In the heart of New York City sits Central Park—843 acres of nature among America's most densely populated city. And hidden among the finely manicured fields, ball parks, and pathways sits nearly a dozen rocky outcroppings known for decades among the area's tight-knit climbing community.
After a few years of living in New York City and climbing in Central Park countless times, it’s still a surreal experience. Unlike a trip to your average bouldering crag, climbing in the middle of Manhattan isn’t at all an escape from city, instead it’s an unexpected addition to the experience.
While Rat Rock is certainly the most popular, we recently went for a session at Worthless Boulder, located farther uptown near 110th Street. The session starting same as they always do—by lugging crash pads through the subway from Brooklyn. It was a warm summer day, so our session was nice and lazy—equal parts snacking to climbing. No complaints here.