Looking Back at 2014. Ice Rules!

Here's a list of what I did in 2014.  As you can see, the majority of my days out were ice/mixed.

Winter

1/1 – XXX* (ice, mixed)

1/4 – Catskills, Hillyer Ravine (ice)
1/18 – Slateford Falls, Mt. Minsi, Delaware Water Gap (ice)
1/21 – Dark Side, Plate Cove, Catskills (ice)
1/25 – XXX (ice, mixed)
2/6 – Across North Face of Pitchoff Mountain, Adirondacks, NY (ice)
2/9 – XXX (ice)
2/17 – The Narrows (ice)

Spring/Summer/Fall

4/14 – Ricks Rocks

5/26 – XXX
7/6 – Gunks (The Nears)
7/19 – Delaware Water Gap (Mt. Minsi)
9/20 – Gunks (The Trapps)
10/14 – Powerlinez
10/25 – XXX
11/2 – Delaware Water Gap (Mt. Minsi)
 
Winter

12/23 – Stony Clove, West Side, Catskills (ice)

 

17 Days Climbing (9 Ice/Mixed)

 

 

 

*XXX - local crag with access issues

We'll Just Keep Climbing Till It Sucks

The sound of rain woke me before my 5:40am alarm clock.  I stepped out the door just before 6am and saw it was coming down diagonally, pooling in my broken driveway.  Fifteen minutes later, I’m sitting in my truck in a Dunkin Doughnuts parking lot texting Doug Ferguson as the rainfall drums on my roof.  I’m beyond wondering if this is a good idea anymore, this must be a bad idea.  The forecast was calling for rain all week, and here it is.  It’s a day before Christmas Eve and at the North Pole, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is on standby to lead Santa’s sleigh through this unfortunately timed winter Nor’easter.  Doug told me there’s definitely ice in the Cats.  Stony Clove is looking particularly good right now for this early in the season, and with all this rain and warmth it’s not about to last much longer.  Doug, who’s been up since 4am and probably on his 3^rd cup of coffee, is telling me it’s hardly raining in New Paltz and he’s psyched to climb.  I’m looking forward to climbing, and don’t mind getting wet while doing it, but I don’t want to spend the day getting drenched.  Still, I’m wondering, the Cats are three hours away and surely the weather up there will be different then it is here…right?  Right?

The drive up does little to inspire confidence.  It goes from mist to hard rain, back and forth.  When I get to Doug’s house, it’s maybe in the upper 30’s and raining lightly.  He’s optimistic and I’m doing my best to keep up with his good spirit.  We drive together the next hour north, and it seems to be raining even harder as we get closer.  Off the exit and winding up towards Hunter Mountain I notice as we get higher up on the switchbacks that there’s snow on the ground, a lot of it and the road cuts around us do have ice.  When we reach Tannersville, there’s a surprisingly deep carpeting of white and the rain seems to have suddenly stopped.  We drive along the road that sits beneath Stony Clove, and we can see through the heavy fog rock walls with thick ice.  We park at Notch Lake, wait out a heavy but short downpour, and begin our approach in a light mist.  Both of us feel like the rain will turn on and off throughout the day.  And like Doug told me this morning over the phone, our game plan for the day is go and “just keep climbing till it sucks”.   

 

Looking up from the Lake.

Directly under the approach.



Somewhere along the base of The Entertainer/Ice Capades/Climax, we found an overhand for our packs and just big enough for us to find shelter under in case it started to rain heavy again. The top of Climax was blank rock, but Ice Capades (WI2) was in decent shape and Doug led up it.  After I followed, Doug took another lap and carefully, carefully, carefully tip-toed over to the Entertainer to drop the line from the top.  The Entertainer (WI3/3+) was thick and we were able to do left and right variations.  But just as Doug began his first lap, the rain returned and we were forced to take shelter and sip hot drinks.  Fortunately, it was brief and even more fortunate it was the worst the weather got for the rest of the day.  We emerged, I took another burn and Doug his.  After topping out, Doug again chose to walk the loose, scary, and extremely sketchy top (while still roped up), to drop our rope on Them That Die Are The Lucky Ones (WI3+, M3).  Normally, this is an ice climb but conditions made it a mixed route, roughly an M3 in terms of difficulty.  I’ve climbed Entertainer/Ice Capades/Climax plenty of times before, but this was my first time on TTDATLO.  It’s an interesting corner climb and conditions definitely made it sort of an “alpine” climb, with snow deposits, chossy rock, wet turf and all sorts of gnarly ice…rock veiled in thin filmy ice, “snice” – ice covered by a sheet of frozen snow, and the occasional bulge of good ice.   

