Quincy Quarries Quincy

Granite from the Quincy Quarries can be found throughout the US, as it was prized
as a building and monument stone for over a century. Sometimes called the
“Birthplace of the Granite Industry,” Quincy was also one of the first places in the
US where crag climbing was used for mountaineering practice, sometimes in still-
working quarries. Robert Underhill’s unpublished 1926 Rock Climbs Around Boston
found “One course of 150 feet, worth roping for. One face climb, 120 feet, difficult
and exposed.” Today the longest climb is 50 feet and most of the water is gone. The
abandoned quarries are known for their sometimes-blank face climbs requiring good
footwork and lots of shoe rubber. The grades are tough, a half to a full number grade
below what you might expect.
Most of the routes listed here are found in two quarry holes that once made up
Granite Railway Quarry. Immediately to the east is Swingle’s Quarry, and the rem-
nants of Badgers Quarry are east of that. Short cliffs and small quarries are found
throughout the region. The rock is dark granite that can be quite hot in the summer
and pleasantly warm in the winter. The area dries out very quickly. Many popular
routes have glue-in toprope anchors; other climbs require medium to long slings.
Most of the cliffs are designated by letters, clockwise from left to right as you walk
in from Ricciuti Drive (A Wall, B Wall, C Wall…). Designations in this book do not
match previous editions. The walls after C Wall have been re-lettered in this guide
to allow for the addition of walls that became easily accessible when quarries were
filled in the late 1990s.
DIRECTIONS The Quincy Quarries Reservation (www.state.ma.us/mdc/quincyq.htm)
is part of the Blue Hills Reservation, south of Boston. Take Route 93/3 to exit 8 in
Quincy. Follow signs for Quarry Hills Recreation Complex until you come to
Ricciuti Drive, between a Mr. Tux and a large “Quarry Hills” sign. It’s quick going
south, but a bit roundabout going north. Turn right on Ricciuti Drive and go 0.2

View of Boston from Quincy Quarries

2 Boston Rocks GPS for parking: 42° 13.000' N, 71° 2.000' W

miles to a small parking lot on the right, or 0.4 miles to a larger lot set up and back
from the road by the soccer fields and microwave tower.
Walking into the site from Ricciuti Drive, walls A–F are in the small quarry on the
left, the buttress ahead is H Wall, and the tall ship’s prow ahead and to the right is J and
K Walls. The trail from the larger parking area leads to the top of the A and B Walls.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Take the Red Line to Quincy Center, take MBTA bus
#215 to Copeland and Willard Streets, walk left on Willard Street, cross under the
Expressway and take the first right onto Ricciuti Drive. Follow the directions above.

These pages are not final. This

map does not show all of the
walls and many of the wall
names are incorrect. The map
will be correct in the final book.

Metropolitan District Commission 617-698-1802

GPS for rock: 42° 13.000' N, 71° 2.000' W Quincy Quarries 3

A Wall 50 ft

8 var. 8
5 6

descent

discontinuous drawings

ent
c
des
8
7
5, 6

1 2 3

The A Wall has two rarely-climbed faces, partially obscured by trees.

1 Bulges 5.2 Just right of a descent route.
2 Snark 5.6 Go up, traverse right above the drill holes, and go up again.
3 Dill’s Pickle 5.8 Eight feet right of Snark, climb up the center of the block
with the drill holes.
4 Hairlip 5.6 Eight feet right of Dill’s Pickle. Pass the overhang on either side.
Not shown.
There is a 60 ft gap between Hairlip and Backbone. Just left of Backbone is a
descent gully with a large tree.
5 Backbone 5.6 The finger crack to the right of the descent route.
6 Ribs 5.4 Start as for Backbone, but finish to the right.
7 Short Man’s Sorrow 5.10 Reachy.
8 Blow Up 5.9 Go over the overhang at the drill holes.
9 Fat Man’s Folly 5.8 Start up Blow Up, move right, and finish straight up.

4 Boston Rocks
B Wall (Pink Face) 54 ft

1 2 3
Pink Face is good for beginners and
for practicing rappelling.
1 Pink Face Left 5.2 The ramp is
off route.
2 Pink Face Center 5.6 You can
make the route harder by avoid-
ing the large horizontal cracks.
3 Pink Face Right 5.3 Stay just
left of the outside corner.

Climber on B Wall, Little Granite Rail Quarry

Quincy Quarries 5
C Wall 45 ft

descent

17 18
1 var. 13, 14 15
1, 2 4

22
D Wall

5 6 8 10 12 13 14 16 19 20 21
2 4
1 14 var. 15, 13 var.
The C Wall hosts many popular routes. It faces south and is sheltered from the wind, so it
is a good cold-weather destination. There is a third-class descent route at the far left end
of the wall. Most climbs here are harder than the stated grade. Deal with it.

1 Grey Spot 5.5. The variation Grey Spot Direct is a 5.7+.
2 Blood Streaks 5.9 ★ Follow the red paint streak…that is if
you can get off the ground. An “over 40” start can be found
on the left by the little ledge.
3 Constant Absurdity 5.8 Not shown. The Ceaseless Turmoil
holds are off-route.
4 Ceaseless Turmoil 5.8 ★ The obvious vertical crack. It’s
very hard on your first few tries, for a 5.7.
5 Satisfaction 5.7 The variation Mazy Motion is also 5.7.
6 Double Overhang 5.6 ★ There are a few variations at the
start, all feeling harder than 5.6. One of the original over-
hans was removed by an MIT climbing class demonstration
of how a camming device works.
7 Rubin’s Cube 5.10 Rarely done. Not shown.
8 Sour Grapes 5.9-5.10 ★ Gain a flake-like feature via tiny
edges. At the top, don’t cheat to the left.
9 Ripple 5.10 Not shown.
10 Split Pea 5.8 Start just left of the ledge
11 Sticky Fingers 5.8 Not shown.
12 Thin Spot 5.7 Follow the seams and cracks just left of a
large flake-like feature.
13 Yellow Spot 5.4–5.5 Follow the steps up and right to a
highpoint. Finish via a shallow yellowish scoop. An
alternate start climbs the right side of the flake.
14 Flake Direct 5.6 Climb straight up the middle of the
flake-like structure formed by the steps on both sides.
The variation on the left is 5.10.
15 Mingled Measure 5.8 Start on the right side of the
flake, then climb up the face right of the yellow scoop.
16 Palm 5.7 Find the signature “palm” move.
17 Brown Sugar 5.9 Start on Leap or Albatross, then stay
left of Leap above the flake.
18 Leap 5.8+ Climb the center of the Albatross flake, then
continue straight up.
19 Albatross 5.8 Climb the obvious flake, then up.
20 Starlight 5.4 Climb the slab to an overhang.
21 Small Ceiling 5.4 Finish between two faint drill holes.
22 Fingers 5.7 On the D Wall. See the next page.
23 Fingertrip 5.8 the girdle traverse, generally done right
to left.

7 Boston Rocks Quincy Quarries