Trip Reports - 6/97 The Gunks, New York

During the week before we left, Henry (as is his habit) followed the weather at Poughkeepsie on the net and watched all the rain in the Southeast feeding heavy rainstorms up through New England, praying that the front moving through the Midwest would penetrate before we hit the area on Saturday. Luckily, absolutely brilliant conditions of cool breezes and sunshine took about 2 seconds to clear away all the worries and start the excitement building. We sped out to friend Bill's hunting cabin in the Catskills beyond the climbing area for a welcoming party and early bed.

Sunday morning, after filling our water containers at the artesian spring (the cabin had all the amenities except running water), we hit the crags with a vengeance. We split up into two teams. Henry and Via's first choice was Horseman. He writes:

"Horseman (5.5) - An enjoyable shot straight up a short face past a tree, into a large right-facing corner, then a traverse out left as the corner closes overtop onto an exposed face to the first belay. Then up some steeper face and an amble to the top. Having gotten to the belay and deciding it to be a one-pitcher, I soon discovered that the route wanders back right then up left to the anchor trees, making rope drag a problem. My "amble to the top" became a fairly substantial runout pulling a lot of rope behind (it is easy ladder climbing at that point, fortunately). Via completed her typically-efficient second without problem for her first-ever Gunks classic."

Since Andy (the impatient bastard!) didn't want to wait, three of us headed down a ways to Eyesore (5.6), an attractive jagged finger crack with - yes, like virtually all Gunks climbs - a roof at the top. This was a nice way to start since we climb a ot of this sized crack in the South... and we weren't disappointed! Andy led up a handfull of good moves to a luxuriant ledge on which to protect (and ponder) the first roof of the trip. Jason cleaned the climb, and then cantered down to see what Henry had in store on Horseman. When Beth had finished with Eyesore, four of us decided to hunt down the famous Shockley's Ceiling as Henry and Jason searched elsewhere for adventure, and found Strictly from Nowhere (5.7) which starts on the face just left of Shockley's.

Andy, for reasons which still remain a mystery today, somehow got psyched about leading a party of three up a 4-pitch 5.6 with a big roof at the top, starting at 2:00 PM. Figuring we were warmed up, he, Via and Beth decided to tackle the famed Shockley's Ceiling. Jason and Henry prepared for Strictly Nowhere (5.7). He relates what became the epic of the trip:

"Two pitches being the largest number I'd ever led on a climb in a row, it seemed somehow appropriate to hop on a 4 pitch climb with no other leaders. "Hey, how tough can it be? It's a 5.6 after all." Actually, each pitch was pretty tasty, though Beth and Via had a to wait a long time to savour the first pitch - it must have taken me an hour to build the first anchor. The second pitch was a long traverse and third pitch was a pretty straight-forward exercise. Nonetheless, at the top of the third pitch (about 4hrs into the climb!) I was getting pretty frazzled. I was finding that it's one thing to trade leads with a single partner on short climbs, and quite another to lead two others through 4 pitches on unfamiliar rock. By the time Beth and Via claimed the third belay, I had already plotted my escape route, hoping to completely avoid the namesake "Shockley's Ceiling"...  As I set out on the final pitch I glanced longingly up at the 4 ft roof wishing I had enough courage and strength to at least make the attempt. And then I noticed, through the wide crack that splits the roof, that the headwall above the roof was angled and even more - it looked like there actually were holds above the roof! I heard myself talking out loud; "This doesn't look so bad after all. Hey, I think this is ok. Yeah, I'm going for it." I don't know if Beth and Via could hear, but I think I was probably trying harder to convince myself than anyone else. Well, as it turns out, I really was pretty tired and nearly failed to make an easy mantle to get myself over the roof! Happily, a heel hook and a second push got me to where I could stand above the roof. Proudly surveying my surroundings, I looked up to see how the route finished. Gee, that looks like another ceiling...ARGH!!!! Cursing loudly, though with a stiff wind now blowing no one could hear me, I continued on. Pulling the second small roof I was rewarded with a view of the top. Nothing between me and sweet salvation - nothing but 20 feet of holdless friction climbing ala' the top of R.J. Gold (at Sunset Park) that is... Would this climb never end?  It is now 5 hours into the climb. It will be dark soon, and I have now committed both Via and Beth into following me up the final pitch. There is no possible voice communication. The wind is blowing hard and I can hear nothing above it. Testing the rope every minute for slack, hoping that they will figure out I am ready when they are. By the time Beth starts climbing, my sweat had dried and I was noticing that the wind has a bit of a bite to it ... it was getting cold as the sun went down. I did not relish being Beth's boyfriend when she found she had to pull a second roof or run the friction slab. Fortunately, I am still Beth's boyfriend - though at the time, I feared that title wouldn't be mine for long. I began to regret my decision and wished that I had some water or extra clothing. Suddenly, Jason and Henry appear behind me, like a couple of guardian angels from Heaven Above. Having watched us from the road below, they'd guessed what was happening and had hiked up the back with supplies and assistance. I looked at Jason and said, "Man, I need water, clothing, and after 6 hours, I really have to, well, unload."

