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Elevation: 1,880 ft 573 m
GPS: 44.03992, -71.79171
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 36,568 total · 347/month
Shared By: Robert Hall on Nov 5, 2016 · Updates
Admins: Jay Knower, M Sprague, Jeffrey LeCours, Jonathan S, Robert Hall

Description Suggest change

ACCESS- ACCESS NOTICE - The North side of Kinsman Notch was the scene of a forest fire during Oct 2017.

Update 2019 -   Since the fire this entire area has seen extensive clean up and trail work by Jamie Cunningham and local climbers and most routes are climbable including all three pitches of Black Tourmaline.  The crags are all open now and expect to find lots of new growth ferns and small shrubs along the trail as nature takes care of the fire damage.  Jamie recommends folks bring in loppers (or hand clippers) and a small saw for any further trail and route maintenance. It also appears (to me) most bolts have been replaced...at least they all looked new to me on Lower Patina Wall in Sept 2019.

Six crags, two quite "major", make up this AREA. (Although, when I was last there climbing, Jon came down the path saying something about "a new climb on a new crag"!)

The Crags are: 1) Little Crack Land and 2) Lost River Crag, 3) Bull Pen and JJ Slabs, 4) Russian Arena 5) Lower Patina Wall and 6) Upper Patina Wall. 

SEE MY COMMENTS FROM 10/14/24: find under Rib Rider, Lost River Crag page. Take and edit what you need for current trail conditions. I suggest all early notes on trail conditions be removed and revised with my current information. I will write more observations and revisions as I have more time- i.e. the LPW has had new routes added and older routes have been retro bolted to make them more like sport climbs with a spattering of trad gear where needed. All climbs have modern anchors. For example, Power Head is no longer an X-climb. It is now a enjoyable bolt protected climb. It is advised that a small trad rack be on board. LPW has seen all the traffic this summer (2024), and for good reasons. It is my mission to open up access to the other areas that have worthy climbing on them. 

The following crags are in bad shape to get to and quite possibly not climbable until climbers take it upon themselves to do some real trail work: Little Crack Land, Lost River Crag, Russian Arena, Upper Patina Wall, and the mysterious Never Land area that borders the Lost River Caves and Boulders tourist attraction land (likely nobody has been there since the routes were first done!).

Experience shows few people take the time to do any trail work. If each climbing party were take 30 minutes out of their day, it would make a difference to keep the main trails open. I am only asking to do the light, easy trail maintenance. I want to discourage people from doing any major work that might be against National Forest Policy. I think it reasonable to keep open already established trails.  Leave that to the developers (me) as we know this place intimately. This will be important on an ongoing basis during the climbing season to keep the undergrowth from encroaching into the trails. I will continue my work regardless.  

Jamie Cunningham

Getting There Suggest change

Park at the Appalachian Trail parking ($5 fee or pass) [or at the unpaved Beaver Pond parking.]  Take the climber's path across the street from the AT parking. [ Just a bit to the right of "walking directly across the road", and well south(east)  of the "AT" trail .]  You'll walk through flat, open forest with cairns. After about 5 min (or less) the path will steepen, go over some larger rocks/small boulders and make a turn to the right. [slightly relocated from earlier days].  Go a few feet left for Little Crack Land and Lost River Crag, continue right for the Bull Pen and other walls, including the Patina Walls.

GPS is set to the entrance of this path.

Go to the specific (sub)AREA you want to get to for the continuation of these directions.

31 Total Climbs

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Location: 2. Lost River Crags (whole AREA) Change
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Classic Climbing Routes at Lost River Crags (whole AREA)

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c
 6
Pig Pen
Trad
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 17
Tuolumne Two Step
Trad
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 4
Ant Phobia
Trad
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 4
Nuttin But Nuttin
Trad
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b PG13
 11
PowerHead
Trad
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 14
Patina
Trad
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13
 6
Indian Summer
Trad
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 23
Black Tourmaline
Trad 3 pitches
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 7
Elf Crack
Trad
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 12
For Sure and For Certain
Sport
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
 4
Brown Eyed Russian Brushing
Sport
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Pig Pen 3. Bull Pen & JJ Slab(s)
 6
5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c Trad
Tuolumne Two Step 5. Lower Patina Wall
 17
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad
Ant Phobia 6. Upper Patina Wall
 4
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad
Nuttin But Nuttin 6. Upper Patina Wall
 4
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad
PowerHead 5. Lower Patina Wall
 11
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b PG13 Trad
Patina 5. Lower Patina Wall
 14
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad
Indian Summer 6. Upper Patina Wall
 6
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13 Trad
Black Tourmaline 5. Lower Patina Wall
 23
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad 3 pitches
Elf Crack 1. Little Crack Land
 7
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad
For Sure and For Certain 5. Lower Patina Wall
 12
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Sport
Brown Eyed Russian Brushing 4. Russian Arena
 4
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b Sport
More Classic Climbs in Lost River Crags (whole AREA) »

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