Just hanging around the gym 😉
We have absolutely become one with climbing! Central Rock Gym in Hadley, Ma is one of our favorite spots to strength train and practice our moves. It’s going to be such a blast to get back out West and try our new skills after so much Western Ma climbing this summer and fall. We will still be doing other adventures, including hot air ballooning, learning to surf, indoor skydiving, rafting, and many more extreme family adventures !!
Climb on friends!
Central Rock Gym
When it comes to rock climbing, Western Massachusetts has some very nice crags. Farley, Mormon Hollow, Rose Ledges, and Chapel Ledges to name a few. We spent the summer introducing ourselves to these and other top spots in the area. We met some great fellow rock lovers and fell in love with ease of accessibility and the variety of routes available. But what is a climbing junkie to do when it rains? Or when you can’t make it out to one of the local ledges? Central Rock Gym in Hadley Ma has the answer.
Check out the rest of our story at the Extreme Bucket List 🙂
So, the kids are back and we were finally able to take them out on the rocks….What an amazing family adventure. Full of triumph, team work, positive reinforcement and gorgeous problems to solve. We went to Rose Ledge in Northfield, MA. There was time for a couple of different routes, but this was the favorite… Tree Flake, depending on the start was a 5.6 or 5.7. Nice, solid climb.
We also find climbing where we can when it’s too dark or the weather isn’t suitable for our ropes… 🙂 Next climb we need to take them to the gym. Central Rock Gym here we come!
Epic outdoor routes at Chapel in Ashfield, MA. Tommy ripping it up!
Brandi powering up her first 5.8 at Central Rock Gym in Hadley, MA
Brandi on a 5.7 route at Farley, in MA.
Tommy working his way up the same 5.8 at Central Rock Hadley.
The East has some epic climbs… Loving getting to know the rocks in Western MA. #Climbon friends!
The adventures are limitless!
Meeting tons of new cool friends in this rad sub-culture that is rock climbing!
Getting ready to head back to Mormon Hollow 🙂 Chapel Ledge in Ashfield, Ma is one great slab. So thankful for great days, ropes & gear, rocks and people I love to to climb with! Climb on friends, Climb on!
We have been children free all week, thanks to some amazing friends! Our children are happy and safe and we are climbing our hearts out. Practicing, reading, eating, resting and climbing! Discussions range from knot tying, how hard we pushed, the next climb and do we have enough water. The valley has proven to be quite the mecca for climbing. Rock faces are large, bold and full of spectacular holds.
Chapel Falls in Ashfield is perfect with both epic water fall swimming pools and a gorgeous wall to scurry up. Learning how to hold our bodies and which body positions work best for specific holds and grabs. The adrenaline pumped as did our arm muscles. Getting to the top takes strength, yes, it takes perseverance and problem solving…But mostly it takes over coming the fear factor… Because belaying down is almost scarier then the climb up!! Whoo hoo, three cheers to overcoming obstacles.
Heading to Rose Ledge in the next couple of days. Thankful for beautiful New England weather and safe climbing. Climb on!!!
tip: If you head to Chapel Falls, The Brewmaster’s Tavern in Williamsburg has wifi and great drinks too.
Well, if you want to live life to the fullest then you want to play it safe when it comes to rock climbing! And for one thing that means not climbing in a shady area after a pounding night of rain. So we explored the Green Mountain National Forest a bit then headed down to Western Mass. for a secret spot in the deep woods… For our first solo top roping climb!
We played around for a bit, with different equipment and knots… No matter how confident we felt, before we went too high we tested and observed the anchors, the rope, and the elements. The slab was a little wet still so we took it easy. Feeling good about putting up a safe top roping climb for ourselves. Doing some more research on the climb, then off to bed. More to come tomorrow 🙂
Rock climbing adventure tomorrow in Jamaica, VT. Top roping will be our focus. We have had our lessons, and read our books…Now it’s time to get out there and do it on our own!! We are excited and hope the rain holds out. Still looking for a spot to park the bus for the night and taking in the beautiful Green Mountain forests. Stopped at a cute little cafe in Townshend, their General Store, who serves free wifi, yummy breakfast all day (7 AM – 7PM), fresh deli and bakery snacks.
Pictures of the adventure coming soon!!! 🙂
Sedona, where to start?
Sedona is one of the most amazing places we have found while traveling the US. Natural beauty abounds, adventures around every corner, great food and spectacular lodging. We were lucky enough to try our hand at off-road “jeeping” on the rocks, and horseback riding. We spent our spare time hiking, hanging out at our amazing A-frame cabin, and exploring the local shops and eateries.
Gemini Extreme Adventure Team 