Jason: "Who's your buddy?"

 Andy: "Dude - you are! Excellent!"  

"Jason: "No problem - Here's a jug of water, and I brought you a sweatshirt, and well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad!"

Andy: "ARGH!"

Jason took over belay chores and, unsurprisingly, Beth came over the top beaming -- Beth "I'm not doing multi-pitch" Birmingham -- four pitches, a big roof at 200+ feet, and she smiles. Wow! After a short briefing from Beth on rope signals we could use to communicate "On Belay" and "Climbing" to Via, we waited for a signal from Via... and waited. As it turned out, we couldn't feel anything like a signal through the rope. Eventually, Jason figured out that she must be climbing, and up she came. No problem with the final pitch at all. I believe her exact quote was, "A roof? Didn't really notice a roof. There was that sort of little overhang thing. Was that what you mean?" All kidding aside, we were all happy to have done the climb, and even happier that it was over. Another one for the diary!"

********

Meanwhile, five hours earlier, Jason and Henry had to wait a few minutes for another team to clear the first belay station of Strictly, but were soon off on their way. Jason writes:

"While there are some good face moves at the bottom, Strictly from Nowhere's roof made this climb worth the wait. Rated 5.7, the roof had enough handholds, but tricky foot control kept me thinking. I had to make several right-hand reaches out and up before I could claim this challenge. We made this climb in one pitch with Henry's 60 m rope."

While the three alpinists worked on the second pitch of Shockley's, Henry suggested Classic (5.7) to keep us occupied a little while longer. This was a fun face climb angling up to a roof and a belay a few feet to the right of Jackie (5.5). Protection included an old pin that managed to support the weight of the runner Jason clipped to it. The crux of this climb was a face move about 2/3 of the way to the roof. Over the next few days, this small area provided a lot of excitement and satisfaction for us all.

Well, hours after Henry and Jason had rapped off Strictly, ate lunch, climbed Classic, then packed, unpacked, and repacked their gear again, the crew on Shockley's was just about ready to tackle the roof. They decided to hike up to the top of cliff and met the chilly three with trail shoes, food, and water (of course figuring that they could exact an appropriate price), as night began to fall... Andy topped out just as the two arrived, and was ready to sign over his health and happiness (well, that's something!) for some water, a power bar, and some T.P. Well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad, as he wrote ...

Monday we hit the Trapps, ready for more. We chose two adjacent climbs, Sixish, which Henry would lead, and Drunkard's Delight (5.7+) for Andy. Henry writes:

"Sixish (5.4+) - The guidebook indicated the sandbagged nature of the grading of this climb - I can say that I'd climbed easier 6's here. The first 30 ft up the blocks in the corner are a rude awakening! Then its off to the left onto a face and a finish much like Horseman. But Beth created the true adventure on this one. As I threw the rope down for her, it went to the right of a small tree under some roofs at the upper part of the pitch. So she gamely decided to climb up around the tree and then back left, and in so doing came very close to completing pitch 1 of the adjacent climb: "One Blunder and You're Ten Feet Under"! It was an aptly named climb..."

Next door, Drunkard's Delight begins with some good face-finger crack moves up to a nice ledge below the well protected roof. Andy writes:

"This was a fun climb. A great roof with bomber protection. This was a really fun one and highly recommended. But one problem with having such a comfortable belay ledge right below the roof is that you have plenty of time to contemplate your next move."

After meeting at the top, we decided to check out the well known High Exposure Buttress. Henry and Via chose to climb High Exposure while Jason, Beth, and Andy picked the nearby first pitch of Modern Times. High E was the high point of the trip for Henry. He writes:

"I ignored all the hype on this climb from the Gunks web page and decided that if it was a 5.6, I would have no technical problem with it. However, as I geared up at the bottom amidst all the chatter, the hype seeped through to me and I opted to start on the first pitch in the "comfort" of the corner, on a route called Psychedelic, to a belay in the trees. After Via came up, I belayed her half-crawl across to the big belay ledge on the butress, and then had to listen to her ominous whistling as I came across. I then stepped out to lie on my back at the apex of the triangular ledge to gaze past the huge roof up the buttress (a "must-do" experience, 2/3 of the way up the most prominent buttress along the entire Trapps). I couldn't help noticing how far north, south and downward I could see at the same time - just as a major wind gust came up....

