Favorite Climbs at the Gunks

Special thanks to Nick Falacci, the undisputed Gunks beta master, for contributing so much to this page.

Nick (mkwork@aol.com)

• 5.6: Disneyland, Madame Grunnebraum's Wulst, High Exposure
• 5.7: Classic, Taste of Honey (incredible), Yellow Ridge, Limelight
• 5.8: Son of Easy O, Pas des Deux, Modern Times (wild!), Arrow, Annie Oh, Pilgrim's Progress, Bonnie's Roof, Birdland, Birdie Party (first pitch only -- has rap-off), Farewell to Arms (rap anchors set up TR for To be Or Not To Be)
• 5.9: MF, Jeckyll and Hyde, Ant's Line, The Spring (first pitch), Roseland (a must!), Commando Rave
• 5.10 (the premier grade in the Gunks): Fat City (the best), 10,000 Restless Virgins, Star Action, Coexistence, Erect Direction, Ringwraith, Wegetables, Tough Shift (scary), Birdie Party, Transcontinental Railway, Disney Point, Welcome to the Gunks, Stirrup Trouble, Frustration Syndrome, Mellow Yellow
• 5.11: (this is when things get real hard!) Yellow Wall, Reign of Terror, The Sting (close to 12a), No Man's Land, Shake Your Booty (great Skytop TR or lead), Fissure Ramins, On Any Monday, No Comment (brilliant climb, can be TRed), Bird Brain (5.11+ can be TRed after doing Birdland), Persistence
• 5.12: Bone Hard, To Be or Not To Be (TRable, best face climb in eastern U.S. imho), Supercrack, Eraserhead, Brave New World, Project X and many others.
• 5.13: Survival of the Fittest (this is 5.13a and is sustained 5.12 climbing -- one of the very finest climbs anywhere.)

It's not Fountinbleu or Hueco ... but there is bouldering.

The most well-known bouldering is in the Trapps with most of it in the Uberfall area. To the left of the Brat wall there are some problems and then going north to the Uberfall there are an assortment of problems along and under Doug's Roof. At the left end are several great problems including a John Gill B-1.

You'll find more bouldering right of Doug's Roof as well.

Just right of the trashcan and counter and left of the new bulletin board is a great little face problem on a block called Susie A ... it's like 5.10+ and you downclimb the back of it.

Further along the carriage trail is the Pebbles boulder where most people TR the friction face. BUT, on the carriage road side there are several problems worth doing.

Just right of that is a small black boulder with another good problem on it.

If you hike a ways down the carriage road you'll come to an obvious boulder that overhangs over the road. This is the Andrew boulder I believe and it's shortly after you pass the Arrow area. It has a great Foops-like problem on it.

Much further down is the Boxcar boulder. You'll know it when you see it ... it lloks like a boxcar! Good hard traverse.

In the Near Trapps is an excellent traverse.

Go to the Birdland area. There is a boulder traverse that goes along the wall under To Be Or Not To Be and To Have and Have Not and further left. It's very popular and is a great workout.

There are other lesser-known bouldering areas, but I don't have the full skinny on them. You might try asking Rich Gottlieb at Rock & Snow in New Platz.

Here's some almost-never-crowded routes that I love:

• 10,000 Restless Virgins 5.10+
• Cheap Thrills 5.10+
• Fat City direct 5.10+
• Fat Stick direct 5.10a
• Obstacle Delusion (rating is off in book)
• Elder Cleavage 5.10b (do NOT miss the last pitch!!!!)
• Star Action 5.10b even when it's dry it's never crowded
• Yellow Wall 5.11c jump on and fall off! People avoid this one just cause it looks sick!
• Greased Lightning (skytop) 5.10+
• Erect Direction 5.10+ a monster, but well worth it
• Doublissima 5.10a ... usually not crowded, but sometimes you find the newish 5.10 leader way in over their heads on this one .... seige!
• Welcome To The Gunks 5.10b Gotta do the last two roofs!
• Also try the slime wall area. Frustration Syndrome and Falled On Account of Strain.
• Simple Suff ....good TR on right once you get to anchors.
• Nurse's Aid ... scary
• Feast of Fools ... scary

Advice for a new 5.6 leader:

First, I would start out leading some easier routes. Just to kick out the cobwebs and get your lead head into full gear. Many Gunk's 5.6s are quite intimidating.

Once you feel ready to go ... GO!