 

 

Ice Capades, with just enough ice at the top for a safe finish.

The Entertainer went on its left and right side.

 

Waiting it out under a rock roof.

  

Looking up the very "Alpine" start of Them That Die Are The Lucky Ones.
 





Upper Section of TTDATLO.

 

Little Black Dike looked full and thick ealier from the road, and Doug and I were psyched to get on it.  One of my favorite Catskills climbs, the usually reliable LBD is 100 feet of nearly vertical WI4.  But by the time we reached it, it was clear that sections were delaminated.  For the first time, I noticed Doug take on a serious and focused look about him as he tied-in and started to lead up.  About 30 feet into the route, I heard the scary hollow thud of tools hitting dangerous ice as Doug searched for a safe stance to place a screw.  But once Doug cleared the mid-way crux, he found himself on thicker ice with safer options and cruised the final feet to the top and calling out to me in a sing-song voice.  Even for me following, LBD was pretty scary on the lower half.  There were thin sections were you could see the rock and water running beneath the ice.  At the second screw, I found myself at an overhanging bulge and needed to rest on the rope and shake out my tired arms.  The sustained vertical climbing was definitely challenging, given that I haven't been on ice for almost a year, but I felt like I could easily return to last years' peak form and certainly achieve some greater skill or ability this year if I'm able to climb enough.

 



 

 



Little Black Dike.

Crusing up the last few feet of LBD.

 

Our day ended after LBD, the cliff was too wet and the remaining ice now too dangerous.  Doug and I both managed to get in 5 pitches of climbing on a day that didn't seem like we'd be doing any climbing at all.  I packed an entire clothing change, fearing the rain would soak me to the baselayer, but only needed to swap out a jacket after getting stuck under a drip on The Entertainer.  We both agreed, the day was a huge success and not once did it ever come close to sucking.

 

Me, with Doug.

 

 



 

 

Zoom In!

 

Here are a couple of pictures from my last outing at the Delaware Water Gap, taken by my friend Allison.



 

 

Crackpot

Crackpot

High Falls, just below first belay



Winds

Sky like faded silver with heavy dark purple clouds.  The mountain above is beginning to bald but clusters of deep red and bright yellow leaves fight to hold on.  Kyle and I are below Mount Minsi, parked at the Cold Air Cave pull-off.  Both of us have our shoulders hunched up to our ears and hands stuffed in our pockets.  The wind is gusting at 30 mph, or more.  He drove almost four hours to be here.  We’re both laughing because there’s no way, no choice, for us not to climb today.

The wind speaks; it doesn’t just shriek and moan.  It tells me I’ll need my fleece pullover and Mammut soft-shell in order to stay warm.  It says it came from somewhere cold, and that soon that very cold will be here. It warns me that as soon as I get myself high up enough on the wall, to bath in the warm sun, that it will find me.

The wind carried in several other climbers.  Larry, the unofficial mayor of The Gap.  John, the fearless young man.  John’s girlfriend Alison, the photographer.  Boyd, the Doctor.  Kyle N., or “the other Kyle”, a quiet kid who looks like Harry Potter.  And my Kyle, affectionately known as The Stoned Master.  And finally Kyle’s wife Amanda, who is bundled up like an Eskimo and quietly reading wherever she can find some sun.  I’ve never climbed with such a big group before, usually I roll in 2’s or 3’s.  The last time I’ve seen this many cars parked below the ascent trail was years ago, when a two-bit guide outfit put a deal on Groupon for urbanites to crowd the small top-ropers buttress and leave trash strewn all over the undercliff trail.  Thankfully, the wild and adventurous nature of The Gap keeps the regular visitors down to a select few hardmen and committed locals.

