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Lichen It

5.8 PG13, Trad, TR, 65 ft (20 m),  Avg: 1.6 from 7 votes
FA: 1970s? 6/19/21?
Massachusetts > Eastern, MA > Middlesex Fells > Black & White R… > Crag 6 aka Black Rock

Description

Lichen It has good movement from right to left and thin face moves at the start. The cliff is broken up in 3 tiers with the hardest moves at the lower half.

Look for a cleaned face of 6 to 8 feet across. The climb starts on the right on a good hold. Move up and left for 20 feet to the first ledge. Step down and right to a crack, place pro, and climb up and left for 20 feet to another ledge. From here, follow the path of least resistance to the top. Belay at the top on a gear anchor.

As of this post, I could not find any recorded mention of this route. From the looks of the lichen on the route, I can’t imagine it has been climbed in decades if at all. I do have an inquiry to a person who did some FA in this area. If I get more information, I will update this later. For now, the first recorded free ascent is by Pete Grande and Tom Beers on 6/19/21.

We gave the consensus grade of 5.8 as it fits into to grading of the other climbs in that area.

Location

The face is about 60 feet left of the climb called Endgame.

Protection

Mostly cams and a few nuts. You might need a #4 cam to protect the start.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Start on the lower right.
[Hide Photo] Start on the lower right.
Craig C. nearing the top on Lichen It.
[Hide Photo] Craig C. nearing the top on Lichen It.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Richard Hunter
Boston, MA
  5.8- PG13
[Hide Comment] The start protects with a #3 C4, but you can get a smaller piece (0.3 C4) lower if you are worried about falling down the gully and taking your belayer with you (which is a possibility with late fall leaf cover at the base). More fun than I was expecting and a nice addition to the crag. Nov 26, 2022
Pete Grande
  5.8 PG13
[Hide Comment] Glad you enjoyed lichen it. There was a good nut placement from the ground, so if you did fall off before the cam placement higher, you wouldn’t fall past your belayer. Nov 26, 2022
WF WF51
 
[Hide Comment] This was done solo in the late '70s. Jan 19, 2024