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Elevation: 298 ft
GPS: 41.36478, -72.59364
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 123,371 total · 618/month
Shared By: Echoinfi on Oct 29, 2007 · Updates
Admins: Morgan Patterson

Description Suggest change

Chatfield Hollow's Main Wall is the crown jewel of all the rope climbing in and around Chatfield State Park. People have been climbing here at the Main Wall since the early 1970's and new routes are still going up here today. The Main Wall at Chatfield has a good diversity routes in a beautiful hardwood forest setting. Chatfield's metamorphic gneiss rock is distinctively different from Central CT's trap rock. It has exquisitely featured grey and gritty overhanging walls, roofs, aretes, cracks, and slabs with a good mixture of grades for all climbers from a beginner climbing 5.3 to an expert climbing 5.13s. You'll be amazed by the holds you have to use on the routes here: finger cracks, jugs, huge slopers, underclings, edges, pockets, and razor blade crimps.What is unique here, unlike many other Connecticut climbing areas, is that all styles of climbing live in harmony here. You can climb traditional gear protected routes, mixed routes, or pure sport climbs. Chatfield is a great place to climb a lot of routes in a day. It is compact and there are a lot of good routes within a close space. Some great moderates include the Trad Crack, Clark Bar Crack, Kyles Corner, and Super Slab. If you are looking to test yourself check out the Anarchist, Zeitgeist, Shape Shifter, Cold Vein, Its Own Spirit or the massive link-up of the Modern Collective. All these routes are different and they all pack a unique style of punch from bouldery to technical. Last but definitely not least, the traditionally protected crack routes here are some of the best in the state. Routes like Forearm Frenzy and Wallow In the Hollow will test your knowledge of gear placement and your climbing talents. These routes are classics and should not be missed if you are able to climb them.If new to the area and you are coming here for the first time bring a rope, some quick draws, and a standard rack with lots of small and medium cams. Be very careful when you are walking on the delicate thin soils of the cliff top to set up your top ropes. Try as much as possible to tread lightly in this fragile environment. Walk on rock as much as possible. You'll see some dead trees and battered vegetation and muddy trails from years of top-roping use/abuse. Walk on established trails or bare rock when you are setting up your anchors. Also please pick up any trash you might see on the way in or at the cliff. Let's keep Chatfield great for the next generation of climbers to come.

Getting There Suggest change

From Route 9 (Main cliff area): take Exit 9. Follow Route 81 south to Route 80 at the traffic circle, watch for park entrance signs on the right, drive a little farther, park on the left walk up the road 150yds past a little roadcut then head into the woods just before the guardrail (faint trail) head in cliff is less than 100yds away on the North side of the road.

From I-95: take Exit 63. Follow Route 81 north to Route 80 west, watch for park entrance signs on the right, drive a little farther, park on the left walk up the road 150yds past a little roadcut then head into the woods just before the guardrail (faint trail) head in cliff is less than 100yds away on North side of the road. If you follow the blazed trail to the left it will split after 20ish feet.  Staying straight will bring you below the cliff and going to the right will take you to the top (see picture below)

49 Total Climbs

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Location: Chatfield Hollow Main Wall Change
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Classic Climbing Routes at Chatfield Hollow Main Wall

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a
 58
Super Slab
Trad, TR
5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a
 61
Clark Bar Crack
Trad
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 58
Don't do it Hank's way
Trad, TR
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 45
P&H
Trad
5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c
 37
Sirius
Trad, TR
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a R
 42
Jungle Face
Trad, TR
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
 50
Jolt or Not to Bolt (aka Noriega)
Trad, TR
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 49
The Bloody Beetroots
Sport
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 73
Forearm Frenzy
Trad
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 25
Hollow Head Crew/Forearm Direct
Trad, Sport
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
 16
Psycho J
Sport
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
 4
Zeitgeist
Trad
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
 42
Shape Shifter
Sport
5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b
 12
The Cold Vein
Sport
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
 4
Modern Collective
Trad, Sport
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Super Slab
 58
5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a Trad, TR
Clark Bar Crack
 61
5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a Trad
Don't do it Hank's way
 58
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad, TR
P&H
 45
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad
Sirius
 37
5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c Trad, TR
Jungle Face
 42
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a R Trad, TR
Jolt or Not to Bolt (aka No…
 50
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b Trad, TR
The Bloody Beetroots
 49
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Sport
Forearm Frenzy
 73
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Trad
Hollow Head Crew/Forearm Di…
 25
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Trad, Sport
Psycho J
 16
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b Sport
Zeitgeist
 4
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b Trad
Shape Shifter
 42
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b Sport
The Cold Vein
 12
5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b Sport
Modern Collective
 4
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c Trad, Sport
More Classic Climbs in Chatfield Hollow Main Wall »

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