Rookie Boulder
- 12 routes
- V0 – V9
- Bouldering
- May–Sep
- best months
Rookie Boulder is a bouldering area in the Shaker Mountain Wild Forest in New York, managed by the State Department of Conservation. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Green Lake Boulders just 0.1 mile away and Pinnacle Pullout Boulders and Area 1 each about 0.9 mile off. The area has 12 bouldering routes, all rated on the V scale from V0 to V9. The easiest is High Chair at V0, and the hardest is Bullseye Stand at V9, first climbed by Justin Sanford. The median grade is V3, so climbers can find problems to suit a range of abilities. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run to highs around 77°F in July and 73°F in August, with lows in the mid-50s. Winters are cold, with January highs near 24°F. For a change from bouldering, the Burnt Valley Trail is about 3.6 miles away, and the Long Lake Crossover Trail is about 4.1 miles away.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Rookie Boulder
Best months: May–September. 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
24° / 7°
Feb
27° / 8°
Mar
35° / 16°
Apr
48° / 29°
May
63° / 42°
Jun
72° / 52°
Jul
77° / 56°
Aug
73° / 54°
Sep
67° / 46°
Oct
53° / 36°
Nov
40° / 25°
Dec
30° / 16°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Gloversville 7nw (Peck Lake), NY, 6.1 mi away at 1,455 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
CLIMB
Pinnacle Pullout Boulders
~2 min drive
Pinnacle Pullout Boulders in New York has 8 bouldering routes.
CLIMB
Area 1
~2 min drive
Area 1 in New York has 22 bouldering routes across 7 grades.
CLIMB
Warm Up Area
~2 min drive
Warm Up Area in New York has 8 climbing routes rated on 3 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
Main Area
~2 min drive
Main Area is a New York climbing crag with 15 routes.
CLIMB
Satellite Area
~2 min drive
Satellite Area in New York has 10 bouldering routes across 5 grades.
CLIMB
Otter Lake Cliff
~2 min drive
Otter Lake Cliff in New York has 16 climbing routes across 11 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
Lost Dog Boulder
~4 min drive
Lost Dog Boulder in New York has 7 bouldering routes across 6 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
Castle
~4 min drive
Castle is a New York climbing crag with 5 bouldering routes.
CLIMB
Stonehenge
~4 min drive
Stonehenge in New York has 8 bouldering routes across 6 grades.
CLIMB
The Meadows
~4 min drive
The Meadows is a 3-route climbing crag in New York with bouldering pads.
