Rose Ledge

Rose Ledge consists of a series of small cliffs on the east side of the Connecticut River Valley, in very north central Massachusetts. Rose Ledge is principally a top-rope area because the cliffs are quite short - not much more than 50 feet high, at most. Many of the routes can be led using a trad rack if you're so included, and there are a number of routes with pretty moderate grades, which makes Rose Ledge a great place to learn how to lead with trad gear. There are no sport routes at Rose, due to the traditional ethic that is the norm at this crag. What Rose Ledge lacks in size, it makes up for in quality. It's absolutely worth a visit if you're in the area.

Rose Ledge is located on Northfield Mountain. Northfield Mountain is owned and operated by FirstLight Power Resources, formerly Northeast Utilities, which is a local utility. FirstLight has a hydroelectric pump-storage reservoir at the top of Northfield Mountain, and you'll see related electrical infrastructure - overhead powerlines, an electrical substation, near FirstLight's Northfield Mountain Visitor Center, etc.- on your approach to Rose Ledge. FirstLight hosts summer outdoor programs and a winter cross-country ski area on the mountain and Northfield Mountain's trails are popular with hikers and mountain bikers. A number of schools, colleges, and universities in the area teach introductory rock climbing at Rose Ledge, and climbers regularly visit Rose from at least as far away as Boston.

The rock at Rose Ledge is horizontally stratified gneiss. The rock is pretty solid, and Rose Ledge is home to routes that range from 5.3 or so up through 5.13. There are a number of really popular routes at Rose. These routes date to at least the early 1970's when Rose Ledge was frequented by Dave Rikert, and then by Al DeMaria of Vulgarian fame and Al's students and instructors from his excellent outdoors and rock climbing programs at the nearby Northfield Mount Hermon School (NMH). These routes -- including Fist Fight, Tennessee, Double Overhead Cam, Leave it to Beaver, Rikert's Corner, and Ben's Boot -- have been given these names -- the names that Al and his programs used in the mid-1970's -- on an "Also Known As" ("aka") basis in this online guide, with modern route names used first, in order to make it easier for today's visitors to find these routes.

As of 2020, Al Rubin's excellent guide, "Rose Ledge Rock Climbs (2nd Edition)," is once again in print. This guide is an encyclopedic source of information on rock climbing at Rose that provides far more information that we've assembled here, and Al's guide also includes a lot of information on routes that are less heavily used. As of April 2020, this editor was able to acquire a copy of Al's guide via the Western Massachusetts Climbers Coalition website [climbgneiss.org]. It's possible that Al's guide is also available elsewhere, at Central Rock Gym in Hadley or online or in a retail shop. Please consider supporting Al's efforts by buying a copy of this guide.

A note on climbing advocacy and access issues at Rose Ledge: The Western Massachusetts Climbers Coalition [climbgneiss.org] has done a lot of good work to improve and maintain access and trails to Rose Ledge to maintain a good relationship between the climbing community and FirstLight Power, and to mediate conflicts between climbers and the folks who own property on Poplar Mountain Road which is home to a popular but small parking lot that is heavily used by climbers. The relationship that the WMCC has developed with FirstLight and the related Northfield Moutnain Recreate and Environmental Center and local climbers and property owners have played crucial roles in keeping Rose Ledge open and accessible to the climbing community. Please see the WMCC website [climbgneiss.org]

for current information on access and relations with FirstLight and local property owners before you visit Rose Ledge. Please follow WMCC's advise on any and all local issues regarding bolting (don't do it) and access to climbing at Rose Ledge and respect any and all rules posted regarding climbing or access to Rose Ledge. That's the best way to assure that the climbing community will continue to enjoy access to this beautiful crag.