Exploring Charlemont, MA

What started as a birthday picnic in Shelburne Falls, MA, turned into an adventure to discover new boulders in nearby Charlemont, MA. Well, new boulders to us, because the area is starting to be developed. While we are sure there must be more potential, hidden in those trees, there are some nice lines established already.

Driving towards the area, is a beautiful, scenic road that follows the river. The river is tranquil in many areas, and lively with rapids in others. The whole area is quiet due to a plethora of wilderness and lack of houses/commercial area. It makes for excellent camping/picnics, fishing, kayaking, or evidently climbing.

To find the climbing, you take Route 2 West past Charlemont, take a right on Zoar Rd and follow it until you reach the picnic area and campground. http://www.mountainproject.com/v/charlemont/108565955

The picnic area is awesome and we look forward to utilizing it when we go back.

Once you get there, however, it comes down to some searching. Some of the boulders are along the river, but you need to walk around keeping an eye out for them.

From this angle, I think the arch looks like an elephant. In any case, the arch can be a helpful landmark in trying to spot one of the boulders, which is right next to it and stunning.

The rock has an amazingly soft, glassy feel to it. It is sturdy and feels like a solid quality but it is also smooth to the touch and friendly on the hands.

While we didn’t get a chance to bring down some pads and get serious on this trip, from what we saw and felt, the climbs appear to be a lot of fun. This is an area we definitely look forward to getting back to. We’d like to try the boulders here and see if we can find some more. The area is peaceful, except for some territorial fishermen, who’d really like it if you didn’t make much noise. The area is gorgeous for all sorts of other things too. This would be a great all around area to relax and have some fun.