Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 11, 2015 - 08:34am PT
|
The Gunks (as opposed to, say, the Daks) is wildness on a miniature scale. Ship-in-a-bottle wildness. Model railroad wildness. The place is rich in detail even while being constrained in scope. The Trapps and now Lost City are overrun on weekends, victims of the immense surrounding urban pressures and the burgeoning popularity of the sport. But it isn't hard to step off the beaten track either, and enjoy a taste of the kind of solitude that is, in many cases, vanishing from the popular western venues as well.
|
|
rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 11, 2015 - 08:38am PT
|
Gnome, after giving out all kinds of advice, I did offer to take her out for a day if she wanted. She's younger than my daughter and I would have hoped someone would have done something analogous for my daughter.
Whether she takes me up on it is, of course, up to her.
As for Dave's Dong, it is unique in having a few feet of offwidth climbing on it, one of only a handful of places in the Gunks where it is nice to have something bigger than a blue camalot.
|
|
donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
|
|
|
Jun 11, 2015 - 08:45am PT
|
I only bring a Blue Camalot to the Gunks for belay anchors.
|
|
Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
|
|
|
Jun 11, 2015 - 09:13am PT
|
One size fits all!?
From chimney to seam to the face climbing I mentioned.
Then without going into specifics there are other off width chimney climbs
Where the green #5 or two of them is nice.
One that gets me is the down climb by Andrew now called
Erogenous zone, I called it egregiously devoid of integrity to claim a FA in the traps where pins and remnants of my stuck cord must still be in that dank slot!
|
|
Todd Eastman
climber
Bellingham, WA
|
|
|
Jun 11, 2015 - 10:05am PT
|
RGold, you are correct about the scale of wildness found north and south of Albany. I always thought the best function of the Adirondack Park was for giving people a glimpse of somewhere wilder than they were accustomed to and then, upon arriving back home with heightened awareness, seek and create the sense of wildness near home.
The big vast wild areas are like undergrad studies, big and clear to all; the gems like you are showing, and gems even closer to the city cores, are where a full set of trained eyes and senses deliver the goods, more of a post-grad level experience.
I used to marvel at the wildness of Bonticuo coming from Baltimore as a young climber. Keep posting!
|
|
ladyscarlett
Trad climber
SF Bay Area, California
|
|
|
Jun 11, 2015 - 11:59am PT
|
Beautiful!! This kind of green is a dream here, haven't seen it since February ;)
Thank hike was so awesome and I'm sure it's an awesome run now that ice has cleared out :)
Beautiful pic of your daughter!
Love this place and can't wait to get more of it, especially the signature Rgold-style routes.
Thanks for sharing and glad to see that trail running season is in full swing. Watch out for those rocks dude!
Cheers!
LS
ps - as for that girl who hasn't taken you up on your offer yet...she's crazy. If she doesn't, I will, hands down, every time... Silly girl!
|
|
rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 5, 2015 - 10:45pm PT
|
LS, not a peep from the young woman in question. Who knows what Gnome told her... ; )
Anyway, here's a late afternoon summit shot from today's run. Beautiful day, temps in the low 80's, a steady cool breeze at the top, and no one around.
In my old age, I've turned off the watch for trail runs. It has had several beneficial effects, all of which have to do with an increased willingness to stop now that there's no time to beat to certify that I'm "improving."
1. I'm much more likely to stop mid-run and stretch if things are getting tight.
2. If there is something interesting or beautiful to look at, I'm much more likely to stop to take it in, maybe take a shot with my iPhone.
On this particular run, I reached the top feeling pretty good---I could have just tagged the summit and blasted on down. (You'd have to see me "running" to realize just how wrong "blasted" is...) But without the watch ticking, I had time to savor a gorgeous day, watch the turkey vultures circling on the thermals, and snap a nice shot or two before getting back to the business at hand.
|
|
The Lisa
Trad climber
Da Bronx, NY
|
|
Gorgeous photo, Rich!
I climbed at Bonticou for the first time this weekend, trying to stay ahead of the sun by climbing the shaded parts.
I had my trusty #4 Camalot with me but did not need it. It is not as pretty as Donini's blue one but it has its uses.
|
|
rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 6, 2015 - 02:28pm PT
|
When it is hot out, you can climb in the shade at Bonticuo in the morning and then head over to the Trapps/Near Trapps in the afternoon when they get shade for an all-shady day!
But Bonticuo is supposed, by Preserve policy, to be undocumented as a climbing locale, so no climbing photos will be forthcoming.
|
|
steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
|
|
Nice photo's Rich!
Brought back very old recollections of doing a 1st ascent out there with Dave Craft. I climbed thru this big overhang but if you asked me where it went I wouldn't have a clue. Never got recorded either.
|
|
Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
|
|
|
Oct 15, 2015 - 12:52pm PT
|
as this time rolls past each year
miss Bonticuo ,
the chasms of Lost city just make me miss it more
sun bowl every body . . .
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!