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After a couple of fairly mild daze, last night we slipped into the deep freeze. When I got up at 5 to go to the gym it was a very chilly 10 degrees. Then, 1 1/2 hours later when I stopped back at home to pick up my camera to go take pictures it was up to a balmy 13! Up in the Notch at 10:30 it was sunny but a bit on the breezy side and down to 11. I'd planned on doing some climbing, but that's a little cold for my old bones.
It was a warm day on Tuesday and I did get out to Frankenstein with Brad. There were a surprising number of cars in the lot and we saw multiple parties on Standard and Dracula. We climbed Standard Route from the base all the way to the upper tier, then to a tree left of the upper curtain and then I led the only one of the curtain pillars that looked OK. As always it was very thin at the top and was a bit spicy getting to the big tree. I wouldn't recommend it, but that's just how my season is starting off this year - spicy...
On the good side of things, the ice is finally getting fat. I'm expecting that by the next time I get out I will be able to use my original Petal Ergo tools that I totally love, with the new picks. WOO WOO.... I can't wait. I've pretty much beat the picks on my X-Dreams 'till they aren't usable as picks any more. [wry grin]
MOUNT WASHINGTON VALLEY ICE FEST 2018:
In case you had forgotten, the 25 annual Ice Fest is coming up. Mark February 2-4 on your calendars and stay tuned. It's going to be a good one!
Selected Ice Conditions effective February 19, 2026
Just as you would expect following Ice Fest AND a week of truly balmy temps, going to be upper 30's today, the ice can be a mixed bag. I saw someone post about how things are terrible. But digging into it, I realized they were talking about places like the North End that are very well used. It probably gets the most use of all. There are only a few places that have really easy access to moderate climbing and where you can set up a bunch of top-ropes. So that's not unexpected. And of course the climbs that are getting a lot of full sun are getting somewhat punked-out. On my way back from Wolfeboro mid-afternoon a few days ago I took a look at Rainbow Slabs which look as if they are getting pretty funky. And I watched a hunk of the bottom of Way In The Wilderness fall down! IMO it's really the time to start paying attention to what you're walking underneath, any time of the day. Enjoy this weather, but keep paying attention...
Huntington Ravine
numerous options
Repentance
iffy
Standard Route
GREAT conditions
Dracula
IN & very fat
For the full current conditions report, CLICK
HERE
VALLEY CYCLING:
The fat tire bike riding in the Valley has been very good over the past couple of weeks, and it just got a whole lot better. The trails in the Marshall Conservation Land have been groomed by the local NEMBA group and they are fantastic. You can ride Lucille's, Upper Shumway, The Muzzy Trail, Red's Trail all the way to High Street and several other fun extensions off of Red's. I highly recommend it.
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Mobile Version Of NEClimbs:
Up on one of the Mount Washington Valley's finest crags and want to know what that climb you're looking at is? Or maybe you're on your way up from Boston and want to check out the Ice Report for your upcoming weekend plans. Or more likely, you're at work just want to daydream about your next adventure. Well if you have a smart phone handy, you can get to NEClimbs from anywhere you have cell service. While it doesn't offer every single feature of the site and it's not an "app", in mobile form, it does do a whole lot and is very useful. Here is the live link to the mobile version of NEClimbs:
Check it out and if you have issues on your specific phone, please feel free to let me know.
NEClimbs & White Mountain Report On Facebook:
Join us and LIKE us on Facebook. I'll try and post interesting pix every Thursday and the latest Ice Report in the season, tho certainly not the whole Report. Here's where you can check it out:
Climbing is a very dangerous sport. You can get hurt or even kill yourself. When you go climbing, you do so of your own free will. Everything on this site is to be taken with a grain of salt. Don't blame us if you get up some totally heinous route, in over your head and fall and hurt yourself.
