The Spider's Web Rock Climbing

The Web needs very little introduction. The visual one gets of this diamond as it sits high above the West side of Route 73 is enough to both silence Web neophytes and evoke long diatribes of banter from locals and those who've only visited a few times.

This gently overhanging, crack-riddled face is home to the highest concentration of sustained Adirondack test-pieces. Aesthetic lines such as "It's Only Entertainment" (11c), "Fear and Loathing in Keene Valley" (11b), "Esthesia" (Dacks 9+), "TR" (10-), and "Zabba" (13b) are among the best crack climbs in the Northeast, hands down, and all stand testament that climbers have been--and still are--cranking hard in the Northeast. If you've never been here before, be prepared for a big pump as many of the grades are of the traditional, old-school variety. (One should note that Henry Barber's name is attached to many of the classics on this cliff.)

It is peculiar, however, that such an array of high quality crack climbs sees very little traffic on splitter days throughout the climbing season. It is a great choice on crispy Spring and Fall days, as it receives a plethora of sun, plus it dries out quickly due to its' steep orientation. But whatever the reason or reasons for it's sleepiness, let it remain that way, as the Web is a magical place with cosmic lines on some of the best Rock in the Northeast.