Fall Days in the Gunks

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rgold

Trad climber

Poughkeepsie, NY

Sep 27, 2008 - 01:11pm PT

"As a very occasional Gunks visitor, I don't think I've done a single Gunks route twice, there's always something new to me.

You may not know the half of it. Dick's new Guidebook volume to the Near Trapps and Millbrook just came out, with (I think) something like 100 new routes in the Near Trapps.

I spent some time with Dick as guide doing some of these this summer. It was usually disgustingly hot and humid, so we stuck to the large number of shady short first pitches to rappel stations. The climbing is interesting and, in many cases, different in a way I can't put my finger on, with interesting and not always straightforward moves on dark, rippled rock, quite different from the classic white and yellow sections at Millbrook and the Trapps. The difficulties are all over the lot; most of what I happened to do was in the 5.7 to easy 5.10 range---old school gradings.

It is particularly interesting to have moderate routes without any chalk (this, sadly, will change), routes that require a full range of trad protecting skills (you might want to have your brass trinkets, ballnuts, and microcams on a 5.7 or 5.8).

Of course, without the guidebook, this whole area of the Near Trapps is virtually deserted, even on the most overcrowded weekends, providing a climbing experience reminiscent of the 1960's a few minutes walk away from the hurly-burly. No doubt, these routes will eventually catch on and draw climbers, or at least those climbers who have tired of repeating the same classics over and over and over again, from the densely populated nearby urban climbing centers.

But this Fall (see that? I'm still somewhat on-topic) should still be good. The air will be crisp, the colors vibrant, and the crowds, for the most part, will still be plastered on the same old routes. This might be the last chance for the weekend climber without either the time or the adventurous spirit to visit the remote Gunks crags to nonetheless step through a time warp and emerge in a quiet place where climbing is still a private conversation between the climber and the rock, punctuated only by the calls of birds and the wind speeding the fall-colored leaves on their journey to the ground.

Chiloe

Trad climber

Lee, NH

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 27, 2008 - 02:25pm PT

I kinda like the concept of the Near Trapps uncrowded. Since I'm still blundering around
with the old Swain guidebook, or mostly asking locals "Where's this route?" it's been no
harder to navigate out there. The dozen or so routes I've done seemed pretty fun. I'll
look forward to learning about the new possibilities, though.

goatboy smellz

climber

स्कन्ध, co

Sep 29, 2008 - 07:36pm PT

Definitely worth adding to the list Chiloe.

Photo blatantly stolen from the older Swain guide.

Ed Hartouni

Trad climber

Livermore, CA

Apr 6, 2015 - 07:10pm PT

bump anticipating the coming fall

Floorabove

climber

The Gunks y'all

Oct 9, 2015 - 03:52pm PT

And so it begins;The first blush of the color yet to come.

c_vultaggio

Trad climber

new york

Oct 10, 2015 - 08:08am PT

Colors getting ready to pop any day now...

Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber

Out Of Bed

Oct 10, 2015 - 01:55pm PT

Fun shot !
Is this, High Exposure ?
__

Teeny Face ?
Or
Obsticale Delusion?

Shooting across or from just below, at the top of Both of those
there are great photo opportunities; with High E. in the background.

It has been years though, so branches may have spread, YMMV .