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The Gunks

August 17, 2010 in Climbing with 0 Comments

A climbing party on the third pitch of High Exposure (5.6)

I (Kim) was fortunate enough to find myself with a couple of free days and zero commitments so I set off on a little solo road trip to climb some of the überclassic, moderate (read, easy) climbs in the Gunks. Having long since given up even the idea of lead climbing I hooked up with High Exposure, a guiding service and spent two days with talented local guide Jason Beaupré. The Shawangunk ridge is a series of cliffs ranging between 100 and 300 feet high. Located in New York State, about 150 km north of NYC it meant about a seven hour drive, but a pleasant one down through the Adirondacks.

First climbed in the 1930s, the area boasts literally hundreds of climbs easily accessibly off a wide, flat trail.  On a weekday the routes were not crowded and trad climbing seemed like a perfectly normal activity with men of all ages, families and female teams flaking out ropes and organizing gear at the cliff base. The guidebook shows the likes of Yvon Chouinard making first ascents in the 1960s and on my visit I saw no fewer than three first ascentionists strolling along the carriage road. You certainly felt part of a larger climbing tradition.

A solid lead climber and willing teacher, Jason was happy to let the client set the pace and pick the routes but encouraged a little stretching of one’s ability. He offered good climbing beta and took time to explain the various anchors and rappels we used. The one-on-one formate worked great. Although not cheap, it ensures you do what you want if your time (and ability) is limited.

As such, I had a chance to climb some great routes including Rhododendron (5.6), Jackie (5.5), Horseman (5.5), Ken’s Crack (5.7) and mucked about on some face climbs. But the highlight was climbing High Exposure (5.6), surely one of the most spectacular climbs of its grade anywhere.

Rating:  ☺☺☺☺☺   Memorable

Jugs to glory. The money pitch of High E. Hugely exposed and slightly overhanging but with bucket holds.

Belaying off the Grand Traverse ledge atop the second pitch of High Exposure.

Climbing the walls

August 2, 2010 in Climbing with 0 Comments

In the outdoorsy town of Lake Placid for the week to cheer a family member in his very first Ironman triathlon, we took a day to go cragging on Pitchoff cliff, a slab located just south of town on Hwy 73. The day was booked through Eastern Mountain Sports by my sister-in-law as a special birthday treat for our adventure-minded niece, who turned 11 that day.

Our two experienced guides, Josh and Matt, set up three top ropes for our group of three families. Climbers included three of the mothers, one father and five kids: two girls aged 11, a boy of 8, and P and J. Our Ironman contender wisely took the day to observe, encourage the kids and rest up for his race.

Although the weather was cool with patches of drizzle, the day was a resounding success, even winning over Kim’s husband, a rock climbing skeptic. The off-vertical routes provided lots of chances for kids and adults to try climbing using ledges, cracks, flakes and friction holds, and even a tricky overhang.

The guides were incredibly patient, tying kids in and out of the routes over and over, and helping them work out some basic climbing moves including laybacks, heel hooks, stemming and rappelling. We felt in good hands with our guides who said they didn’t often have such a keen group of climbers ranging in age from 4 to 40(ish). Not a cheap day out by any stretch, but certainly a memorable one. Happy Birthday, K!

Rating:  ☺☺☺☺☺   Outstanding day.