CT Whitestone Cliff

New lines Whitestone Cliff 6/17/18
 
5.10   Climb the right face of the short chimney left of Stoked.  At the ledge, finish on the smooth face left of the arete.
 
5.5 Climb Locally
To reach the top of the climb: follow the blue trail up the the steep gully. The trail turns right but toe top of the slab is on the left.  Continue toward the top of the upper tier, turn right gown a short gully, then, instead of turning left to the base of the Whitestone Slab, continue straight ahead to a tree.  There are several variations of the line below that tree.  Rap down. 10 feet to the right is a short chimney with a left facing corner above it. Climb the chimney, step left and finish up the corner.

Not new.  Explored all around Whitestone over a decade ago (early 2000's).  I haven't documented any of my CT exploits as I felt anything at a moderate grade (sub 5.12) had been climbed long before me, despite exfoliating holds.  If you want to define a line, document as FA unknown or claim a FRA.

While I am not  sure of who Albert is He has one of the longest histories  of climbing off grid in. . . .here in Ct . . . .  so it needs saying
 I was rude to him before,
 and for sure he is trying to bring some relief to the over-crowding that we see at so many climbing zones.
 In the furtherance of that effort and in hopes to keep Al willing to share his places ,

 I have gone and pulled this from the Thread I hi-jacked.

Albert J Carilli · May 6, 2018 · Terryville, CT · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 0Todd Hollow Walls

Park at the corner  of Todd Hollow Road and Keegan Road in Terryville, CT.  Walk up the closed  road, turn left on Blue Trail.

Walk up hill about 15 minutes.

 A dirt road crosses the trail. Turn left on the dirt road.

  A 100 feet away is the Todd Hollow Cracked Wall, 20 feet high, 60 feet long.

It is overhanging too. Routes vary from 5.3 to 5.10.  

Return to the trail, the trail turns left up a short steep section, then downhill about 6 feet.

When the trail goes uphill again, in about a minute, turn left again.  

The Todd Hollow Smooth wall is 20 feet away.

This is split by a horizontal crack.  It is 20 feet high, and 50 feet long.  
Routes vary from 5.3 to 5,10

again.  
Both of these walls have been cleaned and climbed by Connecticut Climbers and Mountaineers since 2012.

 We have not put names or numbers on the lines.  
I refer to these and Athena Rock as Dog Climbs.

 I discovered these areas while following the pack, Athena, Tracker and Reilly, through the woods.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Map location Keegan rd & Toad Hollow Rd

Michael Schneider wrote: While I am not aware of who Albert is,

Michael, I think you probably know Al and may have climbed with him. Think older than you or I and climbing longer. He's been on the CT climbing scene for aeons

wivanoff wrote:

Michael, I think you probably know Al and may have climbed with him. Think older than you or I and climbing longer. He's been on the CT climbing scene for aeons

yup, given the time period  '71- 2001 its most likely (,not so humble brag) , this is supposed to be, an open apology, for adding extraneous information, about an all together different area.

Al did seem to be ok with my piggy backing on his thread, understanding that any post, bumps a thread, getting it in front of more eyes.

Then, this post, & the 1 reply that was so  ill-informed, (sorry,chris magness ) , it seemed to me, if accidentally, a bit dis-respectful.

 

Going here again today.

Jacob’s Rock
A Dog Climb
 
On April 11, 2018, I was walking into Pinnacle Rock to climb with the Connecticut Climbers and Mountaineers. Jacob Dog wanted to walk a little, so, he led me to the top of Jacob’s Rock.  We call it Jacob’s Rock because he found it. 
 
Directions: From Pinnacle Road in Plainville, park the same place as for Pinnacle Rock.  Follow the old road that leads to Pinnacle Rock, but do not turn right. Follow this road to the top of the hill. The Blue Trail crosses there. Follow the trail left for 10 feet, then turn left instead of right. Walk back diagonally to the right about 30 feet and that is it.   
 