 

Gearing Up Before Heading Up

 

I climbed with Larry and Kyle on High Falls, 5.8.  This route starts above the Practice Face ledge.  Some people call the section below the Practice Face (below the single bolt) the first pitch of High Falls.  But I feel the route doesn’t really start until you’re above the Practice Fact, and you’ve traversed in via the Cat Walk ledge.  Larry lead Pitch 1, Kyle and I simu-climbed with me cleaning gear. I decided to rap off of Pitch 1.  Pitch 2 is a short traverse to a hanging belay, and I felt like things would be complicated in that position with three climbers and two ropes.  And Kyle and Larry were swapping leads anyway, I was just following.  I rapped, and came around the corner to Pussy Toes, 5.5 were John, Boyd, and Alison were climbing.  Shortly thereafter, the other Kyle joined us.

 

Larry, starting up High Falls.

 

Our entire party traversed the cliff south to the Land of The Giants wall where we divided up.  Larry and John on Point of No Return, 5.8+ (or, 5.8+++), with Alison taking pictures on the ground.  Boyd and The Other Kyle on Surprise, 5.4.  And Kyle and I on Crackpot, 5.4, with his wife sitting nearby with her book.  Crackpot is directly right of Point of No Return and we were able to hear Larry’s incessant whistling/singing while he stuck it out in the hanging belay – bringing up John, and then belaying him out to lead.  How he kept himself in that position for so long, I have no idea.

 

 

Kyle, leading up Crackpot.

 

Larry, hanging belay on Point of No Return.

Kyle and I on Crackpot.



After rappelling Crackpot, Kyle and I found our rope was stuck when trying to retrieve it.  The links on Crackpot are a bit small, and I’ve had trouble pulling ropes from this route before.  But ours were completely stuck, as in the two of us with all of our weight and strength could not get them to budge.  These things happen sometimes.  Larry and John were in deep on Point of No Returns so we had to wait for Boyd and The Other Kyle to finish Surprise so they could free our rope, but they planned on climbing Crackpot next anyway.  And before he went up, I gave Boyd a spare biner and aluminum ring to replace those damn links up there.

 

Boyd, up on the cold and dark arete of Crackpot to free our ropes.

 

Our day started at 730am and by now it was nearly 3pm.  Kyle and I had planned on climbing Surprise but unfortunately, we lost almost 90 minutes waiting.  And at this point, the sun was completely gone from the cliff and we were all very, very cold.  We all said our goodbyes after plenty of back and forth about getting together again, here or there, to climb this or that.  I told Kyle that in the Spring I would make the trip out to his home turf.

Back at the parking area, the wind was blowing cold off of the river and saying that our time was short.  I don’t think that today was my last day climbing rock in 2014, but very well could be.  This rock season may not have been one of my most active, but probably one of the best if you quantify quality.  

View of The Mighty Delaware, just below The Gap.
 

Hoping to get some additional pictures from Alison, the photographer, in the coming weeks.

Be Inspiring

Over the weekend I was fortunate to climb with my friend Jud and his son, his wife and daughter (they came along to watch and hike), as well as my wife and son.  We decided it would be best to carry my son in his kid-carrier pack, so my wife and I had to leave our daughter with her grandparents, since both of us would be carrying in packs.

We went to the local crag and the intent of the day was to let Jud’s son sample some more outdoor climbing (he’s only 9 years old, and mostly climbs indoors).  I also wanted my son to get outside to watch and scramble up some of the step-like gullies so he could “rock climb” too.  I also wanted my wife’s company and brought along her harness, shoes, and helmet hoping she might rope up.

Jud’s son climbed the 5-easy chimney route with ease and I coaxed my wife into giving it a try.  She was a bit nervous; she used to climb quite a bit in the gym but not much outside, and it’s been a while.  But she managed to send the route no problem and came down with a big smile on her face and later telling me “I’m back”, saying how she was looking forward to climbing again.  After that we climbed one of my favorite routes, a 5.6/7 corner climb that really challenged but stoked Jud’s son since the variety in holds and body positions is something you really can’t replicate in the gym. 

My son had a blast.  All he wanted to do was climb and I was very impressed by how well he can do it at just under 3 years old.  He’s very confident, sure-footed and careful (he gets a lot of practice climbing furniture).  I can’t wait until he’s big enough for a child’s harness. While I’ll never push him into doing anything, I can see he genuinely enjoys the outdoors, climbing, and doing adventurous and physical activities.

