Massachusetts.......any printed guide info on Farley Ridge?

Just checking if there is any printed Guide info on Farley area climbing.....

....I heard it is private property so don't know what the rules are on climbing there or sharing route info.

I hope to be there July 4 weekend, so just checking.

Thanks!

Although limited parking, it can get busy. There will be other climbers there If you are worried about getting on a route that’s too hard or want some friendly advice/direction. 

Here is an excerpt copy and pasted from the Mountain Project description. 

The climbing at Farley is spread across the property of three different private landowners. The Western Mass Climbers' Coalition only owns the Main Lot and part of the approach trail. When you are at Farley please be mindful of this and respectful of the land. Climbing here is a privilege, not a right.

Currently, the WMCC, at the request of property owners, has a NO GUIDEBOOK policy for Farley Ledges. This means that no comprehensive route information for Farley ledges should be posted on-line or otherwise distributed.

Why no Guidebook:

• All the crags and boulder problems are on private or Power Company managed land.
• Not having a guidebook was part of the original agreement with landowners to gain climbing access.
• Very limited parking is currently available and street or highway parking is a source of friction with residents of the area.
• The Power Company (FirstLight Power Resources) is currently renegotiating the operating license with FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission). Part of this license covers recreational activity on the leased State property and the implications for climbing are yet to be determined.

Additional info found here:

https://climbgneiss.org/farley-ledges/

NOTE: Currently NO night climbing. Follow the rules and don’t mess it up for other climbers. 

Get there early, the parking lot fills up quickly.  If you head straight up to the cliff from the lot you will be at the Walll of Early Morning Light.  Lots of good sport routes, but can be hot if it is sunny.    That is a good place to start, as there will be other people there and you can ask for beta.  Most everyone is willing to share info, but you will find the grades they give you to be all over the place.

I think an essential, core part of climbing at Farley, is having this experience: 

“Hey! What route is this?”

“UhhHHH ehh, I think that’s either a 5.8 or a 5.10, I actually don’t really remember but I think it’s a 5.8.”

“Eghhh okay, it doesn’t look too bad from here, I climb both grades, let’s just see what happens!”

Another climber coming by: “Oh sick that dude is on “Octopus Balls! That’s a 5.12!”

Ry Cwrote:

I think an essential, core part of climbing at Farley, is having this experience: 

“Hey! What route is this?”

“UhhHHH ehh, I think that’s either a 5.8 or a 5.10, I actually don’t really remember but I think it’s a 5.8.”

“Eghhh okay, it doesn’t look too bad from here, I climb both grades, let’s just see what happens!”

Another climber coming by: “Oh sick that dude is on “Octopus Balls! That’s a 5.12!”

lol !!!

Rare opportunity for a true onsight!
half the fun of Farley is just going for it and wondering if that random other climber who gave you beta was sandbagging you … 

Ry Cwrote:

I think an essential, core part of climbing at Farley, is having this experience: 

“Hey! What route is this?”

“UhhHHH ehh, I think that’s either a 5.8 or a 5.10, I actually don’t really remember but I think it’s a 5.8.”

“Eghhh okay, it doesn’t look too bad from here, I climb both grades, let’s just see what happens!”

Another climber coming by: “Oh sick that dude is on “Octopus Balls! That’s a 5.12!”

Classic.  And can be so true of an experience for WEML.

I'm always bemused reading about how popular Farley has become for rock. I used to climb there in the early '80s while in grad school at UMass, but mostly for ice. Climbed there a couple of times for rock, some nice boulders, but at the time I lived 5 minutes from Rattlesnake Gutter, which was vastly superior for rock, so why drive all that way for Farley? But I guess the Gutter is off limits now...

But I love the no guidebook thing, Sometimes when I buy a lottery ticket I dream about if I won that I would buy a big crag in TN that we developed in the '90s and donate it to the Access Fund or the SCC under the condition that there would be no guidebooks, no fixed anchors of any kind--no visible sign of previous ascent. It would be a 'wilderness' climbing area where people could have the experience of walking up to an unknown cliff and picking a line with no prior knowledge and have the experience of a true FA, even if it wasn't actually. There's a shit load of over developed outdoors gyms, maybe we should have at least one place where people could experience the real thing. Maybe Farley, but you'd have to yank out all those bolt thingies.

