Gunks practice routes

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Messages 1 - 14 of total 14 in this topic
MLogan

Trad climber
New Paltz, NY
Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 30, 2014 - 09:52am PT
This past weekend at the Gunks, several beginner parties had set up TR and gear-placement practice, etc, on the first pitches of very popular climbs such as Three Pines. My impression was that these were all ok semi-experienced people (no guides involved and not talking about the Uberfall area) working with even newer beginners on the only easy routes they were familiar and comfortable with.

So what are peoples best suggestions for good, OBSCURE first pitches in the Trapps and Nears for beginners looking to practice gear placement, anchor building, leading, etc, to be steered towards on busy days when they just shouldn't be clogging up the easy classics?
TradEddie

Trad climber
Philadelphia, PA
Sep 30, 2014 - 10:27am PT
Welcome to Fall in the Gunks. What you've described is the downside of exactly what makes the Gunks so great, and so popular. Gang roping on Three Pines at a weekend isn't cool, but there are many well protected easy/moderate climbs that don't get stars in the guidebooks. The AMC slab, hidden away above the welcome boulder is the traditional beginner TR practice area, but not good for leading. Practicing anchor building and gear placement can be done anywhere on the ground, but whether you're leading 5.2 or 5.12, you're leading, not practicing, and anyone who arrives after you is simply out of luck. If you are looking for places to bring beginners to TR, Peterskill is probably better.

Alternatively, take a Friday or Monday off, and have the whole place almost to yourself.

TE
TradEddie

Trad climber
Philadelphia, PA
Sep 30, 2014 - 10:45am PT
No Picnic (5.4 G) or Asphodel (5.5 G) are often overlooked due to lack of stars and also the upper pitches of Rusty Trifle (can be accessed from the right, avoiding nasty first pitch traverse).

How to effectively suggest those to gang-ropers is up to you.

TE
anita514

Gym climber
Great White North
Sep 30, 2014 - 10:54am PT
I've seen gang-ropers on Strictly's and Something Interesting. Kinda shitty to hog those routes on a weekend.
Wonder if people set up TR's on the second pitch of High E and have a big party on the GT Ledge?

rgold

Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
Sep 30, 2014 - 11:33am PT
I guess the fundamental problem is the so-called "instructors" suffer from a profound lack of common courtesy, exacerbated by both a lack of imagination and a lack of curiosity about routes outside the very most beaten path. A contributing factor is the inability of the climbing community (and, depending on the role they ultimately want to play in such matters, the Preserve) to control the proliferation of top-rope anchors on first pitches of multipitch routes.

There are 25 routes in the Trapps in the 5.2-5.3 range that could be used for such instructional purposes. Only two of these are three-star routes, and the geniuses you encountered picked one of them. Moreover, there is an entire area at Peterskill that is arguably better suited to the kind of instruction you encountered.

Then there is the fact that "ground school" is often a more effective way to teach anchoring and protecting basics, and this can be conducted at a host of locations that do not in any way interfere with routes.

Given the vast array of alternatives, there is no conceivable excuse for tying up Three Pines, other than possession of the character defects I listed above. Sadly, such failings are not uncommon.
TradEddie

Trad climber
Philadelphia, PA
Sep 30, 2014 - 12:20pm PT
Wonder if people set up TR's on the second pitch of High E and have a big party on the GT Ledge?

We've done almost that, not TR, but a group of ten or twelve running leading laps on High E and Modern Times, on a Sunday, in the Fall, expecting at any time to surrender the routes to anyone joining us on the GT ledge, but nobody ever did. It was just one of those days with a poor forecast that never played out.

As rgold said, even on the busiest days there are always lots of excellent G rated climbs open to anyone with a little imagination.

TE
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Oct 1, 2014 - 03:25am PT
hey there say, just a bump for MLogan... :)
MLogan

Trad climber
New Paltz, NY
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 1, 2014 - 10:53am PT
Yeah, I fully expect such behavior at the uberfall area, so don't really mind that Bunny is TR'd all day alongside Retribution.

A friend told me about a party who TR'd the first pitch of High E all day one weekend time -- both inexplicable for the obnoxious behavior and dullness of the climbing.

But further along the cliff it would be nice to be able to point people who are, to be generous, simply clueless toward a first pitch suitable to them but only rarely sought after by others. This might be the first 5.3 pitch of an unpopular 5.9 climb that goes easily overlooked in the guidebooks.

Personally, when i'm in slow learning mode I take off for LC, the unbothered site of my own anchor building and gear placement practice hours and both my first belayed and TR-solo leads -- great rock and no one says boo as you work things out.


Seamstress

Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
Oct 1, 2014 - 11:04am PT
You should see the Mazama nightmare at Smith every Spring and Fall. Commercial groups of this size are prohibitted, but the Mazamas can bring in 60 people at 8 AM for 8 prime weekends tying up all the easy leads within an hour walk of the parking lot. Then they coordinate between each group with radios so their members can go on a wide variety of classics while the rest of the public better be climbing 5.10 or harder.
Gunkie

Trad climber
East Coast US
Oct 1, 2014 - 11:45am PT
I usually throw rocks at TRs on the first pitches of popular multi-pitch climbs. But that's just me.
TradEddie

Trad climber
Philadelphia, PA
Oct 2, 2014 - 07:11am PT
But further along the cliff it would be nice to be able to point people who are, to be generous, simply clueless toward a first pitch suitable to them but only rarely sought after by others. This might be the first 5.3 pitch of an unpopular 5.9 climb that goes easily overlooked in the guidebooks.

It would take great skill to make such a suggestion in a way that didn't generate the opposite effect. I'm not condoning the gang-roping, but unless someone actually asks you for a recommendation, your best option is to find one of those hidden gems for yourself. That's what fall weekends are for, weekdays are for collecting stars.

Or, you could just rack up, and as soon as someone unties, pull their rope and start leading. I'm not condoning that either, but it's regularly done, and the one time I witnessed it, was hilarious to watch the impotent response.

TE
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Oct 2, 2014 - 11:04am PT
Clogging up popular classic routes with top ropes is not acceptable behavior ANYWHERE. You should feel free to tell them to remove their ropes and move to less crowded areas.
jstan

climber
Oct 2, 2014 - 11:10am PT
Clogging up popular classic routes with top ropes is not acceptable behavior ANYWHERE. You should feel free to tell them to remove their ropes and move to less crowded areas.
JD

Jim has it wrapped up there. One caveat. In order to be effective you need to shuck off your emotion. Give them a chance also to react quietly. Whatever you do smile and leave them a place where they can feel OK with themselves. What you say will have an impact. With humans, that is all you can ask.
StahlBro

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
Oct 2, 2014 - 11:11am PT
There is some fun 1 pitch stuff that can be lead and TR'd just a little past High E. We saw a few folks warming up there.



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