climber descends from cliff on top rope

Rose Ledge

Intro | Parking | Map | Trails | Current Issues | Commercial Guiding

Rose Ledge represents one of the region’s most popular climbing destinations and deservedly so. The 40’-60’ cliff line contains a plethora of climbs for all abilities (5.4-5.13) though excels in both number and quality of moderate climbs. Some of the classics include Guillotine (5.8), Solar Flare (5.11b), Tennessee Flake (5.10) and Beginners Corner (5.5). The rock, similar to nearby Farley Ledge, is gneiss with obvious horizontal cracks and features. Many climbs at Rose are leadable with traditional gear though the crag remains most popular as a toprope area as access to the top is easy and straight forward.

Rose Ledge is located in Northfield off of Route 63 just south of the Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center. From Route 2, turn north onto Route 63 and look for Poplar Mountain Road on the right after about 1.5 miles. Rose Ledge is owned by FirstLight & Power and they have allowed climbing at Rose and at other areas on their property including Farley. The relationship the WMCC has established with FirstLight and the Recreation and Environmental Center has been crucial to preserving access to these crags so please respect any and all rules posted.

You can purchase the Rose Ledge guidebook by Al Rubin in our store.

Parking

About ¼ mile up Poplar Mountain Road across from the obvious garage, is an obvious parking lot on the left. This lot is private property and the owners have been gracious enough to allow cars to park here for years so please be considerate. There is a $3 dollar fee for parking that can be placed in the box provided.

The property owner at the end of the road currently owns and uses the initial portion of the dirt road so please do not leave your gear where it blocks access to his property. Also be aware of the restrictions on pets. No dogs are allowed, leashed or not, past the parking lot to the trailhead. Please respect these requests.

Map

Click here for a link to the interactive map above of all the Western Mass crags discussed on this site.

Trails

From the parking lot, continue walking up the hill. You will see an obvious paved road heading up to the left, closed off by a yellow gate. Continue up this road toward the power lines. Take the next available left onto a road that is not paved. Down to your left you will find signs for “10th Mountain” and “Rock Oak Ramble” trails. Follow the direction for these trails and cross another set of powerlines. Continue straight on the trail and dirt roads until you see a sign for “Rose Ledge Trail” and head up to your right (about a 15 min. hike).

Current Issues

Rose Ledge was the site of the 2004 Access Fund’s Adopt-A-Crag initiative which was hosted by the WMCC and the Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center. All of the trail work including the stone steps and ladder up the main gully were a result of this effort and has been well received. Please continue to support the WMCC as we continue to expand our work to other popular crags in the area.

Commercial Guiding

Since Rose Ledge is completely owned by FirstLight & Power, climbers and other visitors are obligated to follow the rules and regulations established by the Northfield Mountain Environmental & Recreation Center. Part of these regulations include restrictions on the licensed use of Rose Ledge for professional guiding services. At this time, FirstLight and Northfield Mountain are not interested in allowing licensed use of the Ledges for commercial climbing classes or trips.

Skinner

Intro | Parking | Map | Trails

The Skinner area is located on the southern edge of Hadley, Massachusetts inside the beautiful J. A. Skinner State Park.  Although modest in size, the high quality of both the stone and the routes themselves make Skinner an excellent destination for a solid day of climbing.

These two southeast facing crags are comprised of basaltic traprock, the dominate stone of Connecticut climbing.  While most of the traprock in Massachusetts is highly fractured and heartbreakingly unclimbable – unlike Connecticut’s finer stone – some of this “Skinner stone” is bullet hard and quite challenging.  Those familiar with basalt will note the absence of grit or horizontal holds and the corresponding importance of side-pulls, underclings and body position. The two cliffs – a lower tier of hard, bolted routes and an upper tier of more moderate top rope problems – top out at 30 feet and yield perhaps 25 routes ranging from 5.8 to 5.13.

Parking

Park at the New England Trail (formerly M&M Trail) Head on Old Mountain Road in Hadley, MA. Enter this one-way, gravel road from the south where it intersects the eastern side of route 47 at the South Hadley and Hadley town line.  An old cemetary – on the western side of 47 – marks this intersection.  The trail head kiosk can be found about 100 yards down Old Mountain Road just before the power lines cross the road. Park on the right, well out of the travel lane.  This is a residential neighborhood so please behave accordingly.

Map


Click here for a link to the interactive map above of all the Western Mass crags discussed on this site.

Trails

The New England Trail (NET) is currently undergoing maintenance! Sections of trail nearby the climbing are being rerouted. We will update this information as soon as it is available!

rock climber on cliff face

Sunbowl

Intro | Parking | Map | Trails | Current Issues

NEW PARKING LOT! SUNBOWL OPEN

The aptly named Sunbowl is located in sleepy Sunderland, MA. Although the rock quality is fairly poor and the number of routes modest, the moderate grades, temperate micro-climate and easy access make this one of Western Massachusetts’s most popular crags for novice leaders or those seeking a quick workout.

As the name suggests, this southwest facing, wind-sheltered craglett is toasty on even cold winter afternoons – providing the sun is shining. However, ample tree cover offers shade in steamy summer days as well. The wall – approximately 35 feet tall and 150 feet long – is comprised of Mount Toby conglomerate and offers a maze of cobbles and pockets. Two slabby wings and a steep, central wall yield fewer than a dozen, well-protected sport routes ranging from 5.6 to 5.11. A long, V2 traverse offers a pumpy workout.

Parking

From RT 116, turn onto North Silver Lane, then onto Reservoir Road. Continue on Reservoir Rd. when the pavement ends, until you come to a water tower. Park near the water tower. Please, DO NOT BLOCK GATES OR ACCESS TO THE TOWER!

Map

Click here for a link to the interactive map above of all the Western Mass crags discussed on this site.

Trails

Walk up the road about 20 yards, turning right into the woods on an ATV trail that crosses the stream. Continue up the hill. Before it starts to go steeply down, turn left at a fork going uphill again with short cliffs on the left. At the height of land, at a cairn, turn right onto a foot path in the woods. Follow the meandering trial using cairns to navigate, until the Sunbowl appears on your left.

The best way by far to set up climbs is to lead them, but the top can be accessed by a trail around on the far left end.  Be extremely careful when traversing the top: the unstable footing and steep slope make leading much safer than setting a top rope.

Current Issues

Aside from Mormon and Farley, no other Western Mass crag has suffered more during the frequent visits of a certain bolt chopper than the Sunbowl in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Thankfully, the roughly textured Mount Toby conglomerate hides these scars better than our beloved granitic gneiss. Local climbers cleaned up most of the damage and replaced all of the anchors. Although this is always difficult work, the porous and alarmingly soft nature of this rock made this task even more challenging. These climbers opted for the security of glue-in anchors at the top of most of the climbs, but each climber should evaluate the soundness of each bolt for him or herself before clipping.