Hey everyone,

I'm currently looking at a possibility of relocating to Connecticut, more specifically the Hartford area. I've done a little looking at climbing areas, but I figured I might have a little more luck asking directly. Can anyone comment on the type of climbing available in that area? Depending on the website you look at, it's either not much or there are a collection of hidden/show-n-tell areas.

I currently live in AZ (I know...quite the move) and enjoy sport and trad climbing (prefer trad), and have been looking at trying ice climbing out. I also enjoy hiking, mountaineering, skiing, and snowboarding (except for the drive time required from the Phoenix area). Just trying to get a feel for the outdoor areas, and the overall outdoor community.

Much appreciation for anyone's comments. I did do some forum searching for Hartford and Connecticut in an attempt to answer this question myself, but came up empty handed. Also, I would consider this a 'regional discussion'...so hopefully I've posted this in the proper forum.

Thanks!

Some place names to look up on Google or MountainProject:

http://www.summitpost.org/connecticut-c ... eas/240871

Connecticut is not exactly a climbing mecca. Luckily the 'Gunks are only about 2 1/2 hours from Hartford if traffic is light. Gotta remember that states up here are tiny.

nartreb wrote:Gotta remember that states up here are tiny.

^^^This iz korrekt.

We may be little, but we've got several decent crags. Fortunately for you, they're mostly concentrated in the central part of the state (i.e., close to Hartford). Ragged Mountain has the largest number of routes, and there is also Pinnacle Rock and Rattlesnake Mountain nearby.

That said, before long you're likely gonna want to hit one of the larger regional climbing destinations, like the Gunks (rock; ~3hrs drive), Catskills (mostly ice; ~3.5hrs drive), the White Mountains in NH (ice, rock, mountaineering; ~4hrs) or the Adirondacks (ice, rock, mountaineering; ~5hrs) to tackle some bigger things.

"Bigger" is all relative, though. Our "big" here in New England would likely correspond to "why bother?" in the PNW or west coast climbing destinations.

A couple links you may find useful:

Connecticut AMC Mountaineering
Connecticut Climbers and Mountaineers
NEIce and NEClimbs (sister sites)
Gunks.com
Views From the Top (New England hiking/climbing forum)
Adirondacks High Peaks Forum

Completely understand the states being small...which is why I was having a hard time searching online. A lot of sites list by state, which means hunting through pages while keeping google maps open elsewhere to see exactly where the region is.

Thanks!

The gunks are really fun. Many of the climbs have old skool ratings, and there are overhanging routes at less than 5.10. One of the things I miss about living in New England is the opportunity to go cross country skiing several times a week, without driving a long way. The downhill skiing in VT and NH can be fun too if you don't mind rocks and ice. The White and Green mountains aren't high by west coast standards, but IMO are very beautiful, especially in fall when then trees are turning colors, and can be pretty serious climbs in winter. And while it's completely unrelated to the other sports you mentioned, some of the best wreck diving in the world can be found off New York, New Jersey, Cape Cod, and in the Mass. Bay (all those WW II U-boats and 300 years of navigation in fog and storms...).

PM sent Wild Oats with my contact info, I am "in charge" of the AMC Mountaineering club. We can hook you up with all the information you need and partners.

In CT proper there is good single pitch Trad climbing but not really any sport climbing. We usually drive up to VT and NH for ice climbing, longer trad, sport, and mountaineering. As some other members have said the Gunks are not to far away either and they hold some of the best trad climbing in the East.

I usually run a couple of trips either out West each year as well so if you get homesick for some "bigger climbing" that might help.

Hope to hear from you.

Best advice I can give is to become a hard core Patriot fan. It will compliment everything else you do.