Vermont

Overview

Rock climb Vermont is a phrase you hear a lot in the state to encourage visiting the state crags. The Green Mountain State is host to small, short crags and boulders that are hidden thought he mountains.   Long known for being tight lipped, Vermonters are known to keep secret many of the states climbing areas.  The state doesn’t have the massive walls nearby New Hampshire is known for but it does have a character and quaint atmosphere worth experiencing.
Deer Leap is a pleasant spot perched across from Pico Ski Resort and above the Long Trail Inn.  You can get a few hours of cragging in and tip back some Long Trail Ales in this quaint inn below the cliff. Bolton has one of the larger cliffs in the state and bouldering is popular in Smugglers Notch, a popular ravine with lots of boulders that were cleaned off in the 90s by Burlington locals.
Lake Champlain has some interesting cliffs that rise form the water and offer topropes and short trad leads.  Over all there is a fair amount of rock to climb in the Green Mountain State.  Some is on private land so pay close attention to access closures and updates posted for the individual areas on this site.  We have  put in a lot of effort to inform and log pertinent access information about Vermont because it has a long standing access initiative.  Climbers in VT have been notoriously tight lipped about certain climbing areas.  It is important to respect this and local landowners wishes in Vermont.

Beta

Vermont climbers have a long-standing reputation for being tight-lipped about the areas in the state. Did I mention that already? It’s probably that reason that until recent times a guidebook didn’t even exist for the state.  Many of Vermont’s crags are on private lands and landowners should always be respected.  If you are unsure of the land an area is on it’s best to always check the status out and climb later, if possible.  The Access Fund and many other local organizations have worked long and hard to retain access at areas through the state of Vermont. Do your part to help assure these areas stay open in the future.

Season and Weather

Spring and fall are great times to climb in Vermont.  Summer is pretty fantastic too but can sometimes be humid and thunderstorms can always turn a pleasant climbing trip into a wet disaster.  The weather in Vermont changes quickly: snowstorms in winter, thunder in summer.  It’s best to look at local forecasts and check the weather before every outing–then take that with a grain of salt. Black flies are also a problem here just like in New Hampshire climbing areas and Maine climbing areas.  Late spring is black fly season and can make a climbing trip a bad experience.

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