Fire Wall

BETA PHOTO: Fire Wall - far left line drawing from Traprock, K...

Description 

70' west facing cliff. Excellent rock with some large roofs.
Land owner: town of Southington.

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.

Getting There 

Park at Roger's Orchards (ask for permission to park). Walk north on Long Bottom Road. Left on Shuttle Meadow Road. .15 miles to old logging road on right, opposite from a tower. .75 miles on road to Metacomet Trail (blue blazes). L on Metacomet Trail a few hundred feet to old stone fireplace on top of cliff.

It may also be possible to park at Crescent Lake Park (further north on Shuttle Meadow Road), 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 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.

Route List 

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

The Classics

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BETA PHOTO: Fire Wall - middle left line drawing from Traprock...	BETA PHOTO: Fire Wall - middle right line drawing from Traproc...	BETA PHOTO: Fire Wall - far right line drawing from Traprock, ...