Climbers in western Massachusetts are finally getting some good news two months after the closure of southern New England’s most popular crag.
Yesterday, the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition (WMCC) announced they have raised the $275,000 necessary to begin construction of a new parking lot that will allow access to Farley Ledges in Erving, Massachusetts.
The popular climbing area was abruptly closed on April 3 when a private landowner revoked access. Because it is not possible to access any of the climbing from the current WMCC parking lot without crossing the private landowner’s property, WMCC officials temporarily closed the lot.
Farley is the most popular crag in southern New England. It is renowned for its striking gneiss formations that include roughly 400 pitches of roped climbing and an equal number of boulder problems. As the closest major climbing area to Boston, the area sees an estimated 10,000 visitors annually.
The closure pushed WMCC to try to quickly raise funds to speed up the development of a new parking area on WMCC-owned land. In December, WMCC and Access Fund purchased a 70-acre property at Farley Ledges that would provide direct climbing access.
WMCC officials said an anonymous donor proposed a $125,000 donation if it could be matched by the community. In just 31 days, WMCC was able to raise more than $150,000, bringing them to $275,000 with the match.
WMCC will now begin preparing the site for the new parking lot. They will start by tackling invasive species and clearning brush beginning Sunday, June 7. Volunteers can sign up for a trail day to help with these tasks.
