VT Ice and Mixed Climbing

Home to several of the best ice climbing venues in the lower 48. Vermont ice is as pure, steep, and remote as any.

Smugglers' Notch, Lake Willoughby, and several other small, high-quality areas offer steep, continuously sustained, ice flows and mixed climbing rom 50 to 500 feet in length. Approaches can vary from drive-up cragging (Bolton Quarry) to hour-long slogs (Smugglers' Notch and Snake Mountain) up steep, snowy slopes. Regardless, Vermont has it in abundance during the winter months.

At a glance:

Bear Notch: Off the beaten path but without a miserable hike. WI4/4+ single pitch climbing.

Lake Willoughby: If you want to cut your teeth on WI5. Welcome to the jungle. Home to New England's first WI6.

Smuggler's Notch: Everything from WIfun to WI5 with tons of obscure, hard mixed routes to offer.

Bristol Cliffs: Excellent two-pitch WI3/4 with a second hidden wall of WI5. Parking can be tricky.

Snake Mountain: The mysterious mixed climbing haven of New England. Routes here as hard as M13 have been established.

Bolton: Accessible toproping at the quarry as well as random multipitch strewn throughout the valley.

Wiliamstown/Brookfield: Easy roadside multipitch in a quiet setting.