1. Nuts & Bolts: Rumney and The RCA
By Rose Kenny
Rumney Rocks, aka Rumney, encompasses nearly
150 acres, 28 crags, which are mostly comprised of
schist and some quartzite, has approximately 646
routes, 230 boulder problems, and in the winter,
numerous ice climbs. Rumney is part of a
wilderness area in the White Mountain National
Forest located in a small town of about 1300
residents in Rumney, New Hampshire. The cliffs are
located on the south side of Rattlesnake Mountain
and adjacent to Buffalo Road, occasionally a busy
road that snakes alongside the Baker River, formally
named Asquamchumauke. Area residents use Buffalo Road to access the waste and recycling
transfer station each Wednesday and on weekends, so it is important for climbers to use
designated parking areas and trails to gain access to
the cliffs to avoid congestion on this small road.
Rattlesnake Mountain is inhabited by Peregrines,
ravens, bobcats, Trillium and Lady Slipper flowers,
bears, spotted salamanders, sensitive grass species
and a whole host of unique living organisms.
If you are a climber, I do not have to tell you that
Rumney is an internationally renowned sport climbing
area. What you may not know is that Rumney also
has a rich climbing history, one that we all freely enjoy
thanks to the hard work of route developers
collectively dubbed “Team Tough” and other longtime
route developers over the years. Route credit is given
at the base of described routes in Ward Smith’s
guidebooks. There are also folks like Bob Bruemmer,

2. a longtime administrative manager of Rumney and previous President of the RCA, who ended
his tenure in 2013. Bob served, solo at times, for almost 19 years helping to secure access to
cliffs, and he also co-established the 2008 Climbing Management Plan (CMP). The existing
CMP discusses our current collaboration with the WMNF on Rumney management actions and
the plan details a unique partnership between the RCA and forest service in our country.
If you can, try and imagine the cost, creativity and energy required
to carry and heave a 15+ pound drill up a rope and then proceed to
clean, drill and then use your own money to bolt your line: a route
for anyone to climb and fall on, send or hang on for years to come.
Imagine climbing Technosurfing (12b) with just two bolts at the
crux and fixed pins and wires above, then risking a fall so close the
ground you can just barely breathe let alone climb, or navigating
the hike to the top of Orange Crush before there were ladders and
bolts, the belay platform for the Orangahang ledge and even the
presence of other climbers. Twenty years ago it seems things
were a bit different and a lot quieter. It has taken a whole host of
people a lot of physical effort, follow through and administrative
time to build Rumney into the climbing destination that it is today.
All of the now classic routes we freely enjoy actually still have a
price attached to them, and that somewhat in-obvious price tag comes with continued bolt and
anchor maintenance and upkeep, as well as the cost associated with event planning and
fundraising. All of this is currently done with the hope to raise awareness for good fellowship
amongst Rumney’s users and is reliant upon your donation of money and periodic volunteerism.

3. Good fellowship amongst users can be tied to crag etiquette and possessing a general
awareness of another person’s climbing experience. Crag etiquette, a nuance of climbing that
reveals itself at the cliffs with your behavior, now relies heavily on the initial experiences held in
the climbing gym, and for the past few years indoor climbing facilities have been at the leading
edge of creating community within our sport. In that respect, personal responsibility outdoors
cannot be lost to the growth of indoor sport climbing. Picking up all of your trash including tape
and food scraps, climbing in small groups, brushing away tick marks and excessive chalk off
holds, and generally being aware of the experiences of other climbers and giving back are, in
my judgment, some of the most important facets of being a rock climber after climbing safely.
Perhaps in the future one aspect of regular gym membership could concurrently encourage
membership to an outdoor climbing organization. What can you personally do to help offset
maintenance costs and preserve our shared finite climbing resource? Use your own gear at
anchors and you effectively reduce anchor maintenance costs. Additionally, a small donation to
either our joint membership agreement with the Access Fund, or to the RCA directly helps us
maintain routes
that are now
more than twenty
years old. By
becoming a joint
member of the
Access Fund and
the RCA you can
feel good about
contributing to the
preservation of
climbing
nationally and
locally.
The Rumney
Climbers
Association
(RCA) officially
regrouped in
2012 and has
sought to
reenergize the
community. It
has been a three
year process of
rebuilding,
restructuring,
redefining our

