Boston Chapter Mountaineering Committee Supports Protection of Eagle Bluff

In April 2014 the BCMC donated $10,000 to the Access Fund to support the acquisition of 165 acres containing the Eagle Bluff cliff in Clifton, Maine (east of Bangor). The Access Fund has now raised the required $150,000 and the purchase and assignment of the land and the cliff to the local Clifton Climbers Alliance has completed.  
Few climbers know about Eagle Bluff, so here is an introduction to the area and the preservation effort.

Eagle Bluff

Eagle Bluff is a 200’ granite cliff that provides excellent climbing.  The crag features over 130 cracks and sport climbs as well as bouldering below the bluff. It is particularly useful as a place for instruction and novice climbers because it offers high quality moderate climbs and opportunities for top roping. If you google “climbing guide for Eagle Bluff, Maine” you can find the information you need to climb there.

There is a hiking trail that circumnavigates the cliff and a trail that leads to the top where there is an excellent view. The state of Maine operates the Parks Pond Campground just 7 minutes away so there is a place to stay nearby.

Protecting Eagle Bluff

In the mid-1990s, climbing access was threatened when the property was listed for sale. The Access Fund started working with the local climbing community to fundraise, but the previous owner was unwilling to wait, and local climber Donald Nelligan stepped up to purchase the property. Donald passed away in the Summer of 2013 with no provision for the future of Eagle Bluff, and the Nelligan family closed the cliff to public access due to liability concerns and immediately sought to sell the property, which includes the cliff and the surrounding 165 acres of land. The Access Fund launched a major campaign to raise $150,000 to purchase the property and make some modest access improvements. The fund-raising is complete and the cliff is once again open for climbing and hiking under the management of the Clifton Climbers Alliance.

Boston Chapter Mountaineering Committee (BCMC) Supports Protection of Farley Ledges

In 2007, the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition (WMCC) successfully raised over $65,000 and purchased a 9 acre parcel at the base of Farley Ledge, in part due to a $6000 contribution from the BCMC and $5,000 from the Boston Chapter Executive Committee. This will allowed the WMCC to restrict non-climbing development at the base of the crag and provided the climbing community with sustainable access to the greatest climbing and bouldering resource in New England outside of the White Mountains or Rumney, NH.

Farley Ledge is largely owned by Northeast Utilities, but their site license contains a recreational stipulation requiring that they provide recreational opportunities. As a result, access issues were over the parking and approach trails.

Only 1.5 hours from downtown Boston, the rock quality is unrivaled, comparable to English grit in its best moments, and offers the only true multi-pitch experience in Massachusetts. Farley Ledge contains some of the states best traditional leads as well as many previously bolted sport climbs up to 5.13b. The recent bouldering explosion yielded some of the most impressive and hardest problems in the state (V12/V13). While being riddled with several test pieces, Farley Ledge also contains several moderate climbs and problems that are well worth the visit.

The rock at Farley, like much of rock in the area, is gneiss. It is characterized by big sloping horizontals, small edges and sweeping features. The climbing is best when friction is the highest. This translates generally into ideal spring and fall conditions though the heavily forested area provides ample shade for those hot summer days.

In the year’s following 2007 Farley Ledge has become a primary rock-climbing destination in New England, and it includes one of the most impressive sections of the nationally recognized Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, maintained by the AMC Berkshire Chapter. The area is used by hikers, hunters, bird watchers, bikers, rock-climbers, spelunkers, cross-country skiers, outdoor education groups, schools, and other outdoor enthusiasts. 

Announcing Our New Forums

In the Fall of 2014 we sent a survey out to community members to determine how we can improve our online presence. Our community members were overwhelmingly looking for a way to better communicate with each other. In response, we have created interactive forums. These forums will achieve a few key goals:

• Improve communications between program students and graduates
• Improve communications between volunteers and organizing committees
• Enable community members to make trip plans on contact each other
• Foster a greater sense of community through beta-sharing, trip reports, and other climbing-related conversations

To sign up for the forums, simply go to forums.amcbostonclimbers.com and click the "register" button on the top menu bar. You'll see the main forums when you first register and an admin will grant you access to any private forums applicable to you shortly after registering.

You can post information in public forums, private forums, or send private messages to other members. Private forums are open only to authorized members. Private messages are seen only by the sender and recipient. For help or more information, contact forums@amcbostonclimbers.com.

Congratulation to Our 2014 Award Winners

Congratulations to our 2014 award winners. 

Craigen Bowen Scholarship Recipients:

• Katie Cisto
• Alexa Rosenbloom
• Alice Chiang

Scott Sandberg Volunteer of the Year Award:

• Al Stebbins

Community Awards:

Chris Kreutzer – Super Genuine/Kind Badass Award
Pablo Acosta – Screamer of the Year Award
Tom Boydston – Micro Spike Award
Gary Fernandez – Most Active Old Dude Award
Linda Medeiros – Biggest Doghouse Award
Laura Ellis – Got Boothed Award
Lilly Vollmann – Three Doves Award
John Gassel – Most Mattresses Award
Katie Cisto – Best Double Entendre Involving a Climb Name
Kalmia – Accidental Innuendo Award
Jon Booth (& Lilly Vollmann) – Gratuitous Porta-Ledge Award

The 2015 Ice Program Begins Dec 1st

The 2015 Ice Program is starting soon: the first lecture is Dec. 1, and the online application is now open (through Dec. 7)

Apply for the Craigen Bowen Scholarship

The Craigen Bowen Memorial Climbing Scholarship will be awarded to a climber who is a promising beginner in their first few years of climbing, or who is eager to advance in rock, ice, winter pursuits, outdoor safety or other similar mountaineering endeavors. The scholarship may be used to take some form of formal climbing related instruction offered by an established and reputable organization.

Applications will be accepted through Thanksgiving. The award will be presented each year at the Mountaineering Committee climbers’ holiday party.

Recipients must:

Attend the annual AMC climbers’ holiday party to receive their award.
Present a written report prior to the next AMC climbers’ holiday party to the Mountaineering Committee treasurer describing the program that the scholarship enabled them to take.

For more information contact: craigenaward@amcbostonclimbers.com