First Trip to the Gunks

Hey MP,

I'll be making my first trip to the gunks with the objective of trad climbing in mind. I'm comfortable on trad up to 5.9, what're some classic routes that I should make sure to get on? Also, what's the most up-to-date guidebook for the area?

MF 9 , Nosedive 9, Retribution 9, Le Teton 9 , Bonnies Roof 9 , Directissima 9, Highly recommend Son of Easy O 8+ maybe 7+ cant remember. Apoplexy is a great climb I think 9 or 8+. Something interesting is an AMAZING climb at 7+ highly highly recommend that!

I think there is a new color book available? but I haven't bought or looked at a gunks guide in the store in 5+ years. I use the Grey Dick Williams guide for the trapps which is where I assume you will be climbing mostly. Its a great guide.

A problem you might encounter is route finding. Specifically where the route you are looking for is on the wall. Common practice at the gunks is to ask someone what they are on and use that as reference to help find your climb.

I always just walk along the carriage road and get on whatever is open and looks fun. Going classic to classic you will likely encounter some lines. IMO The most fun climb is the one you don't have to wait at every belay on.
That being said I bet people will mention the lesser traveled, but still equally classic lines, and they would be where I would head.

Check out the Trapps App for the iphone. A little pricey at 20 beans but awesome none the less.

Tyler you're sandbagging by a grade or more on almost all of those.

Apoplexy is a bad first Gunks 9

Do Absurdland, Three Doves, Limelight, Annie O, Arrow, CCK. That's a pretty solid day. More great climbs in that area as well

Andrew - a couple points. The grey Dick W. guidebook is out of print and generally unavailable. That's the bad news, as it is the definitive book for the Trapps cliff. The good news is that the classic routes you're going to be interested in haven't changed in the last 20 years, so if you can buy/borrow an older guidebook you should be OK. You won't have the latest beta on rap anchors so the app is a good thing to refer to.

If 5.9 trad is your onsight grade at your familiar crag, you might want to dial it back a bit here at least initially. Many folks think the grades at the Gunks are stiff (no question, they WERE...40 years ago) and this is often attributed to folks' need to get accustomed to the rock, the indistinct routes, the novel gear opportunities, the exposure, strenuous cruxes etc etc.

Definitely get the Trapps Ap. The pictures of access trails and route starts are perfect for first timers.

And start with a few routes well within your leading ability. Save Le Teton and some of these other steep suggestions until you have some comfort with the nature of Gunks climbing.

Tylerpratt wrote:MF 9 , Nosedive 9, Retribution 9, Le Teton 9 , Bonnies Roof 9 , Directissima 9, Highly recommend Son of Easy O 8+ maybe 7+ cant remember. Apoplexy is a great climb I think 9 or 8+. Something interesting is an AMAZING climb at 7+ highly highly recommend that! I think there is a new color book available? but I haven't bought or looked at a gunks guide in the store in 5+ years. I use the Grey Dick Williams guide for the trapps which is where I assume you will be climbing mostly. Its a great guide. A problem you might encounter is route finding. Specifically where the route you are looking for is on the wall. Common practice at the gunks is to ask someone what they are on and use that as reference to help find your climb.

Nosedive / Retribution are 10B, id give Retribution 10A tho...

9 if your hang dogging I guess...

Apoplexy / Teton are not good intro 9s at all...not sure your thinking there

Great intro 9s: Insuhlation, WASP, Ants Line, Higher Stannard (if you are feeling strong - Keep on Struttin or MF or Pink Laurel)

my $0.02

Well, I thought they were all nines or close to it. He didn't ask for intro nines just just said nines...

Tylerpratt wrote:Well, I thought they were all nines or close to it. He didn't ask for intro nines just just said nines...

thats fair though... he did ask that

Get the trapps app. Otherwise you'll be wandering around quite a bit... Makes climbing there so much easier,

And don't miss shockleys!!!!! I started giggling pulling the first big roof it was so good. Good intro to Gunks roves and really well protected. First 'normal pitch is a throwaway. Did a linkup of soemthing last time that made the grade More sustained, can't remember what it was thiufg

Gunkiemike wrote:If 5.9 trad is your onsight grade at your familiar crag, you might want to dial it back a bit here at least initially. Many folks think the grades at the Gunks are stiff

I second this! The Gunks can be a pretty humbling place. But the good news is there are great climbs of pretty much any grade.

Great 6s:
High Exposure (extremely popular, do it first thing or late in the day)
Shockley's Ceiling
Maria
Madame G's (although, currently this section of the cliff is closed for falcon nesting...maybe it will open back up soon?)

Great 7s:
Strictly from Nowhere (you can link the first pitch to the money third pitch of Shockley's)
Something Interesting
CCK

Great 8s:
Arrow (one hard 5.8 move protected by a bolt - good first 5.8)
Son of Easy O
Airy Aria
Double Crack

These are all amazing climbs and provide a really great introduction to the Gunks. Yes, and get the Gunks Trapps App gunksapps.com/

Bobs on the money

bob's post is almost exactly what I recommend to friends visiting from out of state. I would add absurdland to the 8's list and thin slabs direct to the 7 list. Also worth noting that if you're going to climb double crack, it's a pain in the butt without a second rope or tag line because of the length of the climb and lack of quality anchor midway up.

edit to add:

a great way to break into the gunks is to climb the first pitch of Arrow, then climb the second pitches of Arrow, Limelight, and Three Doves. It's a great way to the spend a morning (if you're moving) or a short day (if it's crowded).

and yeah, get the app. It will make your first trip much easier and you'll spend less time searching for the start of routes.

Rob D. wrote:Also worth noting that if you're going to climb double crack, it's a pain in the butt without a second rope or tag line because of the length of the climb and lack of quality anchor midway up

Haha, Yes! That is quite the chock stone anchor!

Rob D. wrote:Also worth noting that if you're going to climb double crack, it's a pain in the butt without a second rope or tag line because of the length of the climb and lack of quality anchor midway up.

From the top of Double Crack (and Airy Aria for that matter), you can just walk climber's left along the cliff for a while until you get to the High Exposure second rappel station and then do single rope raps to the ground.