4. mission and determining who does what and how. It has not always been an easy process but
the RCA has steadily made it through this phase. While the RCA has been in existence since
the mid 90’s with world-class route development and fundraising for the purchase of 31 acres of
land stretching from the large parking lot to Monsters From The Id, our relationship between the
White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) and the climbing community has become more
prominent and necessary. With the increase in climbing gyms in our region and beyond, and
the general public venturing outside, it is important for the RCA and our community to offer joint
solutions to common issues at the crag including overcrowding at cliffs, avoiding switchbacking
on trails, human waste, and preserving climbing on well maintained bolt and anchor systems.
In partnership with the WMNF, and since 2013, the RCA has stocked
over 2,200 waste management kits or Wag Bags to climbers for free
via a grant received by the American Alpine Club. There are three
Wag Bag stations found at Lower Vader, Pole 37 near the Blackjack
Boulders, and the lower New Wave junction. Climbers have noticed a
significant reduction in human waste near the cliffs with the
implementation of the Wag Bag program. Since 2012 the RCA held
numerous Coffee With A Ranger events which occurred jointly with the
WMNF and AAC for two summers. This summer the RCA and WMNF
took on a shared intern to talk with climbers, discuss trail systems, offer
suggestions to climb at less occupied crags and to approach climbers
on issues surrounding crag etiquette and waste. So far intern Patrick
Casper, and some members of the RCA board, have spoken with over
2,000 climbers in a short span of roughly fifteen Saturdays. Rumney is undoubtedly popular on
the weekends!
Since our reformation in 2012 the RCA has also earned national nonprofit status of a 501c3,
spent thousands of dollars on bolt and anchor replacement, held a worn and abandoned draw
removal event from Waimea as well as conducted multiple trail work days in collaboration with
the Access Fund’s Conservation Crew. Prior to 2012, volunteer trail days had not occurred
frequently because the WMNF requires advanced planning and specific training and experience
to perform trail work on federally managed land. Current RCA goals include building
relationships and attending events with gym communities in regional areas such as Boston,
Concord and Manchester, Portsmouth, Burlington and we are also seeking to make educational
connections with climbers in Ontario and Quebec.
The still relatively new “white” trail that leads to Waimea has helped to lessen foot traffic on
Buffalo Road and this in turn leaves us in good standing with town residents. By taking the
wooden staircase up to the stream bed, and cutting left across the stones, prior to arriving at
Left Main cliff, you save wear and tear on the more fragile trail system at upper 5.8 crag, and
you also reduce your presence at passing cliffs. Last year the WMNF used funds to establish a
trail that leads from the large parking area to the small lot and this has created a safer passage
for climbers. The RCA has helped to identify trail junctions in need of wooden signs in order to

5. clarify the best route to hike to certain cliffs as well as the return trail to take you directly back to
the parking lot. Once the trails are clearly marked the WMNF will be able to classify the trails as
part of a visible trail network and official WMNF trail work can be conducted and mapped.
Visitors to Rumney should work to follow parking rules as well as car pool. When lots are full
many lackadaisical climbers will still park in front of no parking signs along the road rather than
parking at the town library, which is a ten minute walk back to the crag. Check out the Access
Fund for crag etiquette scenarios and solutions.
Another area of recent RCA development comes in the form of
adopting popular European pigtail anchors and new Wave Bolts
from ClimbTech. Team Tough developers have been hard at
work using RCA donations to replace worn anchors on routes as
well as putting in time to update routes like Vallee Daze with
Wave Bolts and the new Pigtail anchor system. Wave Bolts
have a continuous wavy design, easily plug in to preexisting bolt
holes, and they do not require a nut to keep in place, limiting
rust. At Rumney, you will continue to see the standard clip
anchor system and bolt hangers from
Fixe, but you will also have to get the
hang of the two pigtail anchor system by
easily looping in your rope to lower off
when you have completed your route. ​Pigtail anchors do not require
any other specific parts. (i.e. bolts, quick links, etc.) Custom pigtail
anchors will fit our ½” galvanized bolts, and the standard pigtail anchor
will fit all hangers. This means that in the long run they will reduce
upkeep costs. Pigtail anchors will be installed at a gradual rate. To
share climber feedback, as well as​ to report bolt and anchor issues,
follow this link: http://www.climbrumney.com/welcome/report-a-problem/
Finally, I have served the RCA since 2011,
as President and board member since
2012, and I have worked hard to rejuvenate
the RCA on nearly a daily basis. I am lucky
to have contributed to Rumney’s long term
collaboration with the WMNF, and I have
also met wonderful advisers within the AAC
and Access Fund and our various sponsors.
I am proud of what I have contributed to the
RCA and to our community, and I thank the
current board for their efforts and
achievements as well as my husband,
friends and supporters. Rumney still faces

6. significant area management challenges, and with my official three year board position ending
this December my administrative contributions and collaborations towards the preservation of
Rumney will also end. I have always worked under the guise “We, the RCA”, and I trust that the
next administration will be diligent in preserving this amazing place so many of us love.
Our Rumney Climbers Association Standards of Care were developed back in 2011 in a
climbing group centered survey.
Standards of Care:
1. Top Rope Through Your Own Gear.
2. Stay On Established Trails.
3. Leave No Trace. Pack out any garbage you create or find. Watch out for rare plant species
and don’t overcrowd cliffs.
4. Keep Control of Your Dog
5. Show Respect While Climbing Outside. Maintain a small group size. Please be considerate
of others by keeping your voice down.
6. Please Keep Children Out of Harms Way
7. Remember, Rumney is NOT a Gym. It is a finite resource. Camps and school groups with
commercially based interests should be outfitted with a USFS permit.
Please send any inquiries related to this post to rose@climbrumney.com which will remain
active until December 2015.
Rose Kenny
RCA President, Director
Links:
www.climbrumney.com
https://www.accessfund.org/join-or-give
https://www.americanalpineclub.org
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/whitemountain/passes-permits/recreation/?cid=stelprdb5362886
https://www.accessfund.org/educate-yourself/for-climbers/forest
http://www.climbtechgear.com
http://www.fixehardware.com/shop/index.html