I’ve been bummed out lately by how I see a lot of parents interact with their young children, especially when it comes to fathers and sons.  I saw a pretty disappointing episode recently at a barber shop, while my son played with another boy his father (who was too occupied with his cellphone to see how well they were behaving) kept pulling him back in his chair and shushing him, then finally turning over the phone to the child with a video to halt his play and divert his attention. Why a dad would be annoyed by two boys just being boys – nobody else there seemed to mind either, all the other adults were watching them and smiling.  And the other day, at a child’s birthday party, seeing parents shut down their kids with iPads or their cellphones instead of letting them be kids or, what they should be doing, giving them the proper attention they need.  I’m not trying to rant, but while some people may think I’m crazy bringing my son climbing, I think people like me and Jud got it right when it comes to parenting versus those who’d rather let the TV, iPad, cellphone, or the internet be their children’s guide in life.  Jud spent a great deal of time explaining safety and the reasons behind our actions to his son, as a father should.  While my little guy is a bit too young for Climbing 101 or roping up, at the very least I’ll let him learn through playing, experience falling down-getting up, watch, and hopefully one day be inspired to try. 

 

The Little Guy who I'm trying to inspire, who inspires me.

 

Powerlinez

A few years ago, Jon Crefeld wrote the first edition of the Powerlinez guidebook.  Not long after, access issues arose and climbing was put on hold. The Torne Valley Climbers Coalition, led by Jon, lobbied to have the ban lifted and in May, 2013, climbing finally became a legal activity.

 

Tower Wall

 

The Powerlinez is an interesting area. The main approach trail is literally underneath Power Lines and you can hear them buzzing and snapping overhead. The Tower Wall, the area’s largest wall, is one of the first things you’ll see walking up and it’s definitely an impressive piece of rock. Scattered throughout are boulder-like walls, 10-30+’ high, that offer either high-ball bouldering or short top-rope climbs. For the most part, I saw the landings were very flat and ideal for crash pads and spotters.  However, I’ve never been comfortable bouldering more than 10 feet, even with a diligent spotter and cushioned fall.

 

Power Lines, litearlly.



  

There are also several walls for roped climbing, and there’s even a sport climbing wall that was grandfathered in (bolting is not permitted). We set up on what I believe was the Three Bears Wall (far left of Tower wall), on a high-ball slab called the Free Fall Boulder, and the Basilisk Wall. Unfortunately, steady rain from the day before combined with lichen covered rock (due to the area being still relatively new to climbers) made the rock very spongey and slippery.  The Basilisk Wall would have been a great area to explore had the rock been dryer.  Another issue, again from the rock not being climbed, cleaned, and worn down, is the sharpness of holds and features. The rock is nearly razor sharp.  Over time, these factors will become less of an issue but it’s definitely something to be considered.

 



Chopper Noise, 5.9 on the Basilisk Wall. Very wet!

 

Free Fall Boulder, about 20-25'. Sharp and gritty. Climbed on Top-Rope.

What might be the "God Jam Crack". Stemming up to the ceiling, to a hand-jam crack, then face climbing traverse to top out. Good route!

 



I’d definitely like to visit this area again, preferably when it’s dry! There’s a ton of rock here and although I’ve never been one to boulder, the amount of rock that can be safely climbed with a spotter and pad shouldn’t be pass up on. In addition, I’d like to climb the Tower Wall. While I was never lost, finding my way around was difficult. I had trouble naming/placing walls and the only way I could see getting up to the top of most of the higher walls would involve a serious bushwhack and scramble. Having a partner who knows the area and can identify walls and routes would be very helpful.



 

Doing 35 on the Carriage Road

This past Saturday I turned 35.  Kind of a milestone birthday.  40 is now down-the-hill and while I’m not necessarily getting old, I’m certainly no longer at an age associated with youthfulness.

While most people stay up late celebrating a birthday alternatively, my day began at 5am.  The plan was to hike the Carriage Road at The Gunks, a five-mile loop, with both of our children (the carriage road is a flat gravel trail that can accommodate a big-wheeled stroller).  Along the way I was going to meet up with a friend and do a quick climb so my son could finally see me rock climb.  My friend from work, who actually has a place near The Gunks, joined us with her daughter who is my son’s age.

We arrived very early at the West Trapps parking lot in order to beat the weekend crowds.  The importance of getting a spot in this lot so early was stressed because it’s a relatively flat and short approach to the Carriage Road for the stroller vs. going up the famous Stairmaster in the lower parking area. 

