The Gorge Climbing

Rock Routes:

Two quality sections exist in the gorge worth exploring, the traverse wall and the knife arête.

Traverse wall – V0 - Located directly across from the Lower falls, this tan rock wall with an overhanging roof offers fairly small feature, technical traversing. Though vertical ascents through the roof have been completed, the loose top, coupled with a fall zone littered with rock, is generally not considered worth the risk of injury.

Knife Arete – V4 – best accessed from Trail B (Main Rocks) at an obvious depression between the rocky top look out and the steep hillside, this hard, textured boulder, provides possibly the best arête in the preserve. This 25’ boulder problem will have you crimping and smearing heels on both sides of the knife-edge to gain the top. The hill falls sharply away; making a safe landing difficult…it is suggested to have at least two spotters and multiple pads. Ensure you bring a stiff nylon brush to clean the lichen/moss off the top finishing moves.

Ice routes:

The gorge area is home to 3-5 consistently forming ice climbs during peak winter months.

The Lower Dundee falls (WI 3 – 3+) require pure cold (<20 degrees) for a period of at least 5 days to form a structure worthy of an attempt, with the options widening as the cold spell lengthens. The ice varies from candled to pure blue plastic and is stable enough to support leading, despite its short pitch.

Ribbon of Terror (WI 4+) will form on the left wall, approximately 200 yards into the gorge, with a solid snow pack and freeze / thaw cycle. Barely a foot wide and situated in a shallow crevice, this climb will push your technical water ice skills, as swinging too hard will destroy any hope of leaving the structure in tact. Top out through the tree roots and frozen moss…God put it there, don’t be too proud to use it.