Outdoors - Wiki

Philosophy

Climbing outdoors is tons of fun and very rewarding, but comes with some very different etiquette to gym climbing. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Leave no trace - Make sure all trash and personal items are picked up and taken with you until you find some trash receptacle. Same goes for chalk spills.
There are no bathrooms - It’s best to just go before you go, but it is also wise to see what rules are in place for when nature calls in the particular location you’re in. Go prepared.
Don’t blast your music - People often go to these places to enjoy the nature, and blaring music disturbs the peace.
Check the rules of the location - When it comes to gear, see what sort of things you can and can’t do when it comes to using your gear.
Stick to established paths were possible - Between erosion and ruining patches of vegetation, do your best to stick to the trails.
Don’t overcrowd - Going with a large group of people can be tons of fun, but sometimes it can be inappropriate.
Keep your wits about you - Climbing is dangerous, especially outside. Spot your friends, pad well, inspect your gear, check for unsafe landings… Just be smart.

What to Bring

It’s generally good to bring your own gear on outdoor trips, however if you need access to some gear or equipment that you don’t have, you may be able to rent it from the NUHOC Gear Locker. NUHOC is the outing club on campus, and has a collection of gear such as climbing shoes, rope, crash pads, and more that NUHOC members can utilize. Though you need to be a NUHOC member to get gear, it may be worth it if it’s gear that you need.

You can learn more about all the gear mentioned here on the Gear wiki page. Also, don’t forget the essentials like a water bottle, flashlight/headlamp, first aid kit, and adequate layers if it’s going to be a chilly day.

Bouldering

Climbing shoes
Chalk
Several crash pads: The number depends on the sorts of climbs you may be doing. Often times it is not adequate to only have one pad, and some longer climbs require a lot. Only do climbs that you can safely pad all potential landing zones.

Toprope

COMING SOON

Sport

COMING SOON

Trad

COMING SOON

Outoor Locations Around Boston

Location	Type of Climbing	Experience Level	Distance from NU	Accessability	Notes
Lincoln Woods	Bouldering	All skill levels	~1 hr.	Commuter Rail, Car	Great beginners location due to proximity, accessibility, and wide range of bouldering grades
Farley	Bouldering, Sport, Trad	Intermediate/Advanced (due to access/info issues)	~2.5 hrs.	Car	No information online and on private land, tread lightly and be respectful. Helpful to know someone who has information on the area. That being said, Farley is one of the best spots around for all three of the main disciplines, if you know where to look.
Rumney	Sport	All skill levels, intermediate/advanced	~2.5 hrs.	Car	Regarded as one of the best sport climbing areas in the country, very unique rock (schist). Also very popular and requires a $5 parking fee. Has a wide range of grades, but probably best for intermediate/advanced climbers
Quincy Quarries	Top Rope	All skill levels, beginner	~30 mins	Car, T	Very close to the city and offers fun top ropes, NUHOC leads trips here. However, there is a LOT of grafitti, broken glass, etc. that take away from “being in nature”
Hammond Pond	Bouldering, Top Rope	All skill levels, beginner	~30 mins	T, Car/Uber	Accessible by the green line, Hammond is very close and anyone can reach it. However, the quality is not the best and it is relatively small of an area. Good place to check out though
Nira Rock	Top Rope	Beginner	~15 mins	Walk/Bike/T	This place is in Jamaica Plain! In the city, so not the prettiest or cleanest, the rock is low quality, and there are only a couple bolted routes. But, its so close that its worth it if you’re itching to climb and stuck in the city
Lynn Woods	Bouldering	Intermediate/Advanced	~45 mins	Car	Lynn Woods is a relatively unpopular area for no particular reason; its close to the city, has ~1000 problems listed with potential for more, and quality rocks. It could be due to the relative lack of info, but this place is definitely worth a shot if you boulder.
Crow Hill	Trad, Top Rope	All skill levels	~1 hr.	Car	Crow Hill is a quaint spot with not a lot of quality routes, but there are some fun crack climbs. Also worth a shot if you’re learning how to trad climb.
Cathedral Ledge	Trad	Intermediate/Advanced	~2.5 hrs.	Car	One of the best trad climbing areas (I’d say in the country) and in one of the most pleasant towns in existence, North Conway, Cathedral is an amazing place to learn, grow, and test your skills on gear. Single pitch, multipitch, cracks, slabs, short approaches, Cathedral is my favorite climbing location in the Northeast.
Whitehorse Ledge	Trad	Intermediate/Advanced	~2.5 hrs.	Car	Right next to Cathedral, Whitehorse tests your slab skills on a sea of low angle granite extending for 1000+ feet. Great place to learn to lead on gear and deal with huge runouts (50+ ft.). Another gem of the Northeast and a close favorite of mine to Cathedral.
Pawtuckaway	Bouldering	All skill levels	~2 hrs.	Car	With Farley, the best bouldering area in the Northeast and a beautiful area. Has a wide range of grades, massive amounts of climbs, and a lot of bugs in the summer (but so does the rest of NH).
Cannon Cliff	Trad	Advanced	~2.5 hrs.	Car	Cannon is imposing and probably the largest cliff in New England. It requires caution as weather is unpredictable, especially in colder months, there is more exposure (esp. to wind), and abundant rockfall (this is where the Old Man on the Mountain used to be). That being said, it is a true experience and holds a number of great routes.

And more! There are plenty more climbing areas to be found, especially if you’re adventurous. I would suggest looking at MountainProject, especially the Map feature, and checking out what climbing areas interest you. This list should cover the most popular and accessible areas.