Directions
High Ledge is located in
Connecticut about 7 miles from the Rhode Island border not far from
Lantern Hill. From Rhode Island take Interstate 95 south to exit 92
(North Stonington). On the exit stay straight for about a mile until
you hit a traffic light. At the light take a right on to Route 2 west.
Follow this for about five miles. Just before a light where Route 201
splits off to the right is Ryder Road. Take a right on Ryder Road.
Ryder Road ends at Wyassup Road (1.5 miles). (Follow the small brown
boat launch signs.) Take a left on Wyassup Road. Take a left on Wyassup
Lake Road (2.1 miles). Follow this to the boat launch (0.8 miles).
About fifty yards after the boat launch you will see a road/trail on
the left with a metal gate on it. (Park on the side of the road here
but do not block the fire road.) This is the Narragansett Trail on
state land in the Pachaug State Forest.. Follow this road/trail. When
the road bends to the left follow the blue dot trail that leads to the
right. Follow this for about 1/2 mile, past a gas line cut until you
come to a ledge. The trail goes over the top of High Ledge then bends
right and comes back down the ledge to a swampy valley. Before the
trail descends you can take the climbers trail off to the left that
goes to the top of the cliff to set-up the top-ropes.
Routes/Protection
The cliff ranges from 30 to 60 feet in height. The rock offers fairly
clean, juggy, vertical to overhanging routes. There is lots of loose
rock so beware. Most of the better quality and steeper routes are on
the right side of the cliff (facing it). The tallest face has a
vertical crack that leads to a roof. It can be climbed in the middle at
about 5.8+ or the crux roof can be avoided by going to the left at
about 5.6. Just to the right of this is an arete that goes at about
5.5. Furthest to the right is an overhanging cliff with the best
quality rock. It is where Tough Schist
a frequently done 5.10a is located. Some harder routes can be
established here. There are ample trees fairly close to the edge of the
cliff for top
rope anchors. There are a few crack systems that look like they would
provide practice leading but the rock quality here is generally not
good. The roof on the main cliff has been led but the rock is chossy
and the gear placements suspect. There is one sport route here but it
has probably been chopped by now.
Red - 5.8+ (Green 5.6
Variation). Yellow - 5.5
|
Tough Schist,
5.10 (yellow variation)
|
5.8+ Roof
|
Kelly Cowan on Tough Schist
|
Known Route History
Tough Schist, 5.10, FA Brian Phillips 2014, 7 bolts to anchor