up an appointment a few months previous.  Instead, I drove up on Saturday, so that I could get most of Sunday to climb.

Saturday, 18-May-13

  • The day starts with pain – I drive down to Enfield CT to get my dreads cleaned up.  It’s nice to have them looking and feeling good, but 5 and a half hours is a bit long for me to sit still…
  • Head back to Boston to pack and hang out with Marla before I pick up Gabe from Alewife – a straggler who, like me, couldn’t get up to Rumney on Friday night.
  • The drive is clean, though it’s a bit rough finding the camp.  Daniel picked a new place… more of an outdoor hostel than a campground.  It’s cool though – almost a co-op style farm
  • We hang out, have dinner, and chat and drink late into the night.  Though not too late, because climbing is totally happening ASAP!

Sunday, 19-May-13

  • I’m torn from my tent early… far too early for a Sunday, and doubly too early to be sport climbing.  What is this, Trad?  Jeeze… One of the guys Daniel brought along is hollering and kicking tents, trying to get us moving.
  • You think I’m cranky… you should see Daniel and Erin when their morning nookie is interrupted… He’s not a happy camper.  I poke fun at them, of course, before starting to cook the eggs.
  • Wait, no.  We’re going to cook at the parking lot, so that we get parking spots.  Smart!  Instead we pay at the main house and drive out to the cliffs!
  • Cook eggs, brew espresso… people actually come up asking how much we’re charging for food.  “$20 for a plate!” we reply.  No one buys it 🙁
  • After running back to get my shoes that I forgot, we start climbing up at the Main Cliff… nothing crazy, just a few fairly clean routes.  Daniel starts by teaching some folks how to clean gear… I’m honestly impressed with him, because he doesn’t even kill the guy who woke us up.
  • Daniel, Erin and I take up a multi-pitch route:
    • “Big Easy” – 5.7 of clean sport
    • I take the lead on the 1st pitch, then bring Daniel and Erin up
    • Daniel takes some of the second, but lowers off after a bit thanks to a tweaked hand or something
    • I clean out the next two pitches… or maybe just the 2nd.  I can’t remember how many pitches there are.  It was fun though!
    • Good climbing – big holds and easy moves, but quite tiring.  I enjoy it immensely, and everyone rocks it out without much difficulty.
    • Someone tries following us directly up – we end up making them hang off the last bolt, since they want to clip into our anchor and belay off it while we’re using it.  No… no.  Not so much no.
    • After we get off Big Easy, almost to the minute, the rains fall and we start the wet walk back down to the cars.
    • Stop in at Tilton Diner for some food on the way back, but it’s mostly an uneventful drive down the highway and back into Boston.
Aug2

A quick NUHOCy trip to Quincy

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Tuesday, 14-May-13

  • Just a quick after-work jaunt to Quincy for some climbing, nothing too crazy.  I-95 takes me through to I-93, though I’m followed by some ominous looking clouds.
  • Alex set this up as a “get people into climbing” clinic – it works well, it seems!  A fair number of people showed up, and I help Alex keep everyone moving and on the wall.
  • Climbing!
    • Sorority rock gets a good bit of action – I even get to teach a few new folks about the intricacies of heel-hooking
    • The diving board is attempted… and I run it clean (ok, fine.  One fall).  Proud of myself
    • Nothing much more… just a quick climb before heading home.
Aug1

Exploring Western Mass, all on me onesie

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Friday, 10-May-13 through Saturday, 11-May-13

Friday, 10-May-13

  • Start the weekend out slowly… no rush leaving work, and no rush packing the car.  I grab dinner at home before making the final sweep to make sure I didn’t forget anything, and then jump in the car, pointing the nose toward the West.
  • A long drive… and actually a cold one at that.  Before the chill gets to me though, the rains hit and I have to pull over to put the top up.
  • I arrive at Beartown park late… maybe 10:30 or 11:00.  Exploring leads me to a near-perfect campsite – close to the main road, but far enough from other people that I don’t really need to worry about being loud.
  • I learn that I do need to worry about the height of my car though… and that it IS possible to get the Mustang stuck on a rock.  I leave it where it is for the morning, since I can’t really see anything.
  • Set up camp, start a wee fire, and relax ‘till sleep takes me.

Saturday, 11-May-13

  • I start the morning off right – actually waking up at a sane time, and going for a nice hike around the lake which gives the park its name.  It’s nice… kind of a boring trail, but relaxing.  I wish I could start more mornings like this!
  • I meet an interesting group, taking a pair of German Shepherds for a walk.  The dogs seem friendly enough, but the family is terrified of me getting near them – they leash the dogs and run back 20+ feet off the trail when I pass them.  Sure, why not?
  • When I get back to camp I shoot the breeze with the ranger for a bit – talking about places that I could find climbing, what times of the year are unbearable due to the blackflies, etc…
  • Move on into town to find some climbing!
    • Great Barrington holds some possibilities, a few good routes off a road aptly named “Quarry Road”.
    • The main climbs are kind of boring, but there’re a ton of good cracks that could use some exploring and wire brushes… I think I’ll come back!
    • Next I move on a town called Westfield… I think.  It’s right off the highway, and you can see some huge slabs from I-90.  I drive into town and follow my eyes and gut, finally finding myself at an old abandoned power station at the base of the rocks.
    • They look good, really good.  But the area is… sketchy, at best.  A lot of decrepit houses and cars, with a good number of folks who look as if they’d like nothing more than to release me from my mortal coil.  So I move on, without stopping to explore.