Within a short time we reached the Frog’s Head Wall and my friend Mike had already set up a top-rope on the route Frog’s Head, 5.6.  We parked our strollers at the base of the approach trail and very, very carefully brought the kiddies up.  Hanging out under a cliff is not the place for children but I can assure you that they were being very careful looked after by two diligent and attentive mothers.  My ascent of Frog’s Head took only a few minutes.  I would call out and wave to my son and he kept yelling “UP! UP!” for encouragement. 

 

Frog's Head Collage

 

Over the next couple of hours we walked, talked, stopped, nursed, ran, fell, cried, laughed and even changed a few diapers.  Right around the last mile, both of the toddlers were fast asleep.  My 7-week old daughter, who spent most of the trip fastened to my wife via Baby Bjorn, barely made a sound except for letting us know she was hungry about half-way through.  But throughout, the weather and mood was very pleasant and the kids, and adults, all had a great time.

 

We finished the day with a stop at the Mountain Brauhaus.  Located right at the intersection of 44/55 and 299, I’ve passed this restaurant every single time I visited the Gunks and could sometimes smell wonderful food cooking as I passed.  The traditional home cooked German food and beer (killer Oktoberfest) did not disappoint! 

 

View from the trail

 

Lost City?

 

 

 

 

Gap Daddy

The birth of my daughter is less than two weeks away and I’m making the final push to have everything in order.  Not just diapers, baby blankets, and car seats…but being prepared as a Father, Husband, and in this case here, a Climber.  With my first-born, I found that life didn’t stop with kids.  In fact, it sped up.  However time for personal endeavors, such as climbing, is less and it’s not because I have to be with my family as much as I’d rather be with my family more than anything else.  But I can’t help be driven by instinct to seek adventures and challenges.  If I don’t express myself through outlets like rock climbing every now and then, I feel like a big part of who I am as a person is being suppressed.  Nothing is as satiating or satisfying as walking through my front door, after an exhausting day of rock climbing, to be greeted by my wife and son.  I can rest easy in their company, feeling not only accomplished but grateful.  

I had an opportunity to climb on Saturday and decided that I would visit the Delaware Water Gap since it’s a shorter drive than The Gunks (in case my wife unexpectedly went into labor) and happens to be only a few miles from my best friend’s house.  Unfortunately, my best friend isn’t a rock climber.  Fortunately, however, my friend Dustin is.  Dustin was my partner at The Narrows earlier this year and expressed a genuine interest in climbing at The Gap.  There are two mountains at The Gap – Tammany on the NJ side and Minsi on the PA side.  Although I’ve climbed several times on Tammany, I can’t say that I’m a big fan.  The cliff is right over the highway so noise is an issue, and it receives full sun in the summer making it unbearably hot.  In the cooler months, and on quieter travel days, it’s not that bad to visit.  In contrast, Minsi is definitely the better side in my opinion.  The road beneath it is a relatively quiet country road and the sun does not shine on the cliff directly all day.  There is a seasonal falcon closure on Minsi but it was lifted a few weeks ago and the cliff reopened for climbing. 

Dustin and I agreed to meet at 830am.  I managed to get a decent night of sleep (sometimes before climbing I can be up for hours, restless) and arrived at the cliff a few minutes early, not long before Dustin.  The forecast for the day was a high of 82 and overcast skies.  Rain wasn’t predicted, and the humidity was only slight. Couldn’t ask for better weather in the middle of July!

The short but rugged approach trail up the mountain ends at the base of the Practice Face, which is commonly used as a top-rope site.  Right around the corner is a short section known as the Cat Wall.  My friend Larry has climbed and recommended the route Pussytoes (5.5+, PG), and we decided on this for our first climb.  The route goes about 70 feet until a ledge with a bolted anchor.  Up until a short section below that ledge, the climbing was straightforward and the gear decent.  Just before the ledge I ran into a crux, slightly overhanging rock with a wide crack and some awkward holds.  I had to rest on the rope and make a few attempts before finally figuring out the moves.  The holds were there, it was more of a matter of finding the right body position and balance in order to reach them.

 

Looking up Pussytoes.

On the belay ledge of Pussytoes.

