During the Summer/Fall of 2023 I partnered with Horton Center to improve the climbing opportunities for their campers at Chapel Rock, Pine Mountain, located in Gorham, New Hampshire. I documented this in great detail in this post.

Unfortunately, one of the fixed static ropes I installed has gone missing. The camp purchased it, and I installed it to protect the staff while setting up the two leftmost climbs.

I’ve now donated one of my own static ropes and re-installed it so the staff can continue to set up these two climbs which they have spent many hours scrubbing to make more climbable.

I’ve suggested to camp management this may have been a mis-informed act of “Leave No Trace” with someone removing the fixed rope. It’s possible someone with old school ethics does not believe a fixed rope is needed here (it is definite 4th class terrain). There could be other reasons I am not thinking of for why someone may have taken it.

The bottom line is this was private property purchased by a non-profit camp that provides accessible camp adventures and was taken from private property. That’s theft. At this point we want to believe this was not a malicious act. We would like whoever is responsible for removing the rope to return it anonymously with no questions asked. If this reaches the party responsible for removing the rope we are suggesting any of these options to return the rope:

1. Leave it at the gate on the camp road a couple hundred yards from Dolly Copp Road.
2. Leave it at International Mountain Equipment with “Northeast Alpine Start” on it
3. Mail it to the camp with no return address to PO Box J, Pinkham B Road, Gorham, NH 03581.

We truly are not interested in pursuing any legal action and would just like the costly rope back, especially now that an exact replacement costs 40% more due to tarrifs.

At this time the camp isn’t planning to close access during the non-camp season months, but if there is a second removal of camp property from camp property I don’t think anyone would expect the camp to still allow the public to climb on its property. Access is a privilege at this location, not a right.

I really hope this rope is returned, and if it isn’t returned, this is the last time someone takes something from this camp and causes the public to lose access to such a cool venue.