Hi, I'm visiting the Gunks and Seneca for the first time this month. Is there any reason to bring a 70m rope rather than a 50m? I'll be rope soloing until I find someone to climb with, and rather not carry the 70m on my back. On the other hand, if a 70m means I can solo top rope from the top of the crag easily, then I'll bring the 70.
60 m is the standard for quite a few raps in the gunks. 50 can get you into trouble. So bring the 70. And yes, it'll let you do full-length solo TR's of many, many routes here.
+1 Edit: I'd say that a 50 would frequently/usually get you into trouble...
KathyS
·
Apr 6, 2014
·
Poughkeepsie, NY
· Joined Nov 2007
· Points: 125
I used to climb with a guy who used a 50m rope in the Gunks. There were a lot of places we could not rap and frequently walked off. There were also a couple routes where linking 2 pitches is nice, and the 50m rope prevented us from doing that. The 70m is heavier, but give you more flexibility.
Regarding Seneca, I would go with the 70. There are a number of classic routes which have rappels that require at least a 60m, and a good number that need a 70 or doubles. Partners should be easy to find though - make your presence known at the local guide and gear shops and you'll find someone easily.
You can easily top rope solo most stuff in Peterskill with a 50. Climbs are short and are walkable to the top. It would be probably a better area to rope-solo anyway, as most climbs run straight and it's not as busy. That's a crag in the Gunks btw...
Note about Peter's Kill, you are not allowed to use the (extremely numerous and convenient) pitch pines along the top of the cliffs as anchors. Other types of trees are ok to use but typically grow further back from the edge of the cliff. So often folks will bring a long piece of webbing or another rope in order to use these far-back trees.
Myself, if I were just going to be around for a few days, I'd try to find a way focus on the Nears and the Trapps.
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