Climbs from right end:
 
1) Lucy  5.4 Just right of a 4th class gully, there is a low angle face with a right facing corner.  Climb to the right of the corner and finish straight up.
 
2) Moose 5.6 Climb the low angle face to the left of the corner.
 
3) Junebug 5.7 Start at a tree at the right end of the cliff.  Climb the small corners near the arete. Finish by climbing the right facing corner in the roof.  
 
4) Kody 5.5 Follow the big right facing corner to the roof. At the left end of the roof climb straight up to the top. 
 
5) Jacob 5.5 About 5 feet left of the big corner, a series of small right facing corners lead to a big right facing corner at the top.
 
6) Winnie 5.9 Start under a short diagonal right facing corner.  Pull straight up through the overhang. Continue to the top about 4 feet from the arete on the right.
 
7) Koda 5.9 Start 3-4 feet right of the left facing corner, follow an inverted Y crack, and continue straight up, finishing left of a small left facing corner near the top. 
 
8) Kan 5.10 Climb the left facing corner to the overhang, and continue straight up to the top.
 
9) Li 5.7 A few feet left of the left facing corner, just right of the diagonal crack, climb to the small roof and straight over the bulge above it. 
 
10) Lola 5.5 A vertical crack that diagonals slightly left starts behind a big tree.  Climb to the walk off ledge. 
 
11) _________5.5 Climb the face between the two cracks to the walk off ledge.  
Variation 5.10 Continue through the bulge to the top.
 
12) Piper 5.4 At the left end is another vertical crack. Climb to a stance and step right finishing on the face to the walk off ledge.  Variation 5.8 finish by climbing the short face left of the arete.LOOSE
 
13) Milo 5.9 Climb the center of a short blank face about 10 feet left of the end of the cliff.  Variation 5.7 climb the left arete.

Hey Al, (although not sure we've ever met...?...just sort of feel I "know you" from all your FA's in Ken's guidebooks)  glad to see you're still climbing.  Hard to believe that Ken & Co. missed a "rock" with 13 climbs on it so close to Pinnacle and the Metacomet !  

The cliff sounds sort of like a "left-extension" of Lone Pine, separated from it by the old road. (?)

Thanx again Al!

Yes, there  might be some rock that  -he who shall remain un-named by me- has not caressed?

I don't have any of the old books, I do not know a name for this.

 It sits above Rt84 at point where the hi-way splits,
 exit 7/11 Brookfield/Danbury line.

 Well and far away from Gramby

Isn't that the rock that sits just above a couple of stores on "old" Rt 7 about a 1/4 - 1/2 mile south of the traffic light you come to immediately after exiting "new" Rt 7 for all ther Brookfield shopping?  (first exit after getting on "new" Rt 7 from Rt84)

If so, it's rather "urban climbing" to say the least! 

Robert Hall wrote: Isn't that the rock that sits just above a couple of stores on "old" Rt 7 about a 1/4 - 1/2 mile south of the traffic light you come to immediately after exiting "new" Rt 7 for all ther Brookfield shopping?  (first exit after getting on "new" Rt 7 from Rt84)

If so, it's rather "urban climbing" to say the least! 

Yes, Thats it,

 ( Farther south has a higher concentration of 'better" cliffs there are many small cliff bands along "Old Rt7 ) 

 Along with the short cliff, this block sits on the hillside,

,

then this on the other side of the same block

Beyond Urban; Side of the Highway, & that is better than Median craggin', Not to be confused with climbing in the middle of the state, all around  The Hanging Hills of Meriden

....lived in New Fairfield '86 to '90, then Brookfield '90 to '12 and probably passed said cliff 300 times, always figured it was on Pvt ground, plus even with permission I doubt the Brookfield and/or Danbury cops would have appreciated climbers up in full view of major roads!  I suppose if you could get permission, the "backside" would be OK in that regard.

