Summer Climbing at Rumney NH

Hey Outing club, we just made this place for members to post their solo or club related adventures, and I thought I’d kick it off by sharing one of my own adventures (THIS TRIP WAS UNRELATED TO THE CLUB AND NOT ASSOCIATED WITH KEENE STATE)

Today's expedition took me to Rumney, NH, a climbing area I hadn't visited before. It was also my friend Sophie's first time lead belaying. Despite a few challenging moments, including an accidental encounter with a 10b sport route, we had a fantastic morning with several enjoyable sport climbs. I'm looking forward to returning tomorrow to take on more.

The day began early at 3:00 AM when my friend Darcy and I hit the road to Plymouth. By 5:30, we were joined by another friend, Sophie, and we started climbing around 6:00 AM. The morning temperatures were perfect for our adventure.

Our initial plan was to stick to climbs rated below 5.7, but as it often goes, we ended up tackling tougher routes. After a quick review of rope techniques, we kicked off with Cafe au Lait (5.6), providing an ideal start to the day.

Hopped on the next climb over to the left on what looked like vertical or slightly slabby terrain. Turned out to be Juan Valdez (5.10b) but despite the unplanned detour, it was ticked clean with some sweating.

We stopped for a quick break on top of a boulder where we met a small friend (Eastern Newt) , then drove over to the main cliff area.

once we got up to one of the higher crags, we setup with my longer rope and headed up a nearby climb that looked adventurous enough to be fun and it turned out great. Starting up the first pitch of Tipping Point 5.8 I enjoyed easy slab climbing and took a fall at a clean section halfway up giving Sophie the opportunity to catch her first leader fall. After getting back to the climb I finished up more interesting slab to a two bolt anchor. Definitely a fun choice and we used the full 60m of rope. In retrospect, I wish I could have continued up the second pitch but we were short on time and wanted to move on.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer as much as I am. Go get outside, and enjoy the non-rain while it lasts!