Crow Hill conditions?

Has anyone been out to Leominster lately? How are the conditions? This weekend seems like a wash but I was thinking of doing some climbs next weekend if it ain’t too cold and soaked out,

Haven't been there recently, but Crow Hill drains and dries very poorly in any circumstances, so it would not be my first choice for outside climbing next week.

So Mark.  My best advice is to find your own path.  Go out and see how things are this weekend and report back. Rinse and repeat

That said, read on.

Mr. Rubin, in the broadest of terms is correct.  I do not to want to contradict my senior, more esteemed, more talented, and wiser friend. But  I have climbed at Crow Hill year-round for many years.  Yes, the Main Face is pretty much unclimbable December through May or June, depending on temperature, snow and rain fall and the  budding out of the trees.  However there is a lot more to Crow Hill than the Main Face.

I find the Fisherman's Wall to be climbable year-round.  If sunny, above 50, not too windy and with limited dripping and ice fall from above; Tarzan, The Fool, Lizard's Head, Jane, CroMag, Diagonal can all be led.   The Fisherman's Face is overhanging.  So if there is a melt occurring during the day you are pretty much out of the drip zone. The rest of the Buttress;  The Buttress (which I find to be an sketchy lead in any conditions), Watusi and The Chimney are just not worth it in wet and cold conditions, too sketchy IMHO, YMMV.  I find Strawberry Fields and Babe more difficult in cold weather due to their slopely nature, that combined with their sparse protection causes me not to lead them in the winter.   In the same conditions, the Green Route and Sun Gypsy can be done..  The Practice Face will be doable but assess the overhanging ice on the routes before starting out.  From personal experience I know that ice chunks dislodged by the leader can present an hazard to the belayer. Ouch!

Once the temperatures dip much below 50 or so we start top roping.  Bring your crampons or aggressive creepers to put on your boots while setting up the top ropes.  A slip on ice up at the top would not be good.  

When temperatures get into the low 40's, we begin aiding.  Jane is a classic aid route.  Diagonal is fun and has the opportunity for a hook move or two if you are up to it.  Cleaning Diagonal is definitely way harder than leading it on aid.  If you are wanting to dial in your aiding, both leading and following, you would be hard pressed to find a better combination of routes to do so than Jane, CroMag and Diagonal.  Then go over to the Practice Face and dial in your low-angle jumparing. 

Finally if it is really cold, low 30's or below,  pull the gloves off for a minute or two at a time and boulder the lines in the Green Corner,, V2 to V? (I can't come close to doing the V? line and an extremely talented 5.11+ trad climber can't get it either,  but we are old farts.  You young folks would likely get it first try); or the traverse along the Fisherman's Face, V2/V3 high, V3/V4 low.  Surprisingly enough the small space between Layback and Tom's Dilemma can yield at least three distinct bouldering lines, if you use your creativity.   Probably V2 - V3 at best, with maybe a V5 move thrown in,  but very entertaining.

Took a look today. Crow Hill is of course soaking wet. The insides of Cro-Magnon and Jane are wet; small streams of water running down the main face. Tuesday might be a chilly day to climb the Green Route or Chimney => Blue Route. Otherwise, rock climbing there looks grim for the next week.

Your browser does not support HTML5 video.Video from yesterday corroborating Bill's admonition to "Rinse." [drat; looks like uploading video is harder than I thought...]

Photo (SRuff) from yesterday:

woof. thanks though! Thats looking a little slick....
dave custerwrote:

Your browser does not support HTML5 video.

Video from yesterday corroborating Bill's admonition to "Rinse." [drat; looks like uploading video is harder than I thought...]

Photo (SRuff) from yesterday:

Realized I needed to clarify the location of my V? problem in the above post.  It is not the single-move, dyno V? problem to the right of the "Bet'ca Can't" crack.  It is in the middle of the short wall to the left of the crack.  There is a blank section with some horizontal edges slightly above head height with a series of nubs below for the feet.  I start slightly to the left of the horizontals.  Once at the upper horizontal, up about 2 feet and slightly to the left of the is a narrow, 2- to 3-inch long, divot slanting upward left-to-right with a very slight edge/ mono dimple within it.   This is as far as I have gotten.   About two feet above is small, dirty, flared horizontal which is the finish. There are at least two small positive edges in it.  If you complete it, pm to let me know; but please no beta. Knowing someone did it would give me some motivation to get out and get to work on it again. 

btw, swung by CH yesterday on a hiking tour. The main wall was god's hotel ice dispenser; left side, right side, Tarzan, Jane, diagonal, intertwine all ready to dispense ice and/or running water. Cro-Mag, Green Route, and Chimney Route were all relatively dry.

So Dave, pretty much primo conditions, eh!

dave custerwrote:

god's hotel ice dispenser

You’ve peeked my interest… maybe we’ll get some elusive crow hill WI this year

Babe and Strawberry Fields were dry.  Diagonal, CroMag, and Jane were chalked up and all had been done recently.  Diagonal had a seep at the bottom and the usual wet spot on the traverse. Somebody within the last few days, as evidenced by very fresh chalk, had done the right variation start, 5.9+ (?++), to avoid the seep.  CroMag was fine and had been getting worked.  Jane was dry today with the exception of the usual dripping/icicle spot on the continuation/2nd pitch.  And the ice hanging up above came down while I was bouldering on the traverse.  The belayer can avoid any ice fall by staying close in to the face and/or a bit to the left.  Due to the overhanging wall the climber will be fine.

Tarzan was drying up but there is a pretty good-sized mass of ice up high perched directly over it.  Fool and Buttress are wet.  Watusi and Birds of Fire are soaked.  Chimney and Ottasight were dry from the bottom.  I assume the ramp up to the Chimney proper is wet and snow-covered didn't get close enough to the edge up top to confirm. However I did get a look at the Chimney.  Be prepared use some aid to get through.   Main Face should round into shape nicely by the end of June.  Practice Face was wet and snow covered.

For bouldering the Green Wall face was bone dry.  Hasn't been cleaned since I last did it in October. Bring a brush and a step ladder.  Traverse was clean and dry from Jane all the way to the left end with the exception of the Diagonal seep which is avoidable.  Please think about brushing away your ticks marks on the traverse after you are done your session.  It does bother me a bit, and I think I may not be the only one; to make the turn on the trail and have the face come into view and see the number and size of all the ticks spotted liberally along the traverse.  The rock was pretty warm in the sun. Bouldered in three to five minute intervals.  The cold did not limit the duration, being totally out of shape did.

Two things of interest.  Well at least to me.  Chalk marks on side pulls/edge on Absolute, none on the horizontal above.  Weren't there in October.  Some hardman is lurking about, trying the moves on TR apparently.  And some hardy soul appears to have bivvied; based upon tell-tale, melted, icy outline of a pad; last night up high on the flat spot at the lookout directly above the Green Corner.  Tracks showed they came and went from the climber's parking lot going up the trial to the left of Tom's Dilemma.  Whoever it was, they were gone by the time I got there at 9:30 AM.  It was a super clear night.  Must have really enjoyed the stars, particular after the moon set around 11 PM.

Is Absolute the hard climb that shares the start of Diagonal and goes up and right from the pod area? 

Alex Czuchrawrote:

Is Absolute the hard climb that shares the start of Diagonal and goes up and right from the pod area? 

yes it is.

I've seen someone working that all 2021, never getting really far past the really chalked crimps. Looks mega