PRINT: Rock Climbing in Black Mountain, 1. Northern Vermont

Black Mountain

Vermont > 1. Northern Vermont

Access Issue: Seasonal Raptor Closures for access issues: please review cragvt.org Details

Description

Black Mountain offers some great climbing in a very remote corner of Vermont. It has quality granite cracks of various sizes to keep you busy for a couple days. There is some potential for new stuff here and elsewhere in this region. The cliff itself falls into the track of land that is conserved by the Vermont Land Trust known as the Champion Lands, or Kingdom Heritage Lands. We have had no access issues or concerns climbing here for several years. Please be courteous of others and respectful of the land. Have fun and be cautious of loose rock.

Getting There

Don't follow your GPS! It will likely take you to a closed gate and you won't have any service. Saving the directions and a bringing good map is a smart move.

There are two approach options. (from the North and South) Both have closed gates during mud season. As a general rule, the gates can be expected to open on Memorial Day, but you may get lucky and find earlier updated gate information here: https://vtfishandwildlife.com/hunt/find-a-place-to-hunt/find-a-wildlife-management-area/st-johnsbury-district-wmas/nek-and-kingdom-heritage-lands-road-conditions?fbclid=IwAR25euynbkMBrfs34t-OZ91_YiEJl8HD1is9i5mIBgLhjAcCtHTg-N36f7E

NOTE: The north approach is closed in the spring until Memorial Day.

From the North (recommended): Travel VT Rt 114 north and go approximately 3 miles past the town of Norton. Turn right on Gaudette Rd and proceed down the access Rd for the powerline. Washouts are possible along this stretch of road so make sure you have some ground clearance. The main cliff is 6.4 miles down the power line rd. Look for a small clearing for parking on the east side of the road. From the far end of the parking area, a trail leads through some recent logging activity to the right side of the cliff. (Approx. 20 min, Soggy in Spring)

From the South: A longer drive to the cliff (12.7mi.) but with smoother roads is to come in from the south through the Silvio Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge. From Island Pond go East on Rte. 105 until you pass the Silvio Conte Center on your left. After about 2 mi. further take a left on Stone Dam Road, Continue left at Peanut Dam Rd., the road becomes Canal Road. Eventually reach a junction with Eagles Nest Rd., take a right. Stay right at a fork (park kiosk) then after about a mile, cross a bridge and take left on Upper Tin Shack Road. After 3.4 miles reach a junction and take a left on a lesser traveled road. This is Tin Shack Spur Road, heading north. Do not take Upper Tin Shack Rd, which heads southeast. Now the main parking pullout for Black Mountain is another 1.8 mi.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Autumn colors from the top of Wild Black.

In June 25, 2005 Jon Sykes, Mike Lee, Eric Pospesil, Larry Boehmler, and a couple of local Vermonters (one was a US Forest Ranger) and I went into Black Mountain to see what we could climb in there during the day.

Parking Area and Approach Trail

Getting there

Black Mountain's main cliff as seen from the parking area.

view from under the powerlines

Climber: Jamie Cunningham. Photo by Gareth Slattery. In June 25, 2005 Jon Sykes, Mike Lee, Eric Pospesil, Larry Boehmler, and a couple of local Vermonters (one was a US Forest Ranger) and I went in…

Black fly season at Black Mountain. We applied Off Deep Woods several times this day. He was wearing long pants.

Getting there

The cave where the approach trail meets the cliff.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Kristen Fiore
Burlington, VT

Hey, Rob! Thanks for adding this to the MP database! A great addition for climbers who want to get out into the far reaches of VT and away from the crowds! May 22, 2017

Rob Niles

Ira, Glad you made it there! I've never seen the gate closed, not sure who is in control of it. There are a couple other ways there from the south, Henshaw Rd and Stone Dam Rd, but are much longer on the dirt. We'll get the rest of the routes uploaded shortly. Glad you liked what you saw. May 27, 2017

Dustin Dearborn

Was up there on Wednesday (July7). Moved the past winter's deadfall out of the approach trail and along the main cliff. Also did my best to mark the parking area with a large cairn, as well as the logging trail that circumvents the wetland area near the start. Watch out for log trucks on Gaudette Rd! Jul 7, 2017

Bob Zaino

I found some gear out at the cliff today that I don't think anyone intended to leave behind. If you can describe specifically what it is, I'll be happy to figure out how to return it to you. Sep 14, 2017

Brian Peront
Enfield, NH

Hi Folks,

Last weekend I tried to get there and as you said the Road is closed : ( I ended up taking a bike ride and had a good day out there. Since the road is closed from the north maybe the south end is open ?

does anyone know ?

Bob Zaino - Last year I left a double sling on one of the climbs : ) my bad : )

Thanks to anyone who has any info on the south end ? Last year I did drive up from the south end and it was a bit tricky but I got there : )

Thanks
Brian Jun 7, 2018

Franck Vee

Really nice little spot.

