Continue with onX Maps
Sign in with Facebook
Hanging Mountain Rock Climbing
| Elevation: | 787 ft | 240 m |
| GPS: |
42.07016, -73.06375 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
|
| Page Views: | 83,202 total · 1,844/month | |
| Shared By: | sara mcfadden on Oct 2, 2021 · Updates | |
| Admins: | sara mcfadden, Old Timer, jim.dangle, Joe M |
Access Issue: Endangered Species
Details
Most of the 14-acre property at Hanging Mountain has been designated as Priority Habitat by MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP). As a result, Hanging Mountain and any work performed there is heavily regulated to ensure that the WMCC is in compliance with the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act and Wetlands Protection Act.
More information about NHESP can be found here
Description
From https://climbgneiss.org/hanging-mountain/:
Hanging Mountain lays in the small, southwestern Massachusetts hamlet of Sandisfield, just three miles from the Connecticut border. The WMCC owns 14 acres of mountainside and jointly manages the area with Connecticut’s Ragged Mountain Foundation through a Joint Stewardship Committee. The RMF split the purchase of this parcel with the WMCC, creating the only climber owned area in Southern New England.
This approximately 1000-foot-long series of southeast-facing cliffs, ranging from approximately 60 to 240 feet in height, contains granite, granitic gneiss, and large pockets of friable schist. As the name may suggest, portions of Hanging Mountain can be unstable, at times shedding significant amounts of stone: wear a helmet, especially when belaying, and expect to encounter at least some loose rock.
Please check out the WMCC website for more information.
Please respect the following guidelines for visitors:
- properly dispose of human and animal waste (use a wag bag and pack it out)
- remain on the trail in order to protect sensitive species
- keep dogs on a leash at all times
- no hammocks (hammock use blocks the trail and causes damage to vegetation)
- no drones - email wmcc@climbgneiss.org for special permission
- keep group size small and don't monopolize climbs
- maximum group size is eight people. Email wmcc@climbgneiss.org two or more weeks in advance for special permission for larger group sizes. This applies to ALL groups, both guided and non-guided groups, formal or informal. (5 Tips for Climbing in Groups)
- guiding is allowed, but advanced permission is needed for guided groups over eight people
Getting There
The parking is located at 43 South Main Street, Sandisfield, MA. Google Map to Hanging Mountain Parking Lot.
The primary parking area and the trailhead can be found at the edge of the talus; the shoulder of the access road offers additional spots. Please park considerately, and make the $5.00 suggested donation to the “iron ranger.” There is a designated accessible parking space for visitors with disabilities.
A smaller, spill-over lot can be found on Army Corps of Engineers (federal, public property) land just across both Route 8 and the Farmington River. Exit our property, turn left (north) on Route 8, cross the river, and take a quick right. Cross a steel bridge, and take another quick right into a small, circular parking area. Again, please park considerately.
Guidebook
A great guidebook for the cliff is available on gunk's app
A PDF of the guidebook is available to download for free: drive.google.com/file/d/1p0…
The developers put a lot of time and effort into creating this great free resource and ask that users take the time to give feedback on the provided forms so there is direct communication between authors and climbers. Also, when making entries on this website PLEASE DO NOT COPY ENTRIES FROM THE GUIDEBOOK. USE YOUR OWN DESCRIPTIONS.
Updates will be made regularly. Please do not use any of this feedback for Mountain Project as this is being made available for free and can be regulated for Justice Diversity Equity Inclusion components by the WMCC. Please share input about routes at: tinyurl.com/RouteFeedbackHangingMountain.
We are open to feedback about implicit bias in route names. If you have input on how to help you or someone else feel more welcome and safe, please submit input at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfY8Rt9DY_VsE-ai-v8CTt_avcVSrrDNslrZCpjy8m-tNiPxg/viewform.
Trails
The main access trail is located beyond the kiosk at the end of the parking lot. A map of the area is posted on the kiosk and signs clearly indicate each crag. It is of utmost importance that visitors stay on established trails to protect endangered and protected species.
Dogs
Dogs are welcome, but PLEASE KEEP THEM LEASHED to prevent them from destroying endangered plants.
MESA Review
Most of the 14-acre property at Hanging Mountain has been designated as Priority Habitat by MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP). As a result, Hanging Mountain and any work performed there is heavily regulated to ensure that the WMCC is in compliance with the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act and Wetlands Protection Act.
More information about NHESP can be found here.
Falcon Closure
The WMCC, in accordance to the wishes of Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife, maintains a voluntary, seasonal closure of selected routes to enable nesting pairs of Peregrine Falcons to hatch and raise their offspring in peace.
The second and third pitch of the Squirrel wall will be closed February 15th – June 27th every year. The first pitch, the Acorn Face, remains open. There will be clear signage at the cliff indicating which routes are closed; please obey all signage.
Land Acknowledgment
It is with gratitude and humility that we acknowledge that we are learning, speaking and gathering on the ancestral homelands of the Muhheaconneok, the Indigenous peoples of this land.
Despite tremendous hardship in being forced from here, today their community resides in Wisconsin and is known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community.
We pay honor and respect to their ancestors, past and present, as we commit to building a more inclusive and equitable space for all.
Safe Space
The WMCC wants this land to feel like a safe space for all visitors, including but not limited to BIPOC and LGBTIQ individuals, people with disabilities, people of all genders, all bodies, all abilities, and all neurotypes.
If you do not feel safe, please contact the WMCC at wmcc@climbgneiss.org and we will work to change that.
Route Development Protocol
The WMCC owns 14 acres of mountainside at Hanging Mountain and jointly manages the area with Connecticut’s Ragged Mountain Foundation through a Joint Stewardship Committee. Due to the presence of endangered plants on and around the cliff NO ROUTE DEVELOPMENT OR TRAIL WORK SHALL BE DONE WITHOUT THE EXPLICIT APPROVAL AND SUPERVISION OF THIS COMMITTEE. Violation of this can result in the closure of the entire cliff by the state. A route development protocol is in place and must be followed at all times.
Classic Climbing Routes at Hanging Mountain
Weather Averages
|
High
|
Low
|
|
Precip
|
Days w Precip
|
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
Photos
All Photos Within Hanging Mountain
Most Popular · Newest · RandomMore About Hanging Mountain
Printer-FriendlyWhat's New
Guidebooks (3)
13 Comments