Mountain Skills Climbing Guides is pleased to pass along our trip reports to the Catskill ice climbing areas we visit so you can pick the appropriate climbing area to swing your axes at during your stay.  The Catskill ice climbing areas are spread out and it is not always easy or inexpensive to check out all the locations at all times.  We will do our best to keep you informed on the current ice climbing conditions as much as possible.  At the same time if you have first hand knowledge of ice climbing conditions for a area in the Catskills please feel free to call and lets us know so we can add the information to the sight.

01-05-09  Climbed in the Kitchen yesterday.  Still some open holes in the creek walking down but pretty safe with the cold weather.   The ice is coming along well.  The Smear, The Corner, Caldron, and Purgatory and many other routes can be climbed.  Moores Bridge looked like it had some good lines on it.  The gully seemed a little thin from the road.  Palenville Corner looked like it might only need another day or two before it touches down.  Stoney Clove at the Playground on Friday was getting good.  Have at it. 

12-21-08  Stoney Clove and Deep Notch are making the slow start to reform from last Monday’s warm weather.  The snow makes things more fun the get from climb to climb.  I have not checked out the Hell Hole or Black Chasm but judging from what else I’ve seen it might be just OK.  Couldn’t really get a good view of Moore’s Bridge last night as we drove out.  It was to dark to get a good look.

12-06-08  I got up to Stoney Clove on Friday and Deep Notch on Saturday.  The ice was better in Stoney Clove.  Deep Notch needs more cold weather and some snow to heal things up.  It does have some fun routes, it just has sections of thin ice, non existent top outs, and  running water behind the ice.  This cold weather in the forecast should really help things out everywhere.

11-30-08  I finally got to swing the tools today.  John Mackey, Brendan Mealia, and I got up to Stoney Clove for some fun.  Judging by conditions in Kingston and New Paltz you would think it would be kind of bad ice the Catskills but think again.  Seems like anything in the higher elevations is doing well.  Stoney Clove, Deep Notch, and possibly some stuff in Platte Clove.  The Ravines looked like they were coming along from the road.  Moores Bridge was in rough shape on our way back to the thurway.  I’ll have some pictures of the climbing we did on our posts section. 

11-24-08  John Mackey hit the hills yesterday with a good report.  East Crag was great, the west side of Stoney Clove looked good, and Deep Notch looked like it was coming along nicely.  John said the longer climbs on the east side of Deep Notch looked like it had some running water on the 2nd pitches.  All in all his opinion was go get some.

11-23-08  Word on the street and in some of the online forums is that Stoney Clove is coming along nicely.  Climbing guide John Mackey is headed up to the Catskills today to sniff out some ice.  I’m sure he will have a good idea as to what is going on this afternoon.  Yesterday John and I climbed at the Trapps in the Gunks.  Even with the colder temps the climbing is still enjoyable.  Take your pick(ha ha) rock or ice.

Stoney Clove

The Sun Wall 2+/3+   In/Thin

The Twin Columns 4        Thin

The Playground 2/4        Good

Eastside Corner 3+           Could be good

East Crag Pillar 4 M1       Thin and pillar is wet, right side thicker

East Crag 3                      IN

Offstage 2+                     In

Stage Right 3                   IN

The Chute 3                     Coming Along

Exit Stage Left 3+            

Ron’s Gully 2+                  In

Climax 2+                         IN

Ice Capades 2+                 IN

The Entertainer 3+            IN

Them That Die 3+          

Little Fafnir 4+                 Thin

Little Black Dike 4-          IN

Spiral Stairs 4

Enanem Gully 2+

Sorenson’s Smear 5      Thin

That Climb Right 4

That Climb 4

The Curtain 4

The Gurgler 3

Ichabod Crane 3

Stage Fright 4

Deep Notch

Triple R Right 2+    Everything looked like it needed some healing on Friday

Triple R Left 2+

Flagon Flow 3

My Old Dog Wolf 2+

Mr. Doolittle’s Hotel 2+

Union Hotel 2+

Half Moon Gully 2+

Nine Pins 3

Long Route 3

Kaaterskill Clove

Palenville Corner 4+  Close

Jeffs Wet Dream 4-

Moore’s Bridge

Moore’s Bridge Gully 3            Thin

Moore’s Left 3+                        Thin

Moore’s Center 3+                  Thin

Moore’s Right 4                         Thin

Hillyer Falls 3+                                

Viola Falls 3+                                  

Wildcat Falls 4                                  

Buttermilk Falls 4

Asbestos Wall                                  Thin

Kaaterskill Falls

Trails Left Flow 2+/3+

Kaaterskill Flow 3+

Lower Kaaterskill Falls3+

Kaaterskill Falls 4+/5+

Gottlieb’s Roof 4+ M4

Platte Clove

Platte Kill Falls 3+

Tiers of Joy 4

Bridal Veil Falls 2+/4   Open in the middle

Japenese Falls 3

Devil’s Kitchen

Point and Shoot 5

The Snotcicle 4

Devil’s Chandelier 3+

The Caldron 3              Mixed in the middle

Lower Section 3-Mixed  Good TR’s

The Chasm 

Black Chasm Falls 3

Instant Karma 5

Devil Dog 5+

Bridge Work 5

Mephisto Waltz 5

The Window 5

The Advocate 5

Dan and the Devil 4+