There are still plenty of places, even in MA, to experience 'the real thing', if you are willing to put in the effort.

As far as the Gutter being "vastly superior" to Farley, I'm guessing that your memory is a bit fuzzy, or maybe you are just unwilling to accept the excellent climbing that those "bolt thingies" allow---as well as being unaware of the very good routes there that don't require their use. The Gutter, is indeed, a very impressive crag with some excellent, demanding routes ( especially for those who love hard roof cracks), but it is quite limited in extent and, yes, has been off-limits for many years. However, the WMCC is actively working to change that situation and, hopefully, someday we will once again have the opportunity to experience both crags and everyone could decide for themselves which they prefer.

Glad to hear that y’all are working to re-open the Gutter, I basically learned to rock climb there by TRing ‘Hissing Crack‘ over and over again (plus that was one of the two times where I‘ve broken stuff climbing when a spider ambushed me and broke my arm). In ‘84 there weren’t any bolts at Farley, access was murky, (which meant do it with a low profile. I’ve poached a lot of stuff, which as I pointed out to people in NC paved the way for climbers to later secure access at places, lIke Laurel Knob down there and probably Farley for that matter. Which for some reason freaked them out…), and since the Gutter is more concentrated and was 5 min out the back door it was vastly superior. If you get the Gutter open (and let me know if there’s anything I can do to help), I’ll be there. But please, no guidebook. 

Damn Jim, I'm not sure I'd want to go to Gutter if the spiders there are big enough to break your arm ;) 

Pictured, spider on bouldery start

Yah, Climbing at Farley is a real treat. Marching away from the crowds, and getting on an unknown, is quintessential rock climbing. The people who want the experience spoon fed, are missing the best part. I also embrace the idea that if you want to know the name, grade and first accent, it forces social interaction with the legends of the crag. I have been climbing there since early 90's and it has been my favorite. 

Ira OMCwrote:

Damn Jim, I'm not sure I'd want to go to Gutter if the spiders there are big enough to break your arm ;) 

I don’t come on here a lot, so late to the thread, but it is a funny story, even if no one ever reads it.

It’s late May (all details are important) and I’m climbing at the gutter with a buddy. Plan is we climb till late afternoon, clean up, and take our fiancées, who’ve nnever met, out to a good dinner and evening. Everyone‘s excited. Mid afternoon Steve spots a potential new line up an overhanging wall off the ledge where Hissing Crack starts. We launch.

We’re rapping off at Dark 30. This may be a Southernism, but refers to that last bit when the sun’s gone but you can still barely see. We’re no shit dead men.

I’m down first and frantic to make up time, which retrospect is funny as hell because getting home 5 minutes earlier is going to make nooooo fucking difference at all. The rap puts me on the ground. I can go down the cliff a couple of hundred feet to the start of the ledge that traverses back to our packs, or I can climb a 30’ 5.7 hand crack straight up to the gear, which I routinely solo.

I’m at the top of the crack, crux, and a gigantic hairy spider pops out of the crack and I just instinctively go ‘!’ and brush him away. With both hands. I had enough time on the way to the ground to think, ‘Shit. That was really fucking stupid.’ There’s a block at the base of the crack rushing at my face and I reach out to push that away and then I.m rolling on the ground. I’d had a sheltered childhood and had not previously broken anything, but immediately assessed the 45 degree bend in my forearm: ‘Yep, that f***er’s broken.‘

But now we had an excuse. We lived (and married our girls, who forgave rather than butchered). Not suggesting that’s a good idea (still probably better than when I nearly lost my right leg trying to retrieve a $10 knife blade at Poko), but it worked. And I’ll never forget that efffing spider. Everything’s dark and murky and it’s HUGE.