Mountain Skills Climbing Guides and Gunks Rock Climbing Instruction
Gunks Rock Climbing – 845-853-5450 – www.mountainskills.biz – Guiding the Gunks and BeyondArchive for March, 2009
Gunks Near Trapps Climbing
Doug Ferguson leading Punch And Judy in the Near Trapps
Mike following Scuttlebutt 5.5 in the Near Trapps
I took some clients out rock climbing at the Near Trapps on Saturday. The weather was amazing for late March. The buds on the trees are just starting to pop up. It’s great to be back climbing in the warm sun again. We headed down to the Williams Wall in the Near Trapps to climb some fun routes. It was quiet and great for showing new climbers the proper techniques for ascending and descending the routes. We are teaching a Leave No Trace Trainers Course for our guides this week and also for some of the guides of Outdoor Bound. I should have some good photos of the course coming next week.
Gunks Springtime Climbing
- Brendan Mealia following Double Crack 5.8
It’s early springtime in the Gunks again. Time to dust off the rock shoes and get back outside. The cliffs are quiet right now during the week. This is a great time to go out and enjoy all the classics without the weekend crowds. With the cliffs southeastern orientation it’s easy to stay warm even on chilly days. We hit up Double Crack 5.8, Boldville 5.8, and the Seasons yesterday. Double Crack was amazing and sustained for the grade. The intermediate anchor in the middle is not to trust worthy in my book so it’s better to just finish to the top. Bring a good amount of medium to large gear for this long pitch. Boldville allows people to set up the harder routes of the Seasons. Have at it.
National Ski Patrol Avalanche II Safety
Digging snow pits to check conditions
Amazing ice climb in the backcountry slide area of Whiteface
Slide area we did our exercises in
Our group at the end of the exercise
I’ve been up in the Adirondacks for the past four days taking a National Ski Patrol Avalanche II Safety course at Whiteface Mountain. Guide and ski patroller Chuch Boyd put the class on for patrollers in the New England and Mid Atlantic region. We had about 30 participants and maybe 10 instructors. The group was amazing and the instructors did a great job with all the logistics of moving that many people in one direction. I learned and solidified a ton of new information I didn’t know in Avy I Course. If you like to venture into the backcountry areas on skis or a board I would highly suggest looking into taking a avalanche course to give you the knowledge of knowing when and when not to go for it. With all of the slides in the Adirondack’s, slides in the White Mountains, and Tuckerman’s Ravine skiing and snowboarding it’s a good thing to know. For me it’s more about being in the climbing areas. We spend a lot of time in avalanche terrain while climbing slides or mountaineering routes.
Buttermilk Falls Ice Climbing 03-18-09
Daniel getting ready for pitch 2 of Buttermilk Falls
Daniel cruising pitch 4 of Buttermilk Falls
I took Daniel up Buttermilk today. The routes have fairly dry ice with waterfalls on certain parts of the pitches. You can find routes up each pitch with the top pitches having the most variations. The creek crossing was not to bad with careful rock hopping to get across. Wes Converse and Ralph Schimmenti are out in Moab climbing towers this week and should have some good photos coming soon. Mark Folsom is climbing in the Red River Gorge this week with some old friends. Mackey is headed to the Dacks to climb some last ice of the season. I am taking a IOR Avalanche II Course with guide Chuck Boyd teaching the course. Seems like everyone is out and making the most out of the spring weather. Climbing at the Gunks has been amazing.
Gunks Rock Climbing 03-15-09
Ever since Thursday this week I have been rock climbing up at the Gunks enjoying what the Trapps has to offer. It’s funny how the ice climbing season in the Catskills will make you forget all about this place. Than all of a sudden your back and climbing in the warm sun again, seeing friends along the under-cliff carriage road, and climbing one classic route after another. We have a different peregrine falcon climbing closure so far this year. The couple seems to be hanging out around the new rock fall area above Hawk. I have spotted them a few times walking along the carriage road. The closure goes from Credibility Gap to the Dis-Mantle Block area. There is a large amount of good climbing routes in this area but we need to allow the birds there right for survival. It’s birds like this that make the Gunks even more special of a climbing area.
