Home - Destinations - iPhone/Android - Gyms - Partners - Forum - Photos - Deals - What's New
 ADVANCED
Shanty Cliff
EVOLV Astroman Climbing Shoes

$145.00 20% off

$116.00

at EMS

6    more...
Five Ten Newton Lace-Up Climbing Shoe

$153.90 40% off

$92.34

at DeptOfGoods

214    more...
Sterling Accessory Cords

$49.05 31% off

$33.64

at Backcountry

3    more...
Grivel Alp Monster Ice Tool

$134.95 29% off

$94.47

at Backcountry

116    more...
Blackburn Atom SL 6.0 Cyclometer

$89.99 25% off

$67.49

at AlsSports

12    more...
Mammut - Mirage Mens Harness

$55.00 45% off

$29.97

at GearX

58    more...
Gibbon Slacklines Slackrack

$285.00 25% off

$213.75

at Backcountry

3    more...
BLACK DIAMOND C4 Camalot, # 3

$69.95 25% off

$52.46

at EMS

7    more...
MSR Hubba Hubba Tent - 2 Person

$329.99 30% off

$230.99

at AlsSports

   more...
Beal Diablo Unicore 9.8mm Single Rope

$199.90 24% off

$149.93

at Backcountry

15    more...
 more Dirtbag Deals

Routes Sorted
L to R R to L Alpha
Bidonville 
Breadline 
Climber's Yodel 
Corktown 
Flying Friends 
Gripe of Wrath 
Gunky Route 
Life and Debt 
Little Gem Diner 
Mean Low Blues 
Pug Love 
River View 
Rocinha 
Shantytown 
Soup Kitchen 
Soweto 
Swampoodle 
Vernal Imperatives 

Shanty Cliff 


Photos: Recent | Best | Popular
Page Views: 1,755. Good page? (1 like)   
Administrators: Jim Lawyer, Chris Duca, Tom Erickson
Submitted By: Kevin Heckeler on Aug 30, 2010

Make this area a Favorite
What's New
  Print a Mini-Guide with routes

Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event 

Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
Thunderstorm
73° | 55°
Thunderstorm
79° | 55°
Chance of a Thunderstorm
73° | 43°
Chance of Rain
55° | 32°
Partly Cloudy
55° | 34°

Jamie McNeill on Rocinha (5.10c). Photo by Jay Ha...

Description 

Secluded. Shaded bottom half for most routes until early afternoon. Don't be surprised to see other climbers and hikers on the weekends. Overall it's a quiet place to climb. Very 'back-to-nature'.


Getting There 

Park at the Cod Pond trailhead parking area along Route 8 (8.3 miles north of the Route 30 intersection, or 14.7 miles south of the Route 28 intersection in Wevertown). Head north 150 yards along Route 8 (over a small bridge). Where the guard rail ends there's a dirt road heading left and down towards the river with a camp site at the end. Cross the river (1-2 feet high during summer) and follow the obvious herd path, which meanders left, then right again, in order to get around a wet area.

Path reaches the slabs in 10 minutes (on left). Continuing right another 5 minutes to reach the Sports Arena (on right, some bolted routes). Continuing up the dike along the cliff's base to the remainder of the wall:

  • Shanty Girl chimney with 3 moderate routes
  • Shantytown and Gunky Route area with many roofs and orange colored rock
  • Third class ramp
  • Two 100 foot walls nearly facing each other (on right is Little Gem Diner, left is Hard Times)
  • Main Face (Left End) low roofs (also called The Raven's Nest)
  • Long, low roof 6 feet high with a short slab section just above

Past this last wall the trail continues up and then right. You can walk off nearly all the climbs here. Which exit/ramp you choose will depend on where you are on the cliff. At the top of the dike walkoff climber's left. Middle and lower sections use the third class ramp right of Little Gem Diner area. Can also rappel most routes.


Quality Climbing! 

Shanty offers top roping, trad, and sport climbing from easy 5.2 up to 5.11 . Rock is good quality and routes are generally easy to follow. Routes are mostly trad, a few mixed (trad and bolts), and some sport. Bolting is done only where no protection is available in tradiitonal Adirondack ethic.

Although most of the routes are cleaned, spring runoff can bring dirt down into the climb, so it's wise to bring a small brush and maybe carry it with you (especially if leading). This is probably a good idea for any backcountry crag.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Shanty Cliff:
Little Gem Diner   5.6     Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 110 feet   
Flying Friends   5.7     Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 110 feet   
Soweto   5.8     Trad, 1 pitch, 100 feet   
Rocinha   5.10c     Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 80 feet   
Browse More Classics in Shanty Cliff

Featured Route For Shanty Cliff
Paul Deagle - Flying Friends 5.7

Flying Friends 5.7  NY : Adirondacks : Shanty Cliff
Climb a crack onto the slab, then left to a birch. Take the upper crack and another diagonal crack up and right to the arete. Gain another crack to traverse right (crux) and to the top....[more]   Browse More Classics in NY


Photos of Shanty Cliff Slideshow Add Photo
climbing Hooverville

climbing Hooverville

Spring river crossing.

Spring river crossing.

5.8 hand crack

5.8 hand crack

Bolted 5.10a

Bolted 5.10a

Fording the E. Branch of the Sacandaga on the way to Shanty Cliff.

BETA PHOTO: Fording the E. Branch of the Sacandaga on the way ...


Comments on Shanty Cliff Add Comment
Show which comments
By J. Nickel
Sep 24, 2010

See thomannengineering.web.officelive.com/ShantyCliff.aspx for another short description of the cliff. Also, look at the rest of Gary's website for more destinations in the Southern Adirondacks.
Edited - sorry, old link, see Jim's comment below

By Kevin Heckeler
From: West Sand Lake, New York
Mar 22, 2012

The base of the main climbing walls in the middle (two 100 foot walls that nearly face each other) is heavily eroded. I find heading to the left wall, then traversing up and right to access the right hand wall is the best approach. In the future some work will be done to shore up the base of those walls to halt the erosion taking place.

By Bill Sacks
From: Sacramento, CA
Apr 1, 2012

Well developed area. Flat areas to belay from, nice pathways, and plenty of bolted anchors.

nobolts.blogspot.com/2012/03/shanty-cliff.html

By Jim Lawyer
Administrator
Jun 1, 2012

Regarding the above comment -- Gary's web site has a new address. Click here for the new site. As of 6-1-2012. there's no information on Shanty Cliff, though.

By Gunkiemike
Oct 29, 2012

Has anyone climbed the fingers-to-hands jamcrack through the big overhang that is basically a direct start to Circuitous Shit?