Massachusetts · Rock climbing · Monson

holding area

1 route
V5-6
Bouldering
Apr, Jun–Oct
best months

The holding area is a bouldering spot in Massachusetts, about a mile from the town of North Monson. It sits right beside Bunyan Mountain and Main Face, two other climbing areas within a tenth of a mile, so it works well as a stop on a day spent exploring the cluster of rock in this corner of the state. The single route here is The Blue Ox, a boulder problem rated V5-6. It was first climbed by Josh Larson, and it's the only route listed for the area. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run to highs around 80°F in July, with September still reaching the low 70s. Winters are cold, with January highs near 34°F. Battleship Rock is about 3.5 miles away, and the White Trail hike is roughly 4.7 miles off. For time on the water, the Quaboag River is about 8.4 miles away, and the Scantic River in Connecticut is about 9.2 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Apr, Jun–Oct

    Best time to visit holding area

    Best months: April and June–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.

    1. Jan

      34° / 16°

      13 wet

    2. Feb

      37° / 17°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      44° / 25°

      12 wet

    4. Apr

      57° / 36°

      12 wet

    5. May

      67° / 46°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      75° / 56°

      11 wet

    7. Jul

      80° / 61°

      11 wet

    8. Aug

      79° / 60°

      12 wet

    9. Sep

      72° / 52°

      10 wet

    10. Oct

      61° / 40°

      11 wet

    11. Nov

      50° / 31°

      11 wet

    12. Dec

      39° / 23°

      12 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at E Brimfield Lake, MA, 10.2 mi away at 700 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (1)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Mashamoquet Brook State ParkPhoto: Ehkastning, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mashamoquet Brook State Park

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Mashamoquet Brook State Park in Connecticut has 3 bouldering routes.

Big Bad Wolf BoulderPhoto: Ehkastning, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Big Bad Wolf Boulder

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Big Bad Wolf Boulder is a bouldering area in Connecticut with 5 routes.

Upper TierPhoto: Marty Aligata, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Upper Tier

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Lower TierPhoto: Marty Aligata, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Lower Tier

~45 min drive

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Main Face

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Main Face in Massachusetts has 6 traditional climbing routes rated across 6 difficulty grades.

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Bunyan Mountain

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Bunyan Mountain is a Massachusetts climbing crag with 2 trad routes.

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Battleship Rock

~6 min drive

Battleship Rock in Massachusetts has 7 bouldering routes spanning 5 difficulty grades.

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Turdle Boulder

~19 min drive

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Rock House Reservation

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Rock House Reservation in Massachusetts has 8 bouldering routes.