NOTE: Sub-Areas are listed, roughly, south-to-north . R Hall Admin.

The training grounds. Every Experienced ice climber in NH has spent time cutting their teeth at Frankenstein. It seem like it was designed for the sport, with routes of all grades within a short easy walk from the car. One might start out on Standard Route or one of the easy slabs on there first day out then realize that there is a route for every step of the progression from novice to the skill required to climb the hardest routes anywhere.

Far from the commitment required to climb on Cannon or Lake Willoughby Frankenstein is great for developing the skills on short routes so you have them to work with when you are ready to commit to something a little more uncertain.

Most routes are 1-2 pitches some maybe 3 and there really are routes of every grade. Some classics are Standard Route(3), Chia(3+), Pegasus(3+/4), Dracula(4+), Dropline(5), if things get crowded don't worry these classics are just the tip of the iceburg, look around and you will find more quality ice than you know what to do with. Most routes come in consistently though there are some that will only appear sporadically, you can normally count on having something to climb from December to March but hey we are in New Hampshire and weather is far from an exact science around here.

From the parking area you will hike along a railroad track and look for the ice up the hill on your left the first big ice you will see is Smear(3) a wide flow that can be thin in early season look for a steep ramp running up from right to left. This is followed by the Amphitheater which holds many quality lines.
You can check Amphitheater conditions by looking over from the Trestle... Across the Trestle you will get to Standard Route Dracula Area and finally the Hanging Gardens... If you can't find something you like in any of these areas you simply don't like ice climbing.

The cliffs are north facing so plan on being in the shade unless you pick the right route and time it just right. Dress warm cause those belays can get pretty cold when the wind is whipping down the notch.

Access update! The traditional approach has been to walk the railroad tracks from the Arethusa Falls parking area and break off from there to reach the different climbing areas. THIS IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE.  The railroads own the tracks and they have posted “No Trespassing” signs to indicate that we are not welcome to be there. This is very unfortunate but they have every right to decide who is on their property. You could be fined or arrested if you choose to defy their request. Perhaps worse your actions could erode relations with the community which could have negative consequences for access in the future.

For now, there is a trail from the lower lot (the large lot on your right) that leads up to the amphitheater. From there you should be able to make your way to some of the other cliffs without walking on tracks.

For climbs like Dracula and Std, you can park on Rt302 about 1 mile west of the Arethusa parking. There is a plowed area for about 5-6 cars on the right just before the bridge. Park and walk across the bridge and look for a beaten path in the snow starting about 25-30 ft beyond the ” telephone” pole. Hop over the guardrail and follow the path up to the crags. 

Trains will be running throughout the winter so please be careful and respectful out there.