Massachusetts · Rock climbing · Monson

Main Face

6 routes
5.5 – 5.11
Trad
Apr, Jun–Oct
best months

Main Face is a rock climbing area in Massachusetts, about a mile from the town of North Monson. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Bunyan Mountain and the holding area both about 0.1 mile away. The area has six traditional routes, ranging from 5.5 to 5.11 on the YDS scale. Castor is the easiest at 5.5, and Eyeless in Gaza is the hardest at 5.11. The routes were first climbed between 1979 and 1985, and all are traditional. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run to highs around 80°F in July, with September still near 72°F. Winters are cold, with January highs around 34°F. Battleship Rock is about 3.5 miles away, and the White Trail hike is about 4.6 miles off. For fishing, the Quaboag River is about 8.3 miles away, and the Scantic River in Connecticut is about 9.3 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Apr, Jun–Oct

    Best time to visit Main Face

    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 (6)

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

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

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

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holding area

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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

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