The Gunks
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.