Finally on belay, and having psyched myself sufficiently, I strode up the angled block under the roof to its far-righthand edge and contemplated the options - pretty obviously, there was only one! A thin FCU in a narrow horizontal provided a bomber placement right at the lip, so I reached around right onto the face and grabbed the inside edge of a vertical crack. I swung out onto the face using the one available tiny toe hold, and the exhilaration of the moment took over completely. The exposure was awesome on the face and the wind was blowing harder now, but the holds and gear placements were easy, variable, and obvious; a great combination of circumstances for pure climbing enjoyment, and a good opportunity for a whoop and a hollar! If you could only bottle that feeling! I ate up the face to the top and set a bomber anchor. I grinned as I waited to see Via's expression as she came up over the edge. I wasn't disappointed!! I think  I said something foolish like "If I never climb again, it won't matter now..." and she didn't disagree!

Yahoo!  There's a reason this climb is so well-known; a reason why climbers stand in line to take a crack at it. High-E sets you out there...way out there.

The first pitch of Modern Times, on the other hand, was a little more relaxing. After 30 feet of off-vertical corner, over one hundred feet of ladder climbing awaited. With plenty of low-stress moves, we enjoyed a vertical climb at a decent grade, watching Henry and Via on their way to the ledge, eventually moving up and out of sight above the striking Directissima arete on the second pitch of High-E.

Tuesday morning was overcast, but we ambled out anyway, and divided up into teams for this morning's rounds; Andy, Via, and Beth would tackle Classic (5.7+), while Jason and Henry found Son of Easy O (5.8). The rain promised by the grey morning sky eventually came, but not before Jason and Henry made it through the first pitch of the Son. Jason writes:

"This was my toughest lead at the Gunks so far. There were several delicate face moves at the bottom, and a really good move up the finger crack about halfway to the belay ledge. The climb took protection without a problem, and typically there were good rest spots to place gear. I belayed Henry up, just in time to tie in and watch the rain come from across the valley. We looked longingly at the roof just above our heads, but decided to knock off here and rap down to meet the other team."

We all met, wondering what the weather was up to. The shower turned out to be short, so we all decided on some more climbing. Classic runs between two excellent possibilities, Jackie to the left, and Pink Laurel (5.8+) on the right. Henry, followed by Via and Beth, led Jackie:

"Jackie (5.5) - This had been my first Gunks lead in August of '96, repeated for the pure enjoyment of it. This climb is all secure and yet interesting enough, with two small roofs, to be a lot of fun. It eats all kinds of gear in picture-perfect placements, and follows a highly visible straight line all the way up, and as a result is quite popular."

Jason (buckling under to peer pressure from Andy, he claims) chose to lead up Pink Laurel. Listed as a 2 pitch climb, we tied into a 60 m rope, in case it seemed likely we could do it in 1 pitch. Jason writes:

" Twenty feet off the ground, I was stymied by an awkward pull up from the cove at the top of the first short corner. After two attempts, I decided to bypass this by climbing the "ramp" to the left, and join the climb above. Pretty soon I was at the left edge of a 20-foot handrail -- cast off! If you intend to climb this route, be prepared to encounter substantial pigeon guano...the handrail apparently is a very attractive roost for the boids. Back in the corner, I made the next move up to join the climb, then hand-railed back left to the belay ledge, where Henry had been watching my folly with a mixture of empathy and entertainment. Figuring I was past the worst of things, I decided to combine the pitches, and with my belayer's blessing (no surprise there), climbed out the ledge on loose block to tackle the  headwall above. A mixed blessing: there were few placement possibilities past the last ledge, but since I was pretty much out of runners anyway, I didn't mind so much. I made it to the top, and grabbed a few feet of rope to tie into a tree -- and that was all I got! Andy made it to the top, though I had no idea how things went since I couldn't hear him. Good thing, too, since he was reportedly cursing my name the whole way up for taking him on such a wild and wandering route. It was worth the trouble, though. While not a pretty climb, Pink Laurel had plenty of variety."

Down from this adventure, Jason and Andy watched as Via re-climbed Classic to work out some kinks which had given her trouble the first time around. As it was late afternoon, but still plenty light for climbing, we headed back to Horseman so Andy and Beth could have the pleasure.

While Andy and Beth were working on this classic, Jason and Via were considering a climb or two as well. Right from Horseman by about 20 feet is a short and sweet crack climb, Laurel, and over another 15 feet, Rhododendron (5.6). Jason writes:

"These two cracks were an ideal way to end a crazy day. We'd started out threatened by rain, then I ran all over the place climbing Pink Laurel. By contrast, these finger and hand crack climbs were straight up, straight forward, and pretty mellow. Both took gear without a second thought, and have easy rap stations."

