My climbing experience at the Quincy Quarries was a revelation, and part of me still doesn’t believe I actually rappelled down a cliff! Good thing we caught the whole thing on film. REI’s Local Experiences team offers climbing classes in the Quincy Quarries and other locations near the city, and REI Co-op members are eligible for discounted rates. REI Experiences instructors are trained in climbing safety and rescue techniques, and must pass a rigorous test before receiving their guide certification. Obviously, if you’ve never climbed or rappelled before, you should enlist the help of a professional instructor before attempting the sport. I followed, and this time I actually had fun, hopping my way down the cliff and pausing to pick some blueberries from a bush that was growing among the rocks. Paul, an experienced climber, clipped into the lines and made the first descent in short order. The Quincy Quarry Railroad, which was built at the same time, ran through its center and a 20-ton overhead crane inside the mill could handle the manufactured. This spot offered incredible views of Boston, as well as some of the other quarries. After my two runs, Paul and Lydia thought I was ready to tackle a bigger cliff, so we re-rigged the ropes just up the trail at a slightly higher elevation. I hiked back to the top of the cliff and repeated the descent, this time with even more confidence and speed. ![]() In what seemed like no time I was standing on level ground, looking up at Lydia. ![]() By the time I reached the halfway mark, I was feeling confident enough to make little hops by pushing off from the cliff face and letting out line at about a foot per drop. Very slowly, I started to descend the cliff face, feeding rope through the belay device inch by inch. I’ll confess to suffering from acrophobia, but all of the protection made me feel secure, as did Lydia herself, who very calmly walked me through all the steps. Accessible by public transit and a short walk getting to the quarry is possible to all in the city whether you have a car or not. Perfect for a quick and easy day trip the location can not be beat. Keeping a vise-like grip on the ropes, I backed up to the cliff edge, braced my feet squarely against the rock, and leaned out into space. Quincy Quarries offers a place for climbers of all ranges to sharpen their skills without having to travel too far out of town. When Lydia was sure I had the hang of the belay technique, she attached an additional safety line to my harness that she would control from the top of the cliff and would prevent me from falling if I happened to let go of the rope. Once the ropes were anchored, I clipped into my harness and practiced the rappelling technique on level ground by leaning back and letting the belay line slide through my hands several inches before snugging up against the tubular belay/rappel device, which uses friction to slow or halt the climber’s descent.
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