I may be a little biased due to the fact that I am from New Hampshire, but I would have to say that when it comes to the outdoors world, New Hampshire really has a lot to offer. Not only do we have environments such as the Lakes Region or beaches, but we also have forests, mountains, and more. People can go swimming, hiking, skating, skiing, running, or even ice climbing in New Hampshire. Yes, there are probably more states that offer so much to their inhabitants, but today we will focus on ice climbing in the Granite State.
If you are looking for somewhere to rock climb, Rumney is an amazing place to go. If you are looking for somewhere to ice climb, the following are a few suggestions. First and foremost, as you probably could have guessed, is Mount Washington. Not only is it home to the highest point in the Northeast, but it is well known for its ice climbs that are tucked within its ravines. Ever heard of Tuckerman’s? Well, that is a place that you definitely want to check out. Tuckerman’s Ravine is the place to go for some early low angle climbs, and you usually can get some climbs in early in the season (mid-November if it is not a year like this one). Some of the more famous climbs in this area are Pinnacle Gully, Central Gully,A Yale Gully,A Damnation Gully, andA Odell’s.
Another place to check out for quality ice climbing in New Hampshire is Frankenstein Cliff. A Located about thirty minutes from North Conway by car, the Frankenstein Cliff area is within Crawford Notch–anA excellentA place to go to try out some ice and alpine routes. One of the more appealing aspects about this area is that most of the trails are located right off of the road; this means that the approaches are not too long unlike some places in Mount Washington that require a two hour hike (pretty unappealing, huh?). Another popular climb in Crawford Notch is Willey’s Slide.
Ice climbing is a pretty dangerous sport. If you do go, be safe about it and travel with company.
