This was my first climbing day of 2021 and it felt amazing to be out in the sunshine, with friends, reminding my body and brain what climbing feels like.
Rumney rocks is a section of the White Mountain National Forest that’s home to a world class sport climbing area. Unlike most of the granite state, the rock at Rumney is schist, and has a distinct rippled grain structure unlike anything else in the area.
I hardly climbed at all in 2020, so my only goal was have fun and climb easy things. We headed to the Venus alcove, which has several easy, fun routes tucked into a secluded grotto.
Even on dead easy rock, I felt shaky at first, but it started to come back after a few laps of easy climbing on top rope.
Somehow, even a 5.3 top rope looks epic on a stunning Spring day!
And the view from the top looking out over the Baker River is pretty spectacular!
What’s a day in the National Forest without a wildlife sighting? I saw but wasn’t fast enough to photograph a peregrine falcon. Peregrines nest on cliff tops, and nesting pairs have been observed at Rumney since 1995. In keeping with the Climbing Management Plan issued by the forest service, the stretch of cliff where the peregrines nest is closed each year to minimize human contact and stress on the breeding pairs, and this year the closure is on Main Cliff.
On a parting note, this eastern chipmunk popped up to assert his territorial rights. We complied with his request to move along because there was ice cream and beer waiting for us at the cabin.