   There's a lot more stuff in Ken's books (esp the 2nd ed., "Blue" book) that's worth exploring.  Have you been to South Pinnacle Slab? (in MtnPrjct) or any of the smaller stuff around Sunrise and Sunset?  

Albert J Carilli wrote: Going here again today.

Jacob’s Rock
A Dog Climb
 
On April 11, 2018, I was walking into Pinnacle Rock to climb with the Connecticut Climbers and Mountaineers. Jacob Dog wanted to walk a little, so, he led me to the top of Jacob’s Rock.  We call it Jacob’s Rock because he found it.
 
Directions: From Pinnacle Road in Plainville, park the same place as for Pinnacle Rock.  Follow the old road that leads to Pinnacle Rock, but do not turn right. Follow this road to the top of the hill. The Blue Trail crosses there. Follow the trail left for 10 feet, then turn left instead of right. Walk back diagonally to the right about 30 feet and that is it.  
 
Climbs from right end:
 
1) Lucy  5.4 Just right of a 4th class gully, there is a low angle face with a right facing corner.  Climb to the right of the corner and finish straight up.
 
2) Moose 5.6 Climb the low angle face to the left of the corner.
 
3) Junebug 5.7 Start at a tree at the right end of the cliff.  Climb the small corners near the arete. Finish by climbing the right facing corner in the roof.  
 
4) Kody 5.5 Follow the big right facing corner to the roof. At the left end of the roof climb straight up to the top.
 
5) Jacob 5.5 About 5 feet left of the big corner, a series of small right facing corners lead to a big right facing corner at the top.
 
6) Winnie 5.9 Start under a short diagonal right facing corner.  Pull straight up through the overhang. Continue to the top about 4 feet from the arete on the right.
 
7) Koda 5.9 Start 3-4 feet right of the left facing corner, follow an inverted Y crack, and continue straight up, finishing left of a small left facing corner near the top.
 
8) Kan 5.10 Climb the left facing corner to the overhang, and continue straight up to the top.
 
9) Li 5.7 A few feet left of the left facing corner, just right of the diagonal crack, climb to the small roof and straight over the bulge above it.
 
10) Lola 5.5 A vertical crack that diagonals slightly left starts behind a big tree.  Climb to the walk off ledge.
 
11) _________5.5 Climb the face between the two cracks to the walk off ledge.  
Variation 5.10 Continue through the bulge to the top.
 
12) Piper 5.4 At the left end is another vertical crack. Climb to a stance and step right finishing on the face to the walk off ledge.  Variation 5.8 finish by climbing the short face left of the arete.LOOSE
 
13) Milo 5.9 Climb the center of a short blank face about 10 feet left of the end of the cliff.  Variation 5.7 climb the left arete.

Dang me Ive done gone and done it again, 

Robert Hall wrote:....lived in New Fairfield '86 to '90, then Brookfield '90 to '12 and probably passed said cliff 300 times, always figured it was on Pvt ground, plus even with permission I doubt the Brookfield and/or Danbury cops would have appreciated climbers up in full view of major roads!  I suppose if you could get permission, the "backside" would be OK in that regard.

   There's a lot more stuff in Ken's books (esp the 2nd ed., "Blue" book) that's worth exploring.  Have you been to South Pinnacle Slab? (in MtnPrjct) or any of the smaller stuff around Sunrise and Sunset?  

Robert,(Bob) I had noticed that you had been a local, did you climb anything local? you may remember that I asked if we had met.  I have only made 6-7 trips to recorded areas,3 trips each to Orenaug Park & Ragged,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           A kids soccer tournament landed me in Avon for 4 days. That is another place with impressive wealthy neighborhoods, guarding the access to some excellent rock.  

Theres so much rock ! & if I see rock, I usually just go for it. If its in a back yard I ask for permission.
 ( I climbed the Ice from 1am till dawn, having pre-set protection/TR).

