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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Apr 18, 2007 - 03:47pm PT
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Chiloe, I'm peripheral enough to the climbing scene that I really can't compare 5.10 and up climbing activitiy now and earlier. There are certainly plenty of people climbing at that level, and since it isn't unusual any more, no one makes any kind of fuss about it.
Of course, styles have changed; much more top-roping, and dogging seems to be an accepted practice, along with various linguistics adjustments. For example, a person who takes multiple hangs on a route may say they have done the route. They may or may not add that they have not done it "cleanly." What we would have called "failing" back in the day now seems to be "doing," and what we would have called "doing" seems now to be "doing cleanly." Confusing to us old codgers, but hey, it's all good.
I think protection ratings have decreased the traffic on R-rated routes. (People knew about the X-rated routes before they were X-rated.) When no one knew a route was R-rated, they just went up and tried it, either coping with whatever they found or retreating if they didn't like the pro. Now the R rating is cause for avoidance.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Apr 18, 2007 - 03:55pm PT
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...various linguistics adjustments. For example, a person who takes multiple hangs on a route may say they have done the route. They may or may not add that they have not done it "cleanly." What we would have called "failing" back in the day now seems to be "doing," and what we would have called "doing" seems now to be "doing cleanly." Confusing to us old codgers, but hey, it's all good.
[codger]Drives me nuts when they say that![/codger]
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TradIsGood
Happy and Healthy climber
the Gunks end of the country
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 18, 2007 - 04:14pm PT
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rgold, is the belayer on Arrow there just for the fun of watching the leader at the crux (looks like it is above the GT ledge)?
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Apr 18, 2007 - 08:17pm PT
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Yeah, the belayer is there for sociablility and communication.
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Aya K
Trad climber
New York
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Apr 18, 2007 - 08:19pm PT
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TiG, there's no gear above the crfux to protect the move on BADB that I am aware of - not for me, and not for my 6+ foot bf, nor for anyone else that I've ever heard of. The difficulty of the move itself may be height related, but protecting it is not.
These have been seen here before but -
Shockley's, 5.6
High E, 5.6 (photo by Mike Stanislaw)
CCK, 5.7
Thin Slabs direct 5.7
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TradIsGood
Happy and Healthy climber
the Gunks end of the country
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 18, 2007 - 08:30pm PT
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Aya, nice pics! Thanks.
Since I think there is gear there and there may not be, if I go lead it, will it be an on-sight.
Would not be my first Alzheimer's on-sight if it is! Anyway my ancient brain says that when I followed it, there was a piece to take out that my poor 5'0" leader was sweating over, because of the move, and the move was a piece of cake (for me). Maybe I check it out this weekend!
Great Gunks pics. Some day I will get the digital workflow problem solved and post pictures. (Yeah, and some day I will lead Gunks 5.8!)
Anybody out there done Scalawag (RR) and The Dangler (Gunks)? (not me, yet!)
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Apr 18, 2007 - 08:38pm PT
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5.9 is for beginners at the sport crags, but feels like a respectable onsight grade at the Gunks. One favorite from last summer, Inverted Layback.
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TradIsGood
Happy and Healthy climber
the Gunks end of the country
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 18, 2007 - 08:47pm PT
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Chiloe - sounds a bit elitist, no?
But Inverted Layback does rock! Followed that in the rain (which does not, thankfully, affect the crux) last year. Intimidating from below, and you get the business at the crux! You have to love the Gunks routes with the crux at or near the top of the climb!
Great picture!
Thanks
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Apr 18, 2007 - 09:05pm PT
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Chiloe - sounds a bit elitist, no?
Heh, someone who's hung out at a few sport crags.
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BadInfluence
Mountain climber
Dak side
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Apr 18, 2007 - 09:35pm PT
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this is the Bad ass cliff
The Bank
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TradIsGood
Happy and Healthy climber
the Gunks end of the country
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 18, 2007 - 09:42pm PT
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:-)
Part of it, anyway!
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BadInfluence
Mountain climber
Dak side
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Apr 18, 2007 - 09:51pm PT
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here's some more of Millbrook
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TradIsGood
Happy and Healthy climber
the Gunks end of the country
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2007 - 11:51pm PT
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Another awesome roof exists on Northern Pillar (5.2), but the route goes around it. In reality, most turn left and go to Madame G's. But if you scramble up right at the top of p3, you get a nice huge roof. Not sure if it can be protected on lead.
