The breathtaking expanse of crumbling granite that is Cannon Cliff stands guard over Franconia Notch, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It is a foreboding and exhilarating location.
Whitehorse may be prettier, and
the Gunks more convenient, but when it comes to immersion, nothing in New England compares to Cannon.
I first saw Cannon Cliff on a hiking foray into the White Mountains, a few weeks after arriving in Boston. Back then I didn't even know what climbing was, let alone imagine that within two years I would be able to scale the heights of this cliff. Yet in my first full season of climbing, I was lucky enough to meet
Susan Ruff, and climb two routes on Cannon -
Lakeview and the
Whitney-Gilman Ridge. These climbs, each very different in character, sit at the top of my list of all-time favourites.