No, &  I have  not seen a Ken N book .
  I have a bad ankle, that  can be a drag if the walk-out, at the end of the day is to long,                                                                                                                                                                So while there are fine far flung areas, and some amazing looking ridges only 3-4 miles walk, I am strictly a roadside clamberer.

 At this point I feel blessed to have landed upright In Ct surrounded, (And I mean that), by At least 8 great short approach- climbing zones,
All of which have been ignored by climbers, since before I moved here From New Paltz in'06
.(Stated Climbing/Working here In '01)  

The best,climbing area waiting to grow bolts and high standards, has a dedicated un-gated parking lot on  Open Space/State park land, the down side, it is across the valley(hi-way) from an active shooting range.,a long cliff/ridge line, also a stones throw off "old"( now 6 lanes!) Rt7  

 

,  on top of the flake, center of the following picture.

This is getting weird.

There's lots of stuff posted on MtnPrjct for CT beyond Orenaug Park & Ragged: St John's Ledges is about as close to the road as a climbing cliff can be; sunrise is about the same walk as Ragged, as are another half dozen areas.  AMAZON must have at least somewhere a copy of the "Green" or "Blue" Nichols book.

Unless somethnig has RADICALLY changed, bolts are still a "no-no" in CT and they will probably be chopped "in the dead of the night" by "you-know-who".   Develop new areas with bolts at your own risk.

Robert Hall wrote: This is getting weird.

There's lots of stuff posted on MtnPrjct for CT beyond Orenaug Park & Ragged: St John's Ledges is about as close to the road as a climbing cliff can be; sunrise is about the same walk as Ragged, as are another half dozen areas.  AMAZON must have at least somewhere a copy of the "Green" or "Blue" Nichols book.

Unless somethnig has RADICALLY changed, bolts are still a "no-no" in CT and they will probably be chopped "in the dead of the night" by "you-know-who".   Develop new areas with bolts at your own risk.

Not that strange, I think that following the ego maniacs work would be tacit approval or sad acquiescence to his attempt at imortality. I don't know him or like what he did- & do not need to -  so I won 't feed  the legacy. 

The Connecticut data base? yeah it is stacked, full of climbs. & once you work out the cryptic lay-out, grasp the way the regions are divided & which areas are in which zones, it  is very good at getting you to the stones. I think Morgan did an awesome job with it and appreciate how hard it was to come up with.

  I do not have any idea as to what has been climbed.  I do know that when there is un-exfoliated rock, flakes of "scab" rock that brushes away, loose rock,thick hard dirt,  inches tick trees, ect.  I take that to  indicate that no one has passed that way before me. I do not care, & am very conflicted as to what to do. I have only added a few (4) routes to the data base, all in New Jersey.  I have been trying to decide how to put the Ct beta out. T Roper at least has recommended that I up-load . . . . I like this "Carilli method" better

 I know that there have been very hard climbers, who played hard & sent .12s 'here' in the 80z,(90z?) before me;                                                                                                                                            I've been on some things that have 40+yr old Rurps used as free climbing protection, and 2.5 inch rusting pins, 5, in a 70 foot, back yard choss pile. 

I have been on some recon to Kent (St John's Ledges), it wasn't inspiring but yes it has a short approach.                                                                                                                                              also,

 I saw a what looked like a 100' block or rock topped hill by a Dam in Gaylordsville maybe?

 Things are changing from what I hear. I have not gone to where I hear the protection has been restored and beefed up, I'm not opposed to anchors, or the occasional all bolt  protected climb. From what Ive heard that seems to not fit the gym mentality that is leading the new normal. It sounds like fun, good climbing & I am jealous ! (still a ground-up onsight romantic, too)

( it is not my place to say anymore about that (boltz) which I have not seen or climbed)

Lucy is a good name for a climb Al. 

Jacob's Rock is well worth checking out if you want something different from the usual Pinnacle. Expect some dirt, expect some fun roofs and overlaps. Most of the loose rock is gone, but there is still some left. On the plus side: no broken glass.