Knight’s Move (5.4) photo by Matt Shove
make it ‘safe’, etc. Luckily for me, I still see a few locals keeping the traditional style alive.
You will see Chad on Bombay Indirect, a marvelous traverse that you can’t comprehend from the ground. You might see Bobbo on the Prince. It’s 5.9 +, but it’s full value and has special gear needed to boot. It requires a fi ne mind, calmness, almost in a meditative state. A position that forces one to dig deep as you launch into the crux. You might fi nd Mike on Faceout, a nice route at 5.8, but full of hocus pocus gear. A little to the right, you might fi nd Jeff leading Broadway.
It’s a bit harder now
that a big hold has broken off the lower crux. Anne might be found taking a lap up YMC. YMC is THE 5.9 to do on this side of the cliff. Face climbing leads to the best jam crack that ends abruptly at an overhang. The next move will get your attention as you fi ddle in a little
22 climber MAGAZINEism |
wire, and stretch up to the fl ake, on your tiptoes, hoping you don’t stretch too far. Bob and Lisa are often found on Unconquerable Crack, a steep line with more than ample protection. It begins in a steep little hollow, with fl ake underclings and jams that lead to an off width. At the top of this wide section lies the crux. Worth noting is Subline, and if I could get past the start, I would tell you what it’s like. (It might be bet- ter to ask Bob and Lisa). I have come to appreciate Carey Corner.
It’s a bottom-
less left facing corner, it’s in the shade, and it’s a perfect splitter. It eats gear. It’s got great jams, some good footholds right where you need them, and on some days, it feels desperate. Dave says some people love it and others loathe it. What makes these routes so classic is that the crux sequences lie at the top. Sustained climbing leads you to a physi- cal and mental challenge. You need to be sure to save some for the exit.
These classic routes deserve to be lead. You might fi nd yourself starting off on 100 feet of your own little adventure. I’m not a beta guy; I don’t like getting blasted with it. When I’m up there, I’m immersed in 100 feet of big adventure. I would encourage you to do the same. Just imagine what our climbing pioneers must have felt. Let those emotions run rampant and you might never look at our little crag the same again. Come for a visit, its suburban cragging at its best. It really is our very own little piece of heaven.
STATS:
Owner: Ragged Mountain Foundation
www.raggedmtn.org
Location: Southington, CT
Guidebook: Connecticut Rock Climbing by David Fasulo
MAY JUNE 2011 |
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