All Locations > New York > Adirondacks > Lake Champlain… > Poke-O-Moonshine

Headwall Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in Headwall

L › R R › L A › Z

	Atlantis T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Bitter End (aka Fear of Frogs), The T 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
	Born Ready S 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Dutch Masters Direct T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Fear of Gravity T 5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a

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Elevation:	2,001 ft	610 m
GPS:	44.4014, -73.51053 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	626 total · 15/month
Shared By:	Cal Seeley on May 9, 2023
Admins:	Morgan Patterson, Kevin MudRat MacKenzie, Jim Lawyer Page Updates (admin only)

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Access Issue: Peregrine closures and approach trail issues Details

Access to the Main Face is often limited in the spring and summer due to peregrine falcon nesting. Check the DEC web site (www.dec.ny.gov, search for "peregrine route closures"). Closures are posted in the kiosk at the beginning of the approach trail in the (now closed) Poke-O Campground.

Several recent incidents at the Poke-O Moonshine Main Face have heightened tensions with neighboring landowners.

Shortcut Trail (aka the Smitty Trail): The main approach goes from the (now closed) campground to the cliff near Discord. There is a shortcut trail on the right that provides access to the cliff near Pentecostal. This shortcut trail crosses the edges of two parcels of private land, and was closed in the spring of 2014. As of Aug 30, 2014, this trail is open on a tentative basis. Stay on the trail; there are some cairns and Access Fund signage to help.

Northern Trail Closure (aka the Easy Living Trail): There is an old trail that connects US 9 with the cliff near Psalm 32. This trail is entirely on private land and should NOT be used by climbers; indeed, it has been closed and undocumented for many years. Both ends of this trail are now marked with signs courtesy of the Access Fund.

In short, while visiting the Main Face, approach from the campground, and stay on the main trail along the base of the cliff.

Description

The Headwall of Poke-O-Moonshine is a broad, steep wall with many aretes, cracks and corners. It sits downhill and looker's right of the Summit Cliff, and directly above the Sun and Lunar Walls on its left end. The wall is guarded by a jungle-like bushwhack approach, but prevail and you'll find excellent climbing in a quiet, backcountry-feeling setting. That being said, there's a tad more road noise here than at the Summit Cliff.

Getting There

Since the re-routing of the former Ranger Trail, access to the cliff has been more complex. In addition, a lack of foot traffic has caused a revegetation within former herd paths, particularly in the form of scrubby beech saplings along the base of the wall. Now, it's probably best to follow the approach description for the Summit Cliff. Once you reach the right end of the summit cliff, head downhill and to the East along a scrubby section of broken cliffs until the left-end of the Headwall comes into view. You'll know you're there when you see the huge diagonally left-leaning overlap/large off width of Gusto Crack. The cliff bends north after this feature, roughly the location of Fear of Gravity. Many more routes are to the north, but this is the limit of my exploration there. Accepting any and all comments on approach/cliff notes.