Porcupine Fortress info?

[stoneseeker]

Hey I was hoping some of you knowledgeable experienced folks could help us out.
I was hoping to go out climbing at Porcupine Fortress Saturday and needed to know a few things first.

1.) Is it possible to camp there Friday night? the book mentions it, is it campgrounds? or just a nice legal spot to pitch a tent?

2.) I also heard the directions were potentially inadequate in parts... could I get the run down so we don't get lost? (or toss me the link to the post that described the newest directions)

3.) Anyone else interested??


Thanks !

[Scooter]

I heard it wasn't worth the effort... but I can't say from my own experience.

I do want to climb saturday but was thinking more like West Pennant areas.

Did you send the arete Wednesday??

[stoneseeker]

no... I never got back on the arete after you guys left.
We are gonna go stay in a friends cabin tonight out a little ways past bridgewater, so its worth checking out porcupine on the way back past Hubbards Saturday morning.
So, I guess I dont need to know about the camping anymore, just any details on finding the place I should know.
I'm gonna call Jeremy, I think he mentioned some things to keep in mind while looking.

[mick]

You could camp at porcupine fortress if you wanted to. Probably not a bad idea to spraypaint your tent orange first this time of year. It's not easy to find if you haven't been there before, but not impossible either.

If you know the general area, park at the entrance to the dirt road that heads to bully wall, then walk back along the road for 50m and keep your eyes peeled on the right in the ditch for a pile of flat stones that let you cross easily into the woods. Follow the right-leaning trail up into the woods for 20m (if you hit a pot grow operation you went the wrong way) until the trail leads opens up into a small clearing with a VW sized boulder in it.

Now you bushwhack in mostly the same direction you were headed, down the hill until you hit a stream/small river in about 50m or less. You won't miss this waterway as you must cross it to reach the climbing. Cross it at the easiest point and you should find yourself on a reasonably defined trail. Follow this up a gentle slope for 50m until you can see a rock outcrop - you are headed around the right hand side of this for another 25m with the rock outcrop on your left and a boggy lake down the hill on your right. Welcome to Porcupine Fortress.

The Quill boulder is an obvious 8m tall triangular rock - the other boulders are within a stone's throw of this landmark. A good afternoon of climbing for sure. If my directions are off, please post up with revisions afterward.

cheers
mick
ps. Bringing some flagging tape to mark the trail on your way out probably would be appreciated by future parties.
pps. Wear LOTS of BRIGHT ORANGE. Seriously.

[stoneseeker]

Hey, Porcupine Fortress was found with only a little floundering about in the woods... Not a bad spot! The rock didn't seem typical of nova scotia in there.

Did the project up the middle of the face of the Quill ever get sent? I saw very well scrubbed crimps and played around on them for a while, but it was sharp, and hard, and with so much to play on I moved on pretty quick. Still, I'm sure its been sent by now?

Thanks for the beta Mick, unfortunately I didn't get it till I got home, but I will be going back this week to send the rest of the stuff I couldnt get to, and check out the potential on nearby un-scrubbed boulders for some harder lines. I will make an effort to tape the route in as I go this time, now that I know how to get there.

Anyone interested in going to Porcupine sometime this week (afternoon/evening) let me know, PM me... I got a car.

[seanT]

Sounds like a FA to me..been there didnt do it, no one else with me did it either and all were nutty pullers so nice job Luke!!!!

[The Teth]

Here is a link to the guide I put together after discovering Porcupine Fortress. Or, rediscovering I should say. I used to play in the nooks and caves there when I was a kid. There used to be porcupines living under some of the rocks back then.

http://novascotiaclimb.tripod.com/guide_pf.html

So the project you were trying was the crimps up the middle of the high vertical face of the boulder with The Quill on it eh? (That is boulder #2 in my guide.) I worked it allot but only got part way up. It looks like a cool, but hard line. Or at least it will be hard until Ben does it and downgrades it to a V0.

On another note, this Bully Wall interests me. I never discovered that one when I was young and I thought I had been all through there. Mick, are you saying it is down the Coleman Cove Rd? Can you give some more detailed directions. I would like to take a look at it when I visit my parents next weekend.

[The Teth]

Also of note, if you are driving back from Bridgewater again, then you should check out the Exit 7 boulders. They are just off the highway, so not out of your way at all if you are going by there anyway.

http://novascotiaclimb.tripod.com/guide_exit7.html

Not a very large bouldering area, and most of it is fairly easy, but there is one harder project, marked as 4 in the Row section, which might interest a more advanced climber. I don’t think it has been done yet, but I have been out of touch for a few years.

[stoneseeker]

Sounds like a FA to me..been there didnt do it, no one else with me did it either and all were nutty pullers so nice job Luke!!!!

hah ha no, I said it was sharp and hard, so I moved on pretty quick. "moved on" meant: went on to other things, no send, try again another time.... etc.
Not, "moved on after I sent it with ease"!! It looks doable though, and made me curious to know if anyone sent it. it is easily the cleanest, proudest line there! although, confidence was pretty nice.

I sent everything else though, Sean... just for you.

Oh, I went back yesterday and flagging taped the way in. Although it is sparse taping it should make it considerably easier to get in for anyone interested. It's bright orange tape.

[mick]

Please respect the locals. The approach is private land as far as anyone can tell.

Porcupine Fortress:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=44.523927, ... 01929&z=16

Bully Wall (note that there is no official access to this area and that nearby roads are private, but the area itself is likely public):
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=44.507827, ... 04823&z=18

It's best to keep a low profile when visiting Bully Wall.

[The Teth]

Ah, ok, I got ya now. I am sure I have stood at the top of that wall when I was young. I used to go skinny dipping in that cove just north of it. That was before the ill fated Health Spa went in.

I was through there once since I became a climber, looking for more boulding potential, but I missed that one.

If anyone bothers me on my way out there I will tell them that I am visiting due to nostalgia for my youth.

[jeremy benjamin]

If anyone bothers me on my way out there I will tell them that I am visiting due to nostalgia for my youth.

How much nostalgia can you fit in that big rectangle on your back?

[tracstarr]

fun area. here's a video of when conan and I were there a few years back. http://www.tracstarr.com/g2/d/3972-4/PorcupineFortress_NovaScotia.wmv

[The Teth]

So, is the Bully Wall a very short wall with a 45 degree overhang, above the ocean? If so, I located it. It looks really burly! I noticed another 45 degree overhand just north of it in an in-cut which also looked good and burly.

What are the climbing grades there? The holds look ok, but the 45 degree overhang would make it very challenging. It looked like it was out of my league at the moment.

I had to walk around the perimeter of the abandoned Health Spa to get to the shore, which made me a little nervus of the security. There was a car parked at the front door, but no one accosted me.

[Ammex]

Oh, I went back yesterday and flagging taped the way in. Although it is sparse taping it should make it considerably easier to get in for anyone interested. It's bright orange tape.

This was certainly appreciated and helpful today since I didn't brush up on Mick's directions before heading out. All the tape is pretty mcuh there, one tree was knocked down and a seen a piece on the ground, still more than enough to make it in and out quickly. You cartainly saved us some time and some branches in the face, thanks.

[stoneseeker]

Glad to know it was worth the effort!