 We continued along the cliff towards the section known as Land of the Giants to climb a route called Crackpot (5.4+. G).  I climbed this route about two years ago with my friend John.  Crackpot is partially bolted – there are two bolts at the start, a gear placement, and then a third bolt.  From there, a short section of gear-protected rock until the fourth bolt which happens to be in a great spot.  After the fourth bolt, the rock is a gorgeous marble-white color and the route ends just before a roof system with a two-bolt anchor.  I’m going to submit this route as an area classic.  The climbing is easy fun. The route is well protected.  And the views are incredible in this area.  This is a definite must do!

Crackpot.

The final moves before topping out.

Straight-up chillin' on top of Crackpot.

 

While at the base of Crackpot belaying Dustin, there was another party of climbers up and around the corner from us.  I made small talk with the other climber as he belayed his partner.  They were looking for Surprise (5.4, PG) but were on either Crickety Crack or Crackley Corner, (both 5.5, G).  They described the route as being vegetated (common at The Gap this time of year) but seemed like they got their money’s worth out of it.  When Dustin and I finished Crackpot we continued on to Surprise, which is a few hundred feet further along the cliff.  From a belay ledge at the end of the first pitch of Surprise I took this picture of the climbers at the top of whatever route they had been on.  This is a great shot, and really shows not only the height of these routes but the vastness of the area.

zoom in to see the two climbers at the top of this corner route.

 

Surprise is another classic and probably the most popular route on Mount Minsi.  The climbing and protection is solid, and again, the views from this area are incredible.  The crux of this climb is a sort of an overhanging corner just beneath the ledge where I took the previous photo.  It’s worth noting that you can belay from this ledge using a gear anchor, but if you traverse left there is a bolted anchor where the old belay tree (not recommended) sits.  And even though the second pitch isn’t very long, this route is best done in two pitches to allow sight and communication. The rappel tree up top has a solid wire hanger, wrapped in a rubber hose, with two large links that was placed by Larry a few years ago and should be good for several more years.  As always, please inspect not only the rap station but the tree itself before anchoring or rappelling.

the ledge on Suprise were I took the previous photo.

 

We continued past Surprise and for me, this was venturing into the unknown.  Surprise is in an area known as Land of the Giants, which leads into the Morning Wall, High Wall, and then the Playground.  The Playground is described as being a single-pitch section, but unfortunately this area has about 30 feet of vegetated 4^th and 5^th class scrambling before reaching the base of the routes.  I did spy a clean inside corner climb but most of the rock was obscured from view.  I’m interested in this wall, but it will have to wait for the dryer colder seasons to be uncovered.

Further along the cliff we spotted the enormous roof system of the Screaming Eagle Area, which is named for the mega classic route Screaming Eagle (5.12d, R/X).  Just to the left of Screaming Eagle, Dustin found a very interesting line called Full Tilt (5.5, G). Full Tilt follows an oddly angled traverse on a protruding chunk of rock and then turns a corner up a face until reaching the safety of trees to rappel from.  The base of this route, and the Screaming Eagle area, is about 40 feet above the ground on a large ledge. I decided not to climb Full Tilt because I felt very uncomfortable climbing out into the open air – the traverse that seemed to walk out into the sky, and then there was the rather severe drop below. Despite being a rock climber, I’ve experienced a lot of physical discomfort with open-air climbs that lead to vertigo and, very frankly, debilitating fear. Dustin was very understanding of my desire to not want to experience any anxiety, and sent the route himself. He really enjoyed the climbing on the traverse, and noted that after turning the corner and climbing on the face he reached a belay tree with slings but that it’s best to continue past it to better trees up above.  

 

Dustin, leading on Full Tilt.



An interesting note about Full Tilt, and this section, is for climbers to be very wary of the fall potential from the ledge above.  My shoes ended up rolling down behind me, stopping inches before the drop.  I took a few steps down, and realized that it’s not worth risking my life and decided to wait until Dustin finished his rappel and use the rope.  As I stood, looking towards the ground below, I noticed a large rotted rock that looked like it could break off and crash through the undercliff trail below.  I yelled out “ROCK!” gave the rock a good kick which easily broke it, and heard it crash and tumble for a very, very long time.  It would have been easy for a belayer to accidently step on this rock, possibly injuring themselves or other climbers.  If you do climb this area, please consider tying into a tree.  Again, the belay ledge is very spacious, but the drop is extremely severe.  Not only that, there’s always the risk that the leader could blow a piece of gear and due to the open-air nature of the traverse, end up pitching off of the cliff and taking their belayer with them.





