BETA PHOTO: The north (left) and west (right) faces of the bou...
Description
This rock is listed in both Rock ‘n Road and Boston Rocks. IMHO, this is not worth the effort of finding this chunk of rock. Toula describes it as “Unbelievable. Horizontal pile. Feeble.” It is included for completion and perhaps to save you the gas or effort. It seemed only 6-10 feet tall. Funny, there is even a separate listing at the New England bouldering website for this rock! Apparently, the rock is owned by the town.
L->R (starting at the S end, going clockwise):
A. Slab Stick B. Let’s Face It, 4 CD. Fairyation, 6 D. Fairy Rings, 8 E. Fruit Market, 7+ F. Tutti Fruitti, 7 North Face G. Misfit, 9 H. Fairies, Only, 10- I. Iron Cross, 10 J. Radish, 9 K. The Loop, 8 East Face L. Mickey’s, 6
Getting There
It is near the Bates Elementary School 3 blocks north of Route 9, west of Boston. It took a while to find this boulder...it was a disappointment to find it.
Per Bjorn: Exit off Route 9 at Weston Road. Head toward Weston on Weston Rd -- this will be a R if exiting off westbound, a left if exiting off eastbound. Go 1/4 to 1/2 a mile, R on Elmwood Rd. After not quite 1/2 a mile you will pass a church on the left then go over a wetland/creek then see a gravel turnoff for a town park of sorts. Park here. Walk into the woods on the most prominent path you see. Do not be distracted by smaller creekside paths. Ahead, a few tenths of a mile, you will see the rock on your left. Climb whatever looks good on it.
Exit off Route 9 at Weston Road. Head toward Weston on Weston Rd -- this will be a R if exiting off westbound, a L if exiting off eastbound. Go 1/4 to 1/2 a mile, R on Elmwood Rd. After not quite 1/2 a mile you will pass a church on the left then go over a wetland/creek then see a gravel turnoff for a town park of sorts. Park here. Walk into the woods on the most prominent path you see. Do not be distracted by smaller creekside paths. Ahead, a few tenths of a mile, you will see the rock on your left. Climb whatever looks good on it. As to the disappointment of finding it: Let's be clear. BB is NOT a climbing destination. Disappointment WILL result if you've come from afar to spend a long weekend climbing here. But, if you happen to live in Wellesley or Weston or other neighboring towns, BB is not unworthy in the objective of providing quality climbing moves on a quality granite boulder. Climb the right arete. Climb the middle of the steep face. Practice hard mantles. Entertain yourself by eliminating holds and adding sitstarts. Traversing the steep face is HARD and demanding. Pity there aren't other boulders like it. But there aren't.
The usefulness or uselessness of this lone boulder in Wellesley shouldn't affect you much if you live in southern Colorado, John. It so happens the Bates Boulder has a rather humble but still relevant use: It's a small sample of good granite on which one can get some moves in without breathing chalk-saturated gym air. Not a destination, but certainly not useless, an adjective I might sooner turn around to describe you, John Strand, or certainly this down-in-the-dumps online persona of yours. If you've got nothing relevant or constructive to say, shut your ballwash. If you've become an arthritic old curmudgeon who's replaced climbing with online spraying about matters peripheral to climbing, then I feel sorry for you.
The description and comments on this boulder are quite harsh. Is this a destination area with the most classic lines in the region? No. It is, however, a nice quality chunk of stone with fun and reasonable easy problems on it. If you're nearby and interested in V0-V1 lines, check it out. If not, skip it. I don't really see the use of insulting a rock, but if that's your style, whatever.
Land Locked Forest - LLF Basic Loop
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