YMCA Camp Mountain Laurel
Campground
Campground · 3.2 mi from the trail
Connecticut · Rock climbing · Hamden · Near Middletown
The Neck
- 5 routes
- V0 – V7
- Bouldering
- Apr–Oct
- best months
Blocked today
Weather is adverse · OpenWeather · checked 1 h ago
The Neck is a bouldering area in Connecticut, about half a mile from the town of Mount Carmel. It sits among a cluster of climbing and hiking spots, with The Chin and Between the Chin and Chest just 0.1 mile away and Judge Cook's Oxen Trail and the Sleeping Giant climbing area at a similar distance. The area is a bouldering destination, with five routes listed, all of them boulders. The grades range from V0 to V7, with the hardest being Make Me Whole at V7. The routes include Arete at V0, Frosty and Frosty left at V2, and Short, kinda sweet at V3. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Mount Carmel show May highs around 71°F and September highs around 76°F, with July peaking near 85°F. Hikers can pair a session on the boulders with Judge Cook's Oxen Trail or the Nature Trail, both within a quarter mile.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after Tonino's Pizzeria
Restaurant
On your way back · 1 mi
If it rainsMConradWard, CC0 · Wikimedia CommonsMeriden Historical Society Museum & History Center
Museum
On your way back · 9 mi
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: MConradWard, CC0 (commons)
More in MiddletownBest time to go · Apr–Oct
Best time to visit The Neck
Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
38° / 20°
10 wet
Feb
41° / 22°
9 wet
Mar
48° / 28°
11 wet
Apr
60° / 38°
12 wet
May
71° / 48°
11 wet
Jun
79° / 58°
10 wet
Jul
85° / 64°
10 wet
Aug
84° / 62°
9 wet
Sep
76° / 55°
9 wet
Oct
64° / 43°
9 wet
Nov
52° / 34°
9 wet
Dec
42° / 26°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mt Carmel, CT, 1.3 mi away at 180 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: olekinderhook, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)The Chin
Next door
Chin, The in Connecticut has 11 traditional climbing routes across 9 grades.
Photo: olekinderhook, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Between the Chin and Chest
Next door
7 bouldering routes in Connecticut, 4 difficulty grades.
Photo: olekinderhook, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Top of the White Trail
Next door
Top of the White Trail in Connecticut has 18 bouldering routes across 6 grades.
Photo: olekinderhook, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Toni Harp Bloc
~12 min drive
Toni Harp Bloc in Connecticut has 5 bouldering routes with 5 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
Sleeping Giant
Next door
7 bouldering routes in Connecticut with 7 distinct difficulty grades.
CLIMB
Tip Top of the White Trail
Next door
7 bouldering routes in Connecticut spanning 4 grades.
CLIMB
The Crossroads
Next door
Crossroads, The in Connecticut has 9 climbing routes on 6 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
Tower Area
Next door
Tower Area in Connecticut has 8 climbing routes with 6 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
Left Leg
~1 min drive
Left Leg is a 10-route bouldering crag in Connecticut with 5 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
Right Knee
~2 min drive
Right Knee in Connecticut has 19 climbing routes with 13 difficulty grades.