My shoes, just before a drop. Despite being a spacious ledge, use caution!

 

Despite being spooked by Full Tilt, I still wanted to climb. Dustin and I headed back the way we came and eventually reached the Practice Face and then continued “climber’s right” along the cliff, past Intimidation Wall and on to the Teardrop Buttress.  We climbed Tears are Falling (5.4, PG), which is another classic for its views of Tammany across the river as well as the appropriately named Intimidation Wall.  I felt very much in the groove again on this route and despite its height and exposure, I took my time on rests and good footing to look around and take in the scenery.  I focused on feeling safe, feeling solid, and being able to look out beyond the rock in front of me or at my feet (normally, my eyes stay focused on where I’m moving my limbs to) and appreciate where I was and what I was doing.  I did this while on rappel too, and it seemed to relieve me of the negative feelings I had from before.

 

Dustin and I hanging out on the top of Tears are Falling.



The last time I climbed with Dustin, he helped me with belaying and lowering with the ATC in guidemode.  We decided to go over and practice some rescue methods which included how to transfer a load off of the ATC (while in guidemode) to the anchor in the event that the seconding climber below was hurt or incapacitated.  And we went over how to do this while belaying from the ground and the leader was hurt or incapacitated.  The latter is much easier than the former, and I’ll need to revisit my Self-Rescue book in order to work through the finer details, but doing this in safe training environment to prepare for the real thing is definitely an important practice.

A short while later, we were off the cliff and said our goodbyes and made plans for the fall/winter to meet up again, climb, and geek-out on technical climbing tricks.  I met my best friend and his girlfriend for a quick bite to eat at Kelly’s, a seasonal roadside burger and ice cream spot that is a must-do for anyone visiting the area.  Riding home to see my family with a sore body, full belly and sense of accomplishment made my quiet Sunday and anticipation of the arrival of my second child, all the more sweet.

The Nears

Since my last post I’ve only managed to climb one day - a short, but physical day of climbing at the local crag with partners August and Kyle.  Time is a big issue.  Whether it be having the time to climb, having to be back in time, or timing with partners.  And time isn’t on my side with my wife only a few weeks away from giving birth to our second child.  And after that, there will be less time for time spent climbing. Time is fleeting.  Time is the ultimate commodity. 

I feel a strong urgency to climb while I still can.  But not wanting a pedestrian sort of day at repeatedly climbed nearby cliffs with partners of limited skill and ability (no offence to either) I decided to bite the bullet and enlist the help of a professional in order to scale some big walls.  I’ve climbed nothing but ice with Alpine Endeavors Guide Alan Kline.  We’ve discussed climbing in the Gunks, which he insists is one of the best places to climb in the country (and he’s a well-traveled climber) but like me, he prefers the quieter secluded cliffs.  He’s more likely to tell you about his favorite climbs in the Gunks that aren’t found in The Trapps.  Having already climbed a handful of classics in The Trapps, and knowing that weekends in The Trapps are as crowded as a movie theatre on a rainy weekend, I messaged Alan about going off the beaten path.  We met on a warm blue-sky morning at the intersection of 299 - 44/55, and after admiring my new truck he raised an eyebrow and said “Nears”?

The Near Trapps, or Nears, is the second-most popular cliff after The Trapps in the Gunks.  While not as remote or adventurous as Millbrook, or as secretive as some of the other crags which I won’t mention by name, it’s certainly far less traveled.  Fourth of July weekend is one of the busiest times for the Gunks, as well as the Hudson Valley Region (which I later discovered while sitting in traffic).  Parking lots were near capacity when we arrived just before 9am.  But The Nears were relatively quiet.  I saw several parties of climbers, including a very nice group of Canadians who retrieved and left behind for us a stuck stopper.  But it wasn’t crowded by any stretch of the word.  We were all comfortably dispersed.  The only wait we had was a brief moment of convenience and actually a chance to rest and leisurely rack gear and flake out a rope while a climber rapped off of a route we were looking to climb.  Unlike the busier Trapps, were you can easily find yourself on a weekend waiting in a line for a route, The Nears is usually a safer bet for climbers looking to keep busy.

