Shawkagunks - Not to be missed

[percious]

I am sure mcorsar will be interested in these. None the less, my first trip to the Gunks was a complete success. This is a beautiful place, and I suggest you visit it, even if only to hike around for the day amongst the beautiful cliffs.

http://www.percious.com/Climbing/NY/Gunks - April 2006/index.html

Here is my "winning" shot:

-percious

 

[Mark Schaefer]

Nice pictures. I agree the Gunks should not be missed by any avid hiker or climber. I visit Mohonk often, but for hiking and rock scrambles. I have never gotten into technical climbing, but I love the nontechnical ascents and boulder scramble areas.

Looks like you were there on a weekday late last week. The 30 minute limit at the lot where you parked is more strictly enforced on weekends. There are also parking lots at the Mohonk Preserve Visitor's Center before the hairpin, and another Preserve parking lot a short distance beyond the crest of the road. You can pay the day fee for climbing or hiking as you enter the lots and park at no additional charge. There are trails from each lot to the climbing areas.

The climbing and hiking fees are pricey in the Gunks. There is also the Lost City climbing area at Minnewaska State Park further west on Routes 44/55. Fees at Minnewaska are generally less, although the climbing at the Trapps in the Mohonk Preserve is better.

There is also a one year climbing permit available at Mohonk for $85. It is $50 for preserve membership (includes hiking and XC skiing) plus $35 for technical climbing. $10 discount for students and seniors.

 

[percious]

Thanks for the valuable information Mark. Truth be told, I allowed my partner to determine all the regulations for the park. I thought there was some kind of fee, but he said it was only for Skytop, so I went by his word. We were there on a Monday.

-percious

 

[MattC]

Glad you guys had fun up there. By coincidence, I just wrote about the Gunks in "Other Places" over at ADKHighPeaks. I'm not a technical climber, but I have heard of "High Exposure." One time while having a beer at the Guilded Otter I was looking at the Gunks climbing guide they have at the bar, just because I liked the colorful names of the routes. A memorable one was "Amber Waves of Pain."

I was doing an after-work hike Thursday evening on Millbrook Ridge, which is across 44/55 from the Trapps. The climbers refer to the walls over there as Near Trapps, or just "The Nears." Anyhow, I saw a couple rangers and stopped to chat. They told me they had gotten a report of some beer bottles tossed over the cliff! They figured it was probably kids, but they hadn't caught the culprits. A few minutes later, I ran into a climber who had just completed a route and was waiting for his partner. He had been the guy who reported the bottles. Fortunately no one was hurt. I continued on as far as Millbrook Mountain and looped back through Coxing Kill Clove, this being a route I often do, but I never saw anyone else until I got back to lot.

It was quite disturbing to hear of this happening. Not only is it littering, but someone could have been hurt or even killed. I seriously hope that whoever threw the bottles didn't realize that there were potentially climbers below. If that were the case, their actions would still have been immature and irresponsible, but at least not dangerously so. I do want to stress that this is the only time I've heard of anything like this occuring, and I am in the Shawangunks a great deal. As such, I consider it an aberration. Not at all the norm up there.

Anyhow, sorry to digress. Nice TR and pics.

Matt

 

[cbcbd]

Awesome report!! Very jealous as I had planned to go up there this past weekend (but alternate plans were still awesome).
Hopefully I should start leading this summer and will be at the Gunks more often.
Good times, good times

 

[Head]

Right on Chris! My buddy gets down there quite a bit. Loves it! (He lives in Placid and is very partial to ADK climbing, but he claims its is better than the ADKs!) Thanks for the TR and the pics were swwweeet!

 

[percious]

Awesome report!! Very jealous as I had planned to go up there this past weekend (but alternate plans were still awesome).
Hopefully I should start leading this summer and will be at the Gunks more often.
Good times, good times

Leading is quite an investment, I'll tell you that. But there is nothing like taking the sharp end of the rope. Since you live in CT, I highly recommend doing your first leads up at Pinnacle in Plainville, CT. 1st, 3rd, and 2nd Crack provide some good stepping stones (in that order!). 2nd does have ground-fall potential. Let me know if you want to get together sometime, you can always tag along and do some leads with my gear so you can figure out what you like/don't like.

-percious

 

[percious]

Right on Chris! My buddy gets down there quite a bit. Loves it! (He lives in Placid and is very partial to ADK climbing, but he claims its is better than the ADKs!) Thanks for the TR and the pics were swwweeet!

Thanks Head. Sorry I have not got back to you on our "secret" project yet. With the new baby and Colorado planning, it has been on the back burner. I did get permissions from the wife for end of August/beginning of September. The other members do not mind adding another climber to the mix. I'll try and get an email out with details on location later by the end of the week.

-percious

 

[Kevin]

Nice report and pictures... If your ever looking for a partner, let me know. Between climbing, cycling and hiking in the Gunks, I am over there most weekends.

Catch you later...
Kevin

 

[giggy]

nice pix - nice to see more of this activity on the site . I have to get some better rock skills.