Rick (61) and Lisa Fregeolle (62) are the primary couple, and Lisa, the second girl, to complete the New Hampshire Triple Crown of Climbing, ending the White Mountains 4000 Footer Grid, The White Mountains Redlining Path Checklist, and Climbing New Hampshire’s 500 Highest Mountains in October 2024. That is essentially the most troublesome climbing problem in New Hampshire and has solely been accomplished by six individuals beforehand, together with John Gutowski in 2019, Invoice Cronin and John McHugh in 2020, Zach Porter and Denise Stassis in 2021, and Liam Cooley in 2022.
Ending the New Hampshire Triple Crown requires climbing:
- The White Mountains 4000 Footer Grid entails climbing all 48 of the White Mountain 4000 footers in each month of the 12 months, for a complete of 576 peaks. It takes about 3300 miles of climbing with 1,000,000 ft of elevation acquire to finish. 187 individuals have completed the grid so far, some a number of instances.
- The White Mountains Redlining Path Checklist requires climbing the entire trails listed within the Appalachian Mountain Membership’s White Mountain Information which lists 664 trails for a mixed size of 1478 miles. On common, it takes most individuals near 2500 miles to complete it as a result of the paths are usually not contiguous and repeats are sometimes vital. 110 individuals have completed so far, some a number of instances.
- The New Hampshire 500 Highest requires climbing the five hundred tallest mountains in New Hampshire that are unfold out all around the state, many in the course of nowhere. A number of hundred of those mountains don’t have trails, which makes this a really difficult record, as a result of it’s important to navigate off-trail to climb them. Nobody’s counted up the miles or elevation acquire required to finish this record but, but it surely’s rather a lot. Thus far, simply 24 individuals have accomplished this record.
Finishing all three of those climbing lists is a severe problem requiring years and infrequently a long time of climbing. For instance, it took Rick and Lisa 20 years to finish the White Mountains 4000 Footer Grid, 10 years to climb the New Hampshire 500 Highest mountains, and 20 years to complete Redlining the White Mountain Trails, though they accomplished most of that remaining record over the previous 3 years.
When requested which was their favourite of the three lists to finish, Rick and Lisa mentioned the White Mountains 4000 Footer Grid was their favourite as a result of they loved seeing the woods change every month of the 12 months. “However we additionally beloved the remoteness, artifacts, logging roads, and herd paths that you just discover whereas bush-whacking the New Hampshire 500 Hundred Highest and the various attention-grabbing trails we hiked to complete the White Mountains Redlining Path record.”
Rick writes “We want to thank the many individuals we met alongside the best way with particular due to Nancy and Charlie Foote who impressed us approach again when. They’re superb! Additionally, Hiker Ed, a tremendous hiker who conjures up so many. We recognize all he does. Additionally, due to Brian Cuddihee for sustaining the NH500 highest record & map and his recommendation. Thanks additionally to Philip Werner for all his analysis, and articles, and for sustaining the Triple Crown finishers record.
Congratulations Rick and Lisa!