On Wednesday, Henry "The High Exposure Junkie" Gholz reluctantly agreed to repeat that climb, this time with Via seconding and Beth following third. Henry's second time on this climb was no less exciting than the first:

"This time I angled right away from the corner on Psychedelic's Pitch 1 and headed directly toward the buttress ledge. This was a much more enjoyable route for Pitch 1. The holds and placements opened up before me and I was quickly at the top. Via cleaned and Beth followed third, clean as a whistle. The psychology of this climb is definitely 9/10s of the challenge for anyone leading 6s here. Do it once and then go for all the other 3-stars... "

A front stormed through Wednesday, foiling our hopes of climbing for the day, and we listened with concern to the rain most of the night. However, Thursday dawned with the front passed, and we set out for our final challenges. We split up into teams for the last time this trip: Via, Beth and Henry set off to the Near Trapps south of the lot and a 5.7- called Yellow Ridge, while Andy and Jason set off for the Modern Times roof (5.8+).  Henry writes:

"As I set the first piece and looked up at the off-width we were instructed to "struggle up," I promptly slipped - my one leader fall of the trip (all 3 feet of it and only 6 feet off the ground...). By the time I was through with the struggle I was totally drenched - but by sweat, not water - and in a light-colored corner which faced right into the sun above the trees and concentrated the light, and heat. We headed up and left along a fun, but rather long, traverse to the second belay ledge. This belay is necessary to avoid significant rope drag up the short final gully off its far side. We walked off the top right back to the bridge and beat the others back to the car by about 5 minutes! In the summer, save this climb for the afternoons - it would actually be a lot of fun then."

Andy chose Modern Times to be the last climb for the Toxic Twins. Since they'd both climbed the first pitch earlier in the week, they decided to work up Psychedelic's corner as an alternative. In position at the bottom of the second pitch, necks craned upward to the roof....Andy writes:

"Modern Times. What can I say? "Exciting isn't the word" is how the guide puts it. Indeed. The second pitch of Modern Times is probably my proudest climb. I've climbed harder routes. I've been rattled worse. However, in terms of exposure, moves, and just pure "hangin' it out there" I can't think of anything that compares. Don't get me wrong - I was scared sh&*!@less, but I stayed calm and that's what I am proud of. The moves are definitely 8-8+, there's no sandbagging on this - it's totally do-able. But it *was* on lead, it *was* 200 feet off the deck, and it is *still* about a 7' roof. We climbed this instead of High E, and I don't think we lacked anything in the exposure or excitement departments. Do it if you get the chance and are up for it. Exciting is the word!"

Several big moves -- Andy cranked like his entire world had boiled down to that roof, and that roof alone. Jason followed soon after, pausing just for a few seconds to enjoy an indescribable view that a lucky few can experience. Two rope lengths to the ground, and they soon met the Yellow Ridge Three in the parking lot...

Packed up in the rental, we five smelly but smiling climbers from FLORIDA sped off for the airport, thinking about the last few days. We'd experienced some historic rock climbs of the East. Each had climbed with  everyone else (we were a pretty free-spirited bunch). Variety? Cracks of all sizes and attitudes, face moves, height and exposure, a great place to stay (Thanks, Bill!), a new problem with each roof, ... plus plenty of stories and memories to last us 'til the next trip.

******

Henry's Overall notes:

(1) Every route had some type of overhang to surmount.

(2) My new set of FCUs worked splendidly in the horizontal, often parallel-sided Gunks cracks, except that on harder climbs narrower TCUs and tri-cams have obvious advantages (up through the 5.7- I led, this was never a problem).

(3) I thought that I had climbed so much, until I started looking through the guidebook on the way home and discovered all the 3-star climbs in my ability range that I hadn't even noticed...

Henry Gholz    Andy Mitchell   Beth Birmingham   Via Enneking    Jason Hale

Guidebooks:

The Gunks Guide by Todd Swain, 3rd ed 1995.Chockstone Press (covers Trapps, Near Trapps, Sky Top and Millbrook)

Shawangunk Rock Climbs: The Trapps by Dick Williams, 3rd ed 1991.

The American Alpine Club: Climber's Guide; AAC Press.
(A series of guides covering the Trapps, Near Trapps, Sky Top and Millbrook)

Mohonk Preserve and area info:

Mohonk Preserve, Inc.
P.O. Box 715
New Paltz, NY 12561-0715
Fax: (845) 255-5646
http://mohonkpreserve.org

http://www.gunks.com (Climbing page)

http://www.rocksnow.com (Local climbing shop)

http://www.newpaltz.org (Local area information)

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