ICE CLIMBING IN VERMONT

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Kicking bladed crampons and swinging sharpened axes into a towering wall of steep and featured ice, as you pick your way up a vertical cliff, will make you feel like a gravity-defying superhero. Vermont has some of the best ice climbing routes in the U.S., and many are easily accessible from the Queen City. Just 30 minutes south of Burlington, Bolton Quarry is an ice climbing playground, with columns, corners, and curtains in the WI3-5 range. The climbs are on two tiers, just a short walk from parking. Visit the lower tier to top rope shorter routes, and to get familiar with your gear. On the upper tier, route options abound, and even the most experienced climber will find lines to test their mettle. Craggy, steep, sinuous, and narrow, Smuggler’s Notch feels almost like a canyon. In winter, the Notch Road is closed to cars, and open to climbers, skiers, snowshoers, and sleds. Top rope WI 2-3+ range routes in the Driving Force zone. Workout Wall is beginner-friendly, with ice graded WI2-4+. For those approaching from the Smuggler’s Notch Resort side, Jeffersonville Slide is easy-access with moderate climbs. When you’re warmed up and primed for a multi-pitch ascent, ENT and Elephant’s Head Gully are spectacular WI3 routes that follow ice-encased caverns for several pitches. Experienced climbers will want to swing an ax on Dave’s Snotcicle (WI3-4), Ragnorock (WI4-5, M5), and 1000' Hidden Gully (WI3-4). If you’re self-supported, check NEice.com for conditions. The ice climbing curious can book a lesson or hire a guide to learn the ropes from Petra Cliffs, in Burlington, which offers half a dozen ice climbing courses. 

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