Updates
I know it’s hard to think about winter right now, but we need your help. Do you ice climb at Frankenstein Cliffs and/or Mount Willard? Access to climbing areas involves the coordination and cooperation of different land owners and stakeholders. As you know there is still the potential for access to ice climbing in Crawford Notch to become restricted. In order to facilitate continued cooperation Friends of the Ledges is gathering information about the use of these venues by ice climbers, which we hope can form the base for an economic impact study. We need your help and input! FOTL and a committee of invested local guides have put together a questionnaire designed to gather some information (link in bio). We would greatly appreciate you completing the survey and submitting it. Please share it wide and far with anyone who ice climbs in these amazing areas. Thank you! If you are the owner of a guide service that operates in Crawford Notch in the winter and have not yet done so, please take the time to fill out the survey for guided winter use in Crawford Notch (link also in bio). Thank you in advance for your help!
Thank you to everyone who showed up for an awesome trail maintenance day and cliff cleanup in the rain on Saturday! Despite the less than optimal weather, we had a great turnout, picked up a lot of trash, tidied up the trail corridors, and removed some graffiti! And also had a super fun BBQ complete with a nut shaped piñata (thanks @bam_sendroth for your artistic piñata making talents!) Although it was too wet to replace the retaining wall under Recompense, we’re still planning on accomplishing that project on a dryer day in the next couple of weeks, and we’re super thankful for all the work that did get done at the cliff! 📷 And thank you @spindrift303 and @mister.dirt for the photos!
Hey there everyone, it’s Stewardship Project and Cliff Cleanup season, and we’d love to have your help out there! Saturday, June 22nd. Meet at the Cathedral Ledge picnic tables at 3:00pm. We’ll work from 3 - 6, and then we’ll move on to grilling and hanging out! We will be replacing some broken wood steps on the trail to Recompense, and removing some graffiti at the top of the cliff. We’ll also have trash bags and gloves available for picking up trash and getting it looking nice over there! Wear sturdy shoes, and bring work gloves, snacks, and plenty of water. If you can’t make it, or aren’t interested in doing trail work, please stop by at 6 for the BBQ, this is a community event for everyone! • • • #nhledges #cathedralledge #cathedralledgenh #climberstewards
Join us for a Reel Rock screening and raffle at @ledgebrew! Bidding on fun raffle items to help us raise money to continue to replace old bolts and maintain climbing access, AND watching inspiring climbing films that will get us all psyched to go send? How can you go wrong! Saturday, March 23rd, 6pm - 9pm. $10 at the door. See you there!
This year's MWV Ice Fest Silent Auction is supporting FOTL. That's us! With 56 items including jackets, ice tools, crampons, ropes, and more there are some great deals to be had. All proceeds from the auction support FOTL's efforts to replace aging hardware, and address other stewardship needs at climbing areas across the Mount Washington Valley and into Western Maine.
Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new folks at @mwv_icefest this afternoon! We’ll be tabling at @ledgebrew today and tomorrow, please come say hi! And don’t forget to check out the auction going on right now! A handful of exciting new items were added last night! Follow the link in our bio to register, and bid.
As the ice finally begins to form in Crawford Notch we just wanted to put out a quick update on access at Frankenstein and Mount Willard. Although the railroad has been quiet for the past couple of weeks and is currently covered with a couple of feet of snow and ice, the Conway Scenic does still have plans to be active in Crawford Notch throughout the winter months. Friends of the Ledges and other interested user groups are in ongoing conversation with the railroad, and are doing our best to advocate for continued access to these awesome ice climbing resources. For now, if it makes sense to, please consider using routes that avoid the tracks, and please continue to use your best judgement if you do decide to walk on the tracks. Also just a friendly reminder to be mindful of the possibility of railroad crews on the tracks this winter and to be polite and courteous to railroad workers if you do encounter them. More updates to come!
Don't Forget! On December 14th Janet Wilkinson will be doing a presentation at Ledge Brewing in North Conway, NH, from 6-8 P.M. This is a fundraising event for Friends of the Ledges, and all are welcome! Janet is a long time local and accomplished all around climber. She’s digging through a couple decades of mountain adventure stories to find some fun and funny ones to share with us. Expect shenanigans ranging from our local hills to places like Cuba, Newfoundland, Patagonia, Nepal and India, with a mix of first ascents, failed ascents, unplanned bivies and big wall climbing. Janet is a mom of two young wildlings, works as an organizational development consultant, and advocates for inclusion and belonging in the outdoor community.
FRANKENSTEIN ACCESS ANNOUNCEMENT: The Conway Scenic Railroad will be active in Crawford Notch this winter. It is critically important for climbers to avoid walking on the train tracks whenever possible. In an effort to minimize time spent on the tracks we are asking that you please take the Frankenstein Cliff Trail to the Amphitheater when climbing at Frankenstein, instead of walking on the tracks directly from the parking lot. Please do not leave packs, gear, or ropes on or near the rails, and avoid belaying near the tracks. Be prepared for trains to pass at any time, all winter. We will continue to provide updates when possible.
Save the Date! On December 14th Janet Wilkinson will be doing a presentation at Ledge Brewing Company in North Conway, NH, from 6-8 P.M. This is a fundraising event for Friends of the Ledges, and all are welcome! Janet is a long time local and accomplished all around climber. She’s digging through a couple decades of mountain adventure stories to find some fun and funny ones to share with us. Expect shenanigans ranging from our local hills to places like Cuba, Newfoundland, Patagonia, Nepal and India, with a mix of first ascents, failed ascents, unplanned bivies and big wall climbing. Janet is a mom of two young wildlings, works as an organizational development consultant, and advocates for inclusion and belonging in the outdoor community.