Kevin Wright on Carey Corner (5.6) on the Main Cliff at Ragged Mountain
photo by Lourdes Irizarry
A Sampler of Fritz Wiessner Traprock Classics Vector (5.8) Ragged Mountain
Connecticut has some pretty good rock climbing, actually no, I’m going to say Connecticut has some great rock climbing. Southern New England is far from the worst place a climber could live, in fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a richer history and cast of characters outside Yosemite Valley than we have right here in the Yankee North. Our local guidebooks are filled with names like Wiessner, Underhill, Nichols, Whitney, Wilcox, Barber, Kraus, Adair, and the like. The climbs that follow are far from the most difficult around, but you’ll feel the weight of history and airy exposure on these signature Wiessner first ascents. Lace up those sticky-rubber climbing sneaks, chalk those mitts, and sew up these classic beauties with the finest traditional protection money can buy.
Wiessner’s Rib (5.6) —Sleeping Giant State Park
Whitney, Wilcox, and Underhill were among the now infa- mous early climbers you might have found on the craggy bluffs of Sleeping Giant in the mid-1920’s. Fritz Wiessner upped the ante when he scaled the tallest part of the Sleeping Giant’s “chin” in the early 1930’s thus establishing this classic with some of the best exposure you’ll find at this grade outside the Gunks. The Rib remained the most difficult free climb in the region for nearly a decade after its first ascent.
FA: Fritz Wiessner 1933-1935 Location: Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, CT Protection: Standard rack up to 3”
2011 MAY JUNE |
An important “first” in American climbing history, Vector was the country’s first 5.8 and remained the most difficult climb in the U.S. for nearly 17 years. The relatively moderate start provides a nice warm-up for the crux off-width bulge near the top. Wiessner accomplished the first ascent after two previous attempts, committing to a bold 20ft+ runout over a single soft-iron piton placed below the bulge.
FA: Fritz Wiessner 1933-1935 Location: Ragged Mountain, Southington, CT Protection: Standard rack up to 2” + optional large (#3 or 4) Camalot for the crux bulge
Carey Corner (5.7) Ragged Mountain
Commonly described as “Amazing,” “Awful,” or “Sandbag,” this is a classic route, albeit difficult. “Amazing, but harder than any 5.9 I’ve ever done” exclaimed one climber. Indeed, many online forums place the consensus grade solidly at 5.8. You won’t know until you try! Brush up on your crack climbing skills and give this beauty a go. Traprock rarely affords a more splitter open-book dihedral, and this one runs for 100 feet of exposed, immaculate stone.
FA: Fritz Wiessner 1933-1935 Location: Ragged Mountain, Southington, CT Protection: Standard Rack up to 3”
climber MAGAZINEism |
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