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Elevation: 629 ft
GPS: 41.649, -72.8335
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Shared By: Clint Cummins on Apr 25, 2009
Admins: Morgan Patterson

Description Suggest change

70' west facing cliff. Excellent rock with some large roofs. The sport routes here are spicy and many of them require a piece or two of gear. Somehow Ken Nichols was able to find 40 routes on this small cliff, most people only climb the 15 or so bolted routes that have been added down below in some line drawings/topos.

In 8/2008 a group of climbers (C3 Connecticut Climbers Coalition) obtained permission from the town of Southington to place bolts at the Fire Wall. They also stabilized trails and cleaned up trash in the area.

BEWARE: This area has Timber Rattlers (Sept. 2012)

Getting There Suggest change

Park at Crescent Lake Park, but a $25 annual parking pass is required, the parking lot is small (about 30 spaces), is shared by resident park users, and it is USUALLY gated between 5pm and 7am. Parking passes are sold at the Southington town hall (parks and rec. dept. - basement) during normal business hours. If you park there, hike east along the shore of the reservoir, then up to the crag. The gate closes at different times during the year so pay attention to the posted signs and dont be late getting out of there or you may have a long walk home.

Route List

Suggest change
Route descriptions are adapted from Hooked on Traprock - Rock Climbing in Central Connecticut, Ken Nichols, 1995 (out of print and somewhat rare/expensive).
Rock Climbing Connecticut, David Fasulo, 2002 includes 14 of these climbs and 1 line drawing.
For the best line drawings, see Traprock - Rock Climbing in Central Connecticut, Ken Nichols, 1982 (available used on amazon.com).

Routes from left to right:
  • Ashen Face 5.9- RH *, tiny LFC
  • Flaming Arrow 5.8+ *, small LFC
  • Andiron 5.4 **, first major LFC
  • Firewood 5.8 *, second major LFC
  • Kindling 5.5 *, on R wall of Firewood
  • Hot Coals 5.5 R *, third major LFC
  • Red Hot 5.11 T *, R side of Hot Coals arete
  • Incinerator 5.10+ *, bulge to face
  • False Alarm 5.9+ *, crack through 12" overlap
  • Pyromaniac 5.11 *, overhanging corner to crack and freestanding flake
  • Arsonist 5.11- RH **, overhang to thin cracks and flake
  • Playing with Fire 5.11+ H **, left end of huge roof to left leaning corner
  • Fanning the Flames 5.9+ T *, var. start 7' L of Firebird
  • Firebird 5.10+ RH ***, middle of huge roof, 8' L along lip
  • Phoenix 5.10 ***, R of Firebird above lip
  • Blue Blazes 5.9+ R **, R to small LFC above lip (5.10 start)
  • Charred Remains 5.10- T *, L arete finish to Burned Beyond Recognition (5.11 start)
  • Burned Beyond Recognition 5.11 H ***, R end of huge roof to corner
  • Scorched Earth 5.4 R, blocky rock
  • Firecracker 5.9 *, contact line between blocky rock and smooth face
  • Cremated 5.10 T *, middle of steep face
  • Funeral Pyre 5.10- R **, small rounded corners
  • Banana Peel 5.5 *, gradually rising horizontal crack
  • Burnt Offering 5.9 RH **, L side of scoop, R of Banana Peel to join Funeral Pyre
  • Forest Fire 5.8+ *, R side of scoop
  • Flashback 5.9 **, 15' corner, R of water streak
  • Smoke-Out 5.7 R *, low overhang 3' R of Flashback, to face
  • No Smoking 5.10+ X *, low overhang 7' R of Flashback
  • Fire Escape 5.10- *, widest part of low overhang 12' R of Flashback
  • Blazing Saddles 5.9+ H *, 8' L of Light My Fire
  • Light My Fire 5.11- R **, bottomless left leaning corner at end of overhang
  • Burning Ember 5.9 *, crack through overhang to bottomless RFC
  • Eternal Flame 5.11 T **, R through overhang, up middle of overhanging face
  • Ball of Fire 5.11 T *, start on Eternal Flame, undercling R to arete
  • Fireplace 5.5 *, large RFC
  • Rib Roast 5.5 X, edge of narrow rib
  • Ditch Digger 5.0, low angle corner and chimney
  • Hearthstone 5.4, RFC 20' R of Fireplace
  • Boiling Caldron 5.9+ *, middle of face between Hearthstone and Spark Arrester
  • Spark Arrester 5.9+ *, roof to arete

40 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Historical Routes

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 4
Cremated
TR
5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a R
 7
Funeral Pyre
Trad
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Cremated
 4
5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a TR
Funeral Pyre
 7
5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a R Trad
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