The Dihedrals

Jon Wasser working the crag's hardest line.

Description 

The Dihedrals is a perfect example of making do with what you have. In the rock starved NYS Thruway corridor, this crag is your best option for leading and pushing your limits on harder routes. Admittedly, the atmosphere of the crag is horrible, the railroad tracks are very close to the base of the crag. After a recent train derailment, the buffer of trees between the tracks and the crag has been removed. When you can't get to the Dacks or Gunks this crag will fill your fancy though. Climb here enough and you will learn to love the smell of railroad ties and tune out the rumble of passing trains.

In the out of print guide for Little Falls, "The Dihedrals" refers to the tallest, right most section of the uninterrupted cliff line on the right side of the abandoned factory. Each section of the cliff was given it's own name. The crag really isn't that big, so today we refer to this entire area as "The Dihedrals".

None of the routes here are more than 65ft in height. While the routes may seem short, they are the some of the longest in Little Falls. Most of the routes are pretty clean with the exception of Cotter's Corner. The rock type is metasyenite, similar to granite, but lower in quality. In some sections of the cliff the rock has a smooth black finish which makes it very hot in the summer. Other sections of the cliff bare a slight resemblance to Keene Valley area crags like Barkeater or Pitchoff. Overall the rock quality is pretty good, I would take this crag over the popular limestone choss of the Niagara Escarpment any day. Surprisingly, this crag doesn't see much traffic, people would rather spend 20mins setting up a TR to climb a 20ft face on Moss Island.

The routes themselves are pretty diverse, ranging from 5.4-5.12+. The crag has an array of cracks which take great gear on lead. Over the past few years, modern, bolted face climbs have been established. Some of the climbs can be TRd by walking around to the right side of the cliff, others must be lead on bolts or gear. Standard rack to #4 camalot.

This crag is on private property. CSX owns the tracks you must cross to get to the crag, but they don't seem to care. The actual cliff is owned by an unknown private individual who's policy hasn't been established. No news is good news.

Getting There 

After getting off the thru-way, turn right on route 5 at the "T" intersection. Make a right onto River Rd. Follow this road until you reach a gate, park at the pull off.

The Classics

Featured Route For The Dihedrals

Trick Bag 5.11+  NY : Little Falls : The Dihedrals

In my opinion, this route is the best sport climb in Little Falls. The movement and holds are very aesthetic, flowing surprisingly well together for a Little Falls route. Crimpy face climbing, a juggy overhang and a dynamic move near the top make this a must-do route. The old guidebook states that the climb is 5.11b for those over 6ft and 5.12b if you're under. I'm 5-7 and didn't find any real height dependent moves, but I did have to find diffe...[more]   Browse More Classics in NY