We saw Brousseau Mountain on the way back (east of gaudette rd), or at least I think this is what it was. From afar those cliff look pretty good too, and seems there is some hiking trail going to the top. Any climbing there? Any potential climbing there? What do locals think? Aug 4, 2019

Kristen Fiore
Burlington, VT

@Frank Vee Brousseau has seen a few exploratory missions. From what I've heard they have returned horrified by both the approach and the sketchiness of the rock. That said, a few routes have been done there with various points of aid/success. Aug 4, 2019

Mischa Tourin
Underhill, VT

Black Mountain is absolutely spectacular! What an amazing place. The rock quality (granite) and the cracks are better quality than anything else in VT. Throw your rack in the pack and make a weekend out of it. You won't regret it. Had the entire place to ourselves on Saturday and shared the cliff with two other parties on Sunday. The bugs were not bad at all (early august). We saw 4 moose over the course of the weekend! Aug 5, 2019

Derek Doucet

I've been back to Brousseau. It's been years, but my recollection is of perfect quality granite. Unfortunately, that granite is broken up into gravity defying towers of chest-freezer sized blocks precariously perched on top of one another. There's a very fresh looking talus field underneath the thing that strongly suggested it was as loose as it appeared. It's a cool place for sure but I didn't see anything I wanted to climb. YMMV. Aug 5, 2019

Franck Vee

Ah... so Brousseau mountain ==> chossy. Too bad! I may still go & check it out one day. Sounds like adventure!

Other than that, nice little place. We've been there twice, had the place mostly to ourselves both times. I hope a few more people visit - helps keep route clean & also keep the trail easy-ish to follow. Looks like the kind of place that could really revert back to overgrown in no time! Sep 22, 2019

Ira OMC
Hardwick, VT

Yeah the trail especially will become a jungle as it grows back In. I would encourage everyone to grab a stick and beat the brushes back as they walk in to the cliff. Sep 26, 2019

Jordan Rowell
Vermont

One of my favorite places to climb in Vermont. Remote, a nice short hike in, high quality rock, and well protected overall!

The pullout for the main parking area has nice views and a fire ring. A great spot to camp and make a weekend of it to break up the long drive. Oct 13, 2019

Jamie Cunningham
Suncook

In June 25, 2005 Jon Sykes, Mike Lee, Eric Pospesil, Larry Boehmler, and a couple of local Vermonters (one was a US Forest Ranger) and I went into Black Mountain to see what we could climb in there during the day. I have no idea which part of the cliff we were at! I remember it being a bit of a bushwhack hiking in. We had no information about prior activity in there, but I notice a lot of the documented information here dates from around 2017. We broke into teams and each team climbed a line or two. Does anybody have any back history on climbing in there. Wondering if we were one of first teams to poke around in there? See the pics I posted here. Jan 10, 2020

Ryan Stefiuk
Northampton, MA

What a great spot. Gaudette Rd is getting bumpy, with one concerning washout near a culvert just after the last camps., as one heads south. It's easy driving from the south on better maintained roads in the wildlife refuge, but 7 miles more on dirt. Stone Dam Rd --> Canal Rd --> Eagles Nest Rd --> Upper Tin Shack Rd (becomes Gaudette Rd) should get one there. Aug 13, 2020

Andrew P
North Bend, WA

Jamie - that picture you posted of you climbing in the corner is about 15 feet to the left of the climb 'Black Opus'. There is some fixed gear about 20 feet up, it kind of looks like a copperhead or something. I've thought about climbing that corner, but it's rather short so I haven't bothered yet. There is an old piton in the corner of 'Traffic Jam' which is in the same area, maybe that is another one of the lines that you all did.

I've only been climbing at Black Mt for the last 3 years so I'm not the best source of the history, but it seems likely that you were one of the first to explore the climbing there. Most of the climbs posted here seem to be from the last 10 years. Aug 16, 2020

Brian McGlynn
Franconia

Lots of anchors set rather far back from the edge. Coming prepared to extend them a ways or belay from the top will improve your day!

And the approach trail is VERY obvious! If you don't immediately see it you're not at the right spot yet. Sep 9, 2021

Andrew Wild
Burlington, VT

I recommend carrying a saw for trees potentially blocking the road! Tin Shack Road was impassable yesterday due to a tree being across it, so we backtracked and took Powerline Road. My partner and I were just able to move a tree blocking that one, too. May 9, 2022

Travis Peckham

Smuggler's Notch is almost certainly Vermont's least-buggy (and least hot) climbing area in the summer. Deer Leap can also be fairly bug free as it's high elev, dry, and often breezy. Bugs at Wheeler can be pretty bad and probably comparable to Black, but getting off the ground on multi-pitch routes would certainly make things better- as would climbing on the higher, more exposed and breezier buttresses. May 24, 2024