Took up a partner today who wanted to learn trad leading. She got in 5 pitches including P2,P3 of NP.
We also got a chance to TR Ape Call, slab low, sweet roof above.
More good wx tmrw.
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Kligfield
Mountain climber
Boulder, CO
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Please excuse my coming late into the forum. But a number of questions can be cleared up if my memory serves me. Regarding Erect Direction, it was a Goldner route, and not my route. I think I must have done the second ascent with Dennis Mehmet, if anyone remembers him. At the time it was a big aid route and there weren't many of these in the Gunks. John S. is right--the fascination with aid on these routes was mostly because we were trying to practice for the "hard" routes in Yosemite. It was a distinct handicap to grow up free climbing in the Gunks and then try to aid climb in the Valley--at least in the 60s. There were actually a few first ascents I did that we indeed did first free, and then went back and nailed them! Hard to believe but understandable when you consider we needed to practice our aid. One of these type of episodes was on the route called "The Nose". This was the route that I climbed first on aid with Charlie Porter. We both realized that it should make an easy free climb, so I recall that same day telling John S. about it and he and Gary B. returned and free climbed it easily. It probably was his EASIEST first free ascent ever. Such were the good times in the Gunks olden days. Another anomoly was what eventually became Yellow Wall Direct, or a Direct Start to Yellow Wall. I climbed this on aid with Dennis Hennick way back in the late sixties. No bolts were placed and we thought that this was hard aid at the time. Subsequently it was freed but the bolts were placed in support of the free climbing efforts. Curiously, as I was walking back from the first pitch aid effort, I looked over to Dennis and shouted that for a veteran of the NA Wall this must be easy for him. He looked at me in a puzzled way, and said: "Dennis? My name is not Dennis! I'm Charlie..." It turns out that I mistook "Charlie" for Dennis Hennick. Of course Charlie turned out to be Charlie Porter and this was his first Gunks first ascent together with me. He and I immediately teamed up to do an early ascent of New Frontier at Millbrook--another great climb that John and Gary teamed up to free climb. And finally, I'm well aware of how everyone enjoys the first pitch of Kligfield Follies. During the first ascent we used two points of aid on this pitch. But curiously we were really anxious about the SECOND pitch because of the large roof. We actually freed the second pitch (must have been 5.10 but at the time nobody dared call something that hard so we didn't grade it more than 5.9). I had no idea as to how popular this climb would become. Kudos to the subsequent generations of free climbers who now enjoy it as a Gunks classic.
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jstan
climber
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Roy:
Boulder eh? So that is where you got to. Where's Dennis? Goldner?
And yes, for what it's worth, IMO the Follies is one of the best routes in
the Gunks. Since there are so many good routes and since the rock
naturally runs to great variety in technical challenges, that's saying a
whole lot.
I tried doing aid once. Wound up with a stupid expression on my face
when I realized my foot was on a big hold and the aid sling was not
weighted at all.
My younger brother lives near there. If you email me your phone number
I can check in with you before I go out to his area. You have dozens of
great stories I have not heard.
John
WhatamIThinking
Belay that.
Emails are better than a telephone.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Mar 25, 2015 - 12:36am PT
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**So now I see, Kligfield was on thee taco way befoe' me yikes,*
Now that's embarrassing ,
BUMP,
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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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Mar 25, 2015 - 04:16am PT
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Gnome: Do you climb at the Gunks?
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Mar 28, 2015 - 05:02pm PT
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YES Anita, The Gunks run in my blood.
I am not sure if i'm getting a pass this year???
Do you make that trek past all the Dak's, and lions Head?
to jostle with the crowds at the Gunks??
I have so much good stone just south of the gunks
but i do go for the fullest of moons and that sort of thing,
let me know when your down here.
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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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Mar 28, 2015 - 08:08pm PT
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Yep I used to head down for weekends in the spring and fall before surgery. Was hoping to go down next weekend. Maybe later in April or May.
I'll drop you a line if I do. Also not sure if I'm getting a pass... Guess it depends on how well I do on rock and how often I go.
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