Good Earth

Why the PG13 rating? I've never been on it, but it looks well bolted from the ground. Feb 2, 2009

Good Earth has about twice as many draws (about 8) as its neighbor to the left, presumably because of the potential swing into the gully. Just don't skip any and you should be good to go...

FA by Tom Georgevits Feb 5, 2009

Thanks James. I've taken off the PG13 rating. Feb 5, 2009

A little bit like Orange Juice in the Red May 24, 2009

Better than expected. It also reminded me of Orange Juice . Nov 23, 2009

Every bolt now has a fixed draw including the anchors. Dec 22, 2011

There shouldn't be fixed draws on that route. If they are yours, you should remove them. Fixed draws are not kosher per the forest service, so we as a community agreed amongst ourselves to limit their use to a few select cliffs and only in cases of real safety issues otherwise. This is starting to really piss me off how people are spreading them out all over the place and jeopardizing all the good will we built over the years with the Forest Service. Let's not turn Rumney into a cesspool like has happened with so many other sport areas in the country and instead be an example of how caring climbers can balance fun, safe climbing with maintaining an area aesthetically as well as ecologically. Dec 23, 2011

Not my draws, good to know though. Dec 23, 2011

Hey Mark, I agree with you about tempering or pushing back the spread of draws at Rumney. However, its my impression from climbing this route and talking to some folks who've had the unfortunate experience, that if you blow any of the clips in the middle portion of this climb, you'll end up slamming into the arete behind you. If that is not an appropriate safety issue to justify draws, then what is? I don't have a firm opinion on draws on this route one way or the other, but in my mind its a good example of where permadraws make a route considerably safer... Dec 24, 2011

Merry Xmas; how about a compromise and return to three fixed draws mentioned in the above description to protect the 'most dangerous' part of the climb? Dec 25, 2011

Yup, Merry Christmas, everyone.. That sounds like a reasonable scenario, Soon, if most people find some of the clips dangerous. If those few are put on with quicklinks, then they are obvious fixed draws. I didn't remember it as being particularly bad, if attentive, but, ideally I would use hip clips to keep the falls shorter and use my stick clip on the lower ones. When we came up with the plan at the big meeting at The RockBarn, we decided to be more stringent about the cliffs nearer the road and gave a little more leeway for the very steep routes of Waimea, Monsters and Orange Crush. Our goal was to keep the numbers under the threshold where the Forest Service feels perturbed, yet have a few where really needed. Anybody viewing objectively can see that they have continued to spread beyond our intentions, so we need to start removing some and need everybody's help to keep them from spreading again.
It is alway a drag when your Mom tells you to clean your room or maybe change your pants that you pooped in, but in reality, sometimes she really has to do it. Dec 26, 2011

I agree we need to keep the potential issue of too many fixed draws 'under the radar'. No good will come of it otherwise.
If we are deemed to be unable to adequately police ourselves from within, we are doomed to be policed from without. Dec 26, 2011

it seems like this route could easily be equipt before climbing it by climbing Kate's arete and stick clipping the bolts on your way down... that seems pretty quick easy and SAFE! my vote in this route is: no fixed draws needed... Dec 27, 2011

The only problem with hanging the draws from Kate's arete is that it's really wet, mossy, and covered in ooze, at least right now. Dec 30, 2011

oh yeah most people dont like nasty wet moderates haha :) Dec 31, 2011

Who cares if there are fixed draws? Does anyone really believe that the Park Services will step in to police this? Sport Climbers are a huge economic booster for Rumney, the Park Services, and Plymouth. No one cares about a pink point VS a red point either when it's a bolted route. One could argue if you stick clip the first bolt you might as well use fixed draws because it's not a "true send". How many of us can't leave the parking lot without our stick clip? The only policing needed would be to police the integrity of the draws when they are fixed. Again, Rattle Snake is likely one of biggest money makers for the NH Park Services/White Mountains. That being said I do not know any decision makers in the Park Service (nor have I spoke directly with them) so maybe, for one reason or another, they have a deep seeded hate for fixed draws. I would be surprised if they even care though. Jul 22, 2012

Hey Mike,
I think it's easy to assume that Rumney brings in money in those various ways, but when one stops to think about it, it probably isn't the case. First and foremost, the NH parks system has nothing to do with Rumney, so they're out of the picture. Sure, you see climbers milling around Plymouth in the morning looking for coffee or lunch food, but I struggle to think that this is a significant and reliable part of any of the business' downtown. Rumney, hardly makes any money. So there's the commons cafe and the small cheap campground across the way that probably pay a pittance to the town in taxes. On the opposite side you have all of the acres of the NFS land that are no longer being taxed. BIG LOSS! as for the NFS, Sure, there's a lot of money that goes through there. There's also a lot of money spent on the new parking lot, maintenance, bathrooms, personnel, plowing...

In the end what I'm saying is inconsequential, but I've heard your sentiment expressed frequently by others and I think its unintentionally misleading, and potentially hazardous to climber-town/fed relations if we think we're doing them a service by bringing in money. Jul 23, 2012

I too think the $ contribution from climbers to Rumney is quite small, if not insignificant. Maybe more for Plymouth. I cannot recall the last time I spent any money in Rumney, if I discount donations to the RCA. I think far fewer $ per climber goes into Plymouth and Rumney than, say, for the towns surrounding Red River Gorge. I have always had the feeling that, save a few, climbers are at best tolerated, but not liked, by residents of Rumney.

And, about redpoint versus pinkpoint, I know quite a few climbers, myself included, who remember the time the term entered our lexicon, draw a definite distinction between the two. Sure, it is accepted these days that routes about .13d and harder are usually climbed with pre-hung draws ... but just the other day I noticed deliberate mention of Adam Ondra climbing some heinous route first try, carrying 'a skirt of draws' and hanging every one himself enroute to the top. So, even in popular media, this - "No one cares about a pink point VS a red point either when it's a bolted route." is not really true. Jul 23, 2012

Thanks for giving me a more rounded perspective on things. I'm really not too caring of the whole "fixed draw" debate. In addition I have no real facts on wether Rumeny is a loss or profit for...well who ever.(white mountains?) It is my view that Rumney is a Playground for Climbers of all levels. In the end we are all there to have fun and do it safely. At times ones' perception of fun can infringe on anothers...the same with safety. Thanks again for the comments, they make sense...
Jul 24, 2012

haha i'll reserve judgement as to whether you are a bastard but yes, stemming rests are "off" if the grade you are hoping to climb is 5.12c. however i always say its your game and you can play it how ever you like...
though i always thought the no stemming rule made the climb a bit contrived i was pleasantly surprised by the way it climbed once i got around to doing it... It doesn't feel contrived when you stop worrying about the corner and keep focusing on the next crimp, and the next, and the next.... Feb 6, 2015

J. Davis climbs Good Earth, spring '15

youtu.be/HNkA0_lw-gE Oct 5, 2015