The first route we climbed was Gelsa, 5.4.  We did this route in 3 pitches with the first two being short due to the traversing.  Pitch 1 was very easy.  Pitch 2 was slabby and thin, with very few options for gear placement. I wouldn’t say this section is sandbagged, but it’s definitely not a pitch of climbing I recommend a new leader to onsight without any beta on gear placements.  Pitch 3 was the money pitch.  From a roofed corner, the climb traverses a short distance to the right and follows a blocky but overhanging corner system.  I was a bit surprised by how steep and exposed the rock was as I climbed with my back fully arched, but the amount of bomber jugs and large holds kept the route well within 5.4 difficulty.

Slab on Pitch 2

View from Pitch 2 Belay

Jug-fest on Pitch 3



 

After Gelsa, we hiked for some time down the cliff to a short wall densely packed with interesting routes.  King of P, a 5.3 splitter crack.  Miss Mantle, a 5.9 with an infamous mantle move that immediately puts you on a slopping face, requiring quick action and poise to prevent from skidding off.  Whatever, a 5.10a that starts with a tricky boulder problem and finishes with a blank section of sandpaper-featured rock that demands dug-in toes and Yogi-like balance to ascend through.  And Across from the Fruitstand, a fun 5.4.

Looking up King of P.

Looking up Whatever. Alan, to the left, attempts to clean some of the organic matter. Route ends on ledge just past the bright sun glare.

View of Hudson Valley from ledge above. Despite the wall being short, we're already at elevation and can see out to the horizon.



 

After completing that series of routes, we hiked back to where we started to climb a long 5.6 route called Grease Gun Groove.  The route starts with a serious boulder problem and follows thin splitter cracks to an inside corner and then edges and ledges before reaching a rappel tree. I really enjoyed this route and would definitely like to repeat it.  Alan put in extra work and climbed the route a second time only to move left instead of right to a 5.8 roof variation which he explosively and acrobatically shot through.

This is me, Top-Roping Grease Gun Groove. Route ends at large tree.



 

I decided to end the day there and head back on home.  On my way back I stopped at Rock and Snow to pick up the Dick Williams guidebook for the Nears and Millbrook.  Alan and I discussed meeting up in the fall for either Millbrook or an undocumented crag that contains mostly 1 pitch routes.  Between now and then, I’m hoping for at least one more day of climbing before my next child, a daughter, is born. 

Initiated, 2014

Nearly up until the end of March I was still getting asked to go ice climbing. The winter of 2013-2014 was truly epic for ice climbers. 

I ended my ice season at The Narrows. It was a great season. The most days I've ice climbed in a single season, and the most place I had visited in a single season. And I even managed to get on the sharp end and lead two pitches. But the days are cold and hard, the drives are long, and the time away from the family isn't easy. So I decided to end things on a good note. I honestly thought the season would come to a close within a week or two of my Narrows trip.  Little did I know the cold and ice would linger for more than another month. Heck, on Tuesday (4/15) I woke up to snow on the ground! This is after it was nearly 80 degrees over the weekend.

Since it was such a nice weekend I managed to get in a lot of time outside.  On Saturday, I brought my wife, our son, and our two dogs out for a hike on the Appalachian Trail.  And on Sunday, I took a friend from work, Kyle, out for his first ever day on the rocks.  Similiar to last year, I opened up the climbing season by introducing another gym climber to actual rock climbing.

We went to Ricks Rocks, a popular beginer crag.  We began on with One Bowl Gulley, an easy 5, and later moved over to the Main Wall to climb Princeton Crack, a 5.6 route.  We were only there for about 3 hours.  Just enough time to introduce Kyle to the fundamentals of anchoring and to climb some real rock. He got to experience for the first time jamming his hand into a muddy crack and inching up slab friction smears, something the gym can never truly replicate with resin "climbing holds" and plastic walls.

I'm expecting my second child in a few more months. Trying to get life in order and prepare for a new edition to the family is going to be difficult to balance with rock climbing.  I'm not expecting to have a busy Spring-Summer-Fall rock season, but I'll take what I can get.  One thing I learned about rock is that unlike ice, it's not going anywhere. 



Happy Climber.

Princeton Crack.

Kyle, high up One Bowl Gulley.