Here's a Hit List I highly recommend:

• Bunny's Roof  Great intro into the grade. Do Bunny to the overhang and then go directly over. Excellent way to ease into 5.6.
• Rhododendron  Just walk a hundred feet toward the Uberfall and enjoy this short, but sweet and easy route.
• Disneyland   Now you're ready for something more engaging. This is phenomenal climb and requires better leading skills than the other two. The sit-down crux at the end of P1 is not bad if you take a little time to think it through. Don't hit your head! I would NOT recommend doing this route in one pitch as someone else suggested. Far too much rope drag ... it won't be pleasant. P2 is a breeze and total fun. It's classic. Don't forget to look off to your left to check out the Disney Point roof/flake 5.10. You'll be there someday, hanging in air!
• Maria  As Swain is fond of saying ... lot's of climbing on this route. A good way to get more 5.6 under your belt as you prepare to tackle the REAL 5.6s
• Baby   Now you're getting more serious. Tough little crux on P1. Don't jam your foot too hard in the off-width. P2 is a little sandy, but is excellent. Good intro to pump factor at this grade.
• Madame  Grunnebaum's Wulst This is it! This will get your engine revved up. If High Exposure didn't exist, Madame G's would be the best 5.6 in the country. P2 is steep, pumpy and weaves. Takes great gear, big Friends. Requires thoughtfulness and calm as your arms pump out. Skip the hanging belay and climb over the crux bulge until you have a stance where you set-up a semi-hanging belay under the final overhangs. P3 is short but sweet and goes straight up through the ceilings above.
• Yellow Ridge   Okay ... the book calls this 5.7- but the crux is the first 15 feet of off-width and if yiou did Madame G's you can easily do this. Why? Because the whole point of doing Yellow Ridge is to climb P3. The last pitch (after a long traverse along a ledge) ascends an exposed arete and exits out a big roof ... at 5.6. It is GREAT!
• High Exposure   Now you're ready to tackle the Mother of all 5.6s. First two pitchs are easy. The last crux pitch is short but completely exposed. Once you make the step- around move under the roof and get onto the face, you are on one of the greatest climbs ever. Try to take a moment to look around and enjoy your position in time and space. Imagine Hans Kraus climbing the route in 1941 with sneakers hemp rope and three pitons.

• Shockleys Ceiling   Disappointing roof. Awkward. The last moves are the best.
• Middle Earth   Great climb.
• Wise Crack   Good stuff. Nearby to Middle Earth.
• Grease Gun Groove   Not many people do this route but I soloed it once and found it to be really really good. Crux is at start.

• Greyer Face   Fun, fun, fun.
• Han's Yellow Face   (not to be confused with Fritz's Yellow Face 5.7) Classic.

• Dennis
• Frog's Head
• Updraft
• Jackie
• Hawk
• Layback

Here are some topropes in the 10-11 range

• Between Nosedive and Retribution is Retro-dive a TR only route that is 5.11
• Stuff on the Mental-block (stand at the start of Nosedive and turn around and face the road)
• First pitch of Late Show 5.11
• Kama Sutra 5.12
• Slightly Roddey 5.10
• Shitty Mitty 5.11
• Low Explsure 5.11-
• Astro Traveler 5.10
• PR 5.11+
• The Sting 5.11+ (set up top rope by climbing in from Lisa (5.9+))
• The Winter 5.10+
• The Fall 5.11
• The Summer 5.11 (these three can be set up by first climbing the first pitch of the Spring 5.9)

Cheyenne (cwills@bix.com)

• Three Doves 5.9
• Roseland 5.9
• Pas de Deux 5.8
• Son of Easy O 5.8
• Wegetables 5.10-
• Classic 5.7
• Arrow 5.8
• Ape Call 5.8 -- watch the first pitch, and you can do a *really* neat hang by your feet in the overhang!
• Transcon 5.10
• Disneyland 5.6
• Gelsa 5.4
• Never Never Land 5.10 -- in fact all of the "Land" climbs
• Pick anything on the McCarthy Wall area; MF, Birdie Party, Coex, Staraction, Try again, etc.
• Ring Wraith 5.10-
• Drunkards Delight 5.7
• Commando Rave 5.9
• Simple Suff 5.10-
• True Grip 5.11
• FOOPS 5.11
• No Exit 5.10+
• The Spring 5.9
• Summer 5.11 (TR) right next to the Spring
• Wasp Stop 5.12-
• Bonnie's Roof 5.8
• Ant's Line 5.9
• High Ex. 5.6

Cheyenne