A Storied Isle

Don’t Be Fooled by the Stunning Appearance and Easy Approaches of the Coastal Climbing in Maine’s Acadia National Park. Bold Grades, Tricky Movement, and Exposure Demand Extra Effort.
 

- Sasha Turrentine

I DOWNCLIMBED to the seam, backing off the crux roof again. Behind me, Mount Desert Island was serene, in contrast to my insides. A mounting forearm pump had my mind racing. The crux of Green Mountain Breakdown at the South Wall in Maine’s Acadia National Park seemed harder than its given 5.9+. The added “+” felt like a cruel joke. I imagined my pro popping out while I whipped in slow motion. I tugged again on the C3 cam at my waist, felt the stickiness of the pink granite under my feet, and breathed slowly. Shaking out one last time, I moved out over the roof. If I was going to do this, it had to be now.

Earlier that summer in Brooklyn, I had Googled “coastal trad climbing in the Northeast.” I missed my native California granite and the Pacific Ocean, and I wanted to work on my trad head. Pictures of climbers dangling off sea cliffs popped up on my screen. I imagined a group of my girlfriends trading belays while the Atlantic swirled, a breeze blowing through our ponytails as we moved up pristine granite. That daydream was just an eight-hour drive away.

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK spans 49,000 acres of southern Maine on Mount Desert Island, the sixth largest island in the contiguous United States. Spruce, fir, pine, and birch trees, sphagnum moss, and blue lakes characterize this fairy land surrounded by the Atlantic. Acadia features via ferrata–style hiking, kayaking, fresh lobster, beer halls, and campgrounds with ocean views. Around 10,000 people call Mount Desert home, but the island sees more than 2 million visitors a year, making it one of the United States’ top 10 most-visited national parks.