Greeley Ponds (Mad River Notch) Climbing
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Elevation: | 2,807 ft | 856 m |
GPS: |
44.0225, -71.49209 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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Page Views: | 15,197 total · 82/month | |
Shared By: | bradley white on Dec 27, 2009 | |
Admins: | Jay Knower, M Sprague, Jeffrey LeCours, Jonathan S, Robert Hall |
Description
Northwest ridge facing eastward has various ice climbs and is dependent on winter conditions to how thick the ice is. Lean snow years mean thickest ice here apparently.
Furthest south is one long pitch, dike. I had only heard of it but did find it and climbed it one summer. I called it 'Dear Ticks and Black Flies'. The dike was originally climbed in the late 1970's by the Rumney ice climbing locals. Today it is famously known as the 'Drool of the Beast', (WI5-). Way back then in the 1980's it was known as the Miniature (mini) Black Dike. N.E. Climbs has a decent photo of it and so does neice.com.
There is a very long wide cascade coming down from nearly the Summit of East Osceola trail(where the trail veers right and heads up steeply, the cascade stream bed is to the left. This stream bed is all ice when conditions are right (WI3) otherwise a long snow slog with a few ice bulges and a great view at the top. Much was no rope soloed by me in the early 1980's but not the dike. I had only one friend that climbed here with me. That was Tom Bowker. We did a plastic glass pitch somewhere in the middle of these ledges with no protection beyond one very small tree on it. Afterward there was a snow field to grade two bulges that we climbed no rope soloing. This year 2012 the conditions of the west facing ice wall that I can see have new lines to climb. It's February though and the conditions could change to being poorly climbable before March.
I invite you to take it all in. Greeley Pond is close to only the east facing wall. This wall has at least two climbs on it.
Furthest south is one long pitch, dike. I had only heard of it but did find it and climbed it one summer. I called it 'Dear Ticks and Black Flies'. The dike was originally climbed in the late 1970's by the Rumney ice climbing locals. Today it is famously known as the 'Drool of the Beast', (WI5-). Way back then in the 1980's it was known as the Miniature (mini) Black Dike. N.E. Climbs has a decent photo of it and so does neice.com.
There is a very long wide cascade coming down from nearly the Summit of East Osceola trail(where the trail veers right and heads up steeply, the cascade stream bed is to the left. This stream bed is all ice when conditions are right (WI3) otherwise a long snow slog with a few ice bulges and a great view at the top. Much was no rope soloed by me in the early 1980's but not the dike. I had only one friend that climbed here with me. That was Tom Bowker. We did a plastic glass pitch somewhere in the middle of these ledges with no protection beyond one very small tree on it. Afterward there was a snow field to grade two bulges that we climbed no rope soloing. This year 2012 the conditions of the west facing ice wall that I can see have new lines to climb. It's February though and the conditions could change to being poorly climbable before March.
I invite you to take it all in. Greeley Pond is close to only the east facing wall. This wall has at least two climbs on it.
Classic Climbing Routes at Greeley Ponds (Mad River Notch)
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
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