SHUT UP AND CLIMB©
climb smart, climb safe = climb forever
Michael Schneider
Ridgefield
There is often some sort of meaning or a message in a name; some times it applies on many levels.
Hidden away in a very nice neighborhood, tucked back below a guardrail, this cliff has been kept quiet for decades. In comparison to other small cliffs like Ralph Stover, PA and Watchung in NJ or Great Ledge here in CT this place is by all measures better. The easy approach, the volume of climbing and the serene setting in the upscale neighborhood demands that a certain amount of restraint be practiced when climbing here. This is a special place . Do not be loud, yell or swear. No music and if you must bring a dog keep it on a leash, don’t let it wander off.
There is more climbing here, than at Great Ledge. The hard climbing is harder and with more traffic the easier lines will clean up as nicely. There are easy leads mixed in with double digit V grade desperates. Pump wall (below) slightly overhanging, is one example of the large number of quality lines on one of these small compact walls. The few shared holds that do exist are the easy, big holds. The height, a short 35 feet is deceiving, most of the lines on this wall are hard off the ground with cruxes at mid- height, and are 5.11 or harder.
About the same size as the cliffs at Watchung NJ, with at least double the number of routes. Climbing at spectacle has the same potential to be a formative training area that will raise the standards and abilities of all who climb here.
Let’s not, as climbers, be seen in a negative way. This is the place to take ONE car full of climbers, not five cars, one climber per car, park in town and take one car. This zone has been quietly used by climbers for decades let's try to keep it open. Leave no trace. Always pickup after yourself and carry out any trash that you find .
PUMP WALL
Ramp Up 5.4 or 5.7 depending on start. (rope on 5.7) The corners in the background are Stagefright 5.4, Stand and Diliver 5.6/7, and Over exposure 5.7/5.8. Return to sender is the face through the overlaps at the far right edge of the picture 5.10.
Hemlock Hills/Pine Mountain loop
The opening of the Ives Trail has revitalized the entire Pine mountain hiking area. once a hidden one car dirt spot this is now a very active trail head and multi-car parking site. The hiking trails that lead to the summit ridge of Pine Mountain (south west, across the street from parking kiosk) are home to numerous large and small very enjoyable rocks. Most noteably ,the Beacon rock, one of the heighest points between the coast and West Point, that was used as a fire beacon during the revolutionary war. Fingery side pulls in typical sharp Connecticut crack-lets and seams assail the sides of this truck size erratic.
From the parking lot at the top of Pine Mtn. Road, past the Ives Trail Kiosk, guard rail and locked gate is a carridge road/streambed. Down this trail is the Climbing Circut at Pine Mountain. The trail has short fun problems on both sides, the best of the easy (5.1-5.8) lines are on the left (west) side of the valley. There is a photo, a long shot of this “ravine” available on line at the open space web site. The picture was taken from a foot bridge that may or may not be in good repair. After the bridge, across the stream on the right side of the valley sits a large boulder: Solo's Headstone rock (SHR, not pictured) Among the seven or so lines on the boulder are three easy romps up the face and on the steepest(down hill) side a power under cling traverse that follows the overlap left to right then cranks out the finger crack to the top out. The overhang problem on the short side (uphill side) also has at least 2 solutions.
Farther up the trail near the top of the ridge is Bear Paw rock, small and square cut with a name-sake blister/flake, the logical lines, sitting starts, and hold elimination/dyno’s, combined with the top out mantle make this a great stop on the run /walking trails of Hemlock Hills/Pine Mtn. At the top of the hill as the trails cross and diverge is Scruff Bluff(SB) a glacial cut weathered ridge crest that is the home to fun short moderates that cross 50yards up hill on the right (west facing).
Moving north back down into the valley, below the rock fall just before the seasonal stream are The Sisters rocks.(SR). The rocks are across from private property with so/so to good landings and a good problem or three, T hey are a part of the bouldering circuit that continues south across the stream to the far end of the main wall, where the best(still very easy) and roped climbing is found.
There is a photo, a long shot of this “ravine” available on line at the open space web site.
Return to Sender, starts just out of the picture below the left most overlap then goes to the tree. This is the corner at the far edge of the picture on the left,
5 climbs start from this point. The Arete, 5.7. The Face, 5.8. Stemming school 5.5, Burnt Offerings 5.7 and Cause for Alarm 5.9. There is easy down climbing here.
The Caines Hill Boulder
This is an amazing chunk of rock. In the photo, it is hard to make out the Killya Krystal (KK). A dimond shaped block held fast by only two of it's five feet. A seemingly impossible flying buttress, it has been tested by 165 lbs. pressing out the mantel. It is solid, but always test it to make sure that it does not budge. The climbing involves pulling a powerfull set of moves: heel hooks, swings, and a dyno mantal on small holds. The sunny bright point, that looks to be touching the tree in the left center of the picture, is the KillYa krystal. Don't be under this when it goes (top rope from gear, belay safely back).
The climbs next to and around this funky feature, are more moderate in every way. The sentry box behind the (KK), the Void is a good finish or a 5.7 to the top, The arete is the proper finishis to the (KK). The next independant line, Readers Digest, starts right of (kk) and continues into the short open book,then pulls over the split blocks to a stand up just below the top of the block. The Mad route is almost 5.10 if you don't use the hrizontal slots next to the crack by the tree,three moves in you'll be grabbing at least the first 5.8 holds on Make Me Mad which climbs the full way to the top stemming the short blocky right facing corner.
