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Fletchers Bluff

Maine > -Clifton Crags

Description

Fletchers Bluff is a large and complex cliff band in a quiet and remote setting. There are six sectors, Left End, Kansas Wall, Central Wall, Ollie’s area, Moondog wall, and the Sundog Wall. As of now, there are only some of the Sundog routes listed.

The cliff has many styles of climbing, from slabs, to roofs, to cracks of all sizes and most notably, excellent face climbing. The cliff is south facing and generally very warm, a good winter destination if you can get out there(road is not maintained for winter travel). Some areas seep, especially the Sundog area, where most routes will be wet in the spring, and seeps will return after heavy rain.

The rock at Fletchers is excellent, and hopefully more climbers will get out here in the future. This is one of those places that doesn’t see the traffic it deserves. 

Getting There

Continue on Route 9 for eight miles from route 180. Look for a gravel logging road, #09-13-0, on the left. Follow the dominant logging road, passing three intersections for 2.8 miles to a widened pullout on the right. Specifically, at 1.3 miles from Route 9 you will come to the first intersection which is a left fork. Continue straight, slightly right. Another.4 miles a final fork to the right as you near the pullout. Often there is a cairn marking this spot. With the exception of mud season, all roads are drivable in a passenger car.

Routes from Left to Right

5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
 1
● Acrophilia
Trad 3 pitches
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
 2
● High Noon
Sport
5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b
 1
● White Heat
Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 7
● Lumiere
Sport
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
 2
● Zebra
Sport
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
 3
● Heavy Weather Scaling
Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 3
● Big Brother
Sport
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
 3
● Sundog
Sport
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 8
● Sunnyside up
Sport
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 2
● Melt Dog
Sport
5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a
 2
● Meltdown
Sport
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
● Acrophilia
 1
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b Trad 3 pitches
● High Noon
 2
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b Sport
● White Heat
 1
5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b Sport
● Lumiere
 7
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Sport
● Zebra
 2
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b Sport
● Heavy Weather Scaling
 3
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b Sport
● Big Brother
 3
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Sport
● Sundog
 3
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b Sport
● Sunnyside up
 8
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Sport
● Melt Dog
 2
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Sport
● Meltdown
 2
5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a Sport

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Fletchers from the Bradbury Brook Road. Parking is shortly after these first views of the cliff on the right. About 1/4 mile.
[Hide Photo] Fletchers from the Bradbury Brook Road. Parking is shortly after these first views of the cliff on the right. About 1/4 mile.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

DCSwish23
Climbmore, USA
[Hide Comment] IMPORTANT! You can no longer get to the crag using the fire road given in the description. That road has been blocked off with large rocks.

NEW DIRECTIONS: Take Chick Hill Road (On the left after parks pond and before Chick Hill). When Chick Hill Road (the pavement) curves to the right, take the dirt road on the left. Take the next road on the right (Bradbury ____ Road I believe). From here follow the main road for several miles of, currently washed out, dirt roads. Eventually there will be a spot where the road forks and both look to be well traveled, take the right. Follow this to a pullout on the right with a steep dirt bank, probably has 4wheeler tracks on it and a small fire pit in the pullout. The trail is across the road, but is poorly marked but distinguishable.
Use caution when driving on the dirt roads, lots of the potholes aren't too bad, but at least one spot has a washout all the way down to the stream below and several spots have bad potholes. I would strongly recommend high clearance. Jun 19, 2011
Jayson Nissen
Monterey, CA
[Hide Comment] You can actually follow the instructions in the guidebook it just results in about a 1 mile hike to the cliff. Which isn't bad at all unless you are used to the delightful approaches of Clifton. Just Park at the boulders blocking the road and walk over them and straight through the intersection on the hill. About 3/4 mile from the boulders is a pullout on the left and the climbers trail will be on the right. Just head for the cliffs through the easiest path and you will get there.

Not sure about the quality of those other roads at this time, but these directions can be driven in a regular old car. Aug 25, 2013
Jon Tierney
[Hide Comment] Driving directions to Fletcher Bluff: You can easily drive to Fletcher in a regular car at this point. From Route 180 and Route 9 intersection drive east on 9 for 2.7 miles. Look for Stagecoach Road on the left (a dirt road almost immediately after the pullout for Park's Pond climbing and hiking). Alternatively continue on to the Chick Hill Road on the left and take this. As it starts to go to the right, Stagecoach Road is on the left). It's just a triangle. From Stagecoach Road take a left (or right if you came in from Chick Hill Road) onto Bradbury Brook Road. Stay on the main road (dirt) for 4.4 miles to the parking spot. The spot is not yet marked but has a small gravel bank on the right and open grassy area on the left. (You can, as Jayson says also hike in to here following the original directions). Both ways are passable in a car although the Bradbury Brook option is better.

Originally there were three approach trails. Now there are 2 until the 3rd one gets remarked. To get to the Sun Dog Wall follow the trail from the grassy area northeast for about 10 minutes. To get to the middle of the cliff (Sticky Toad, etc)start down the Sun Dog Trail and almost immediately go left behind some mounds. The trail then goes back right and then goes in to the cliff. Both have some easily managed stream crossings depending on the current beaver activity.
I have an addendum for the guidebook. No real changes to anything right of Sticky Toad except better numbering of the climbs with the topos.
Questions or route info, send me an email.
Have fun. Sep 14, 2013
Brian O'Leary
Boston, Ma
[Hide Comment] As Jon described above for the parking area (I added a picture) follow the trail from there to the sundog wall. I have recently remarked the trail with orange flagging and cleaned the trail out a decent amount, the trail still needs some work, but it is a lot better.
parking area
Sep 28, 2015