Gunks vs Joshua Tree

This may seem like a silly question,but...how does The Gunks in NY compare as a climbing destination to Joshua Tree?

I'm in agreement with Wilder, but I'll elaborate a bit to help you out. NB: I'm a Gunks climber with only one trip to Jtree, so grains of salt and all...

Climbing: I'm guessing you know the differences between the two types of climbing, so I won't go into that. The Gunks are more central/easier to locate climbs whereas Josh is spread out and can be difficult (without someone who knows) to find the right hunk of rock. The Gunks pretty much turns into an outdoor trad gym on nice weekends (though you can sack up and go to Millbrook for plenty of solitude); Josh, too, has its gangroped classics but there are dozens of other climbs around to be done. However, weekdays at the Gunks are usually quite empty but I'd guess, given the "destination" nature of Josh, that perhaps weekdays there could be more crowded (at least at the classic spots).

Camping: Camping at the Gunks pretty much sucks compared to Josh. Both areas (Slime and the Multi-Use) are cramped, not really maintained, and nothing like the established campgrounds at Josh. On the other hand, for the Multi-Use, it's free and if you show up and find space, you're good to go. The AAC continues to promise a new, maintained campground for the Gunks but little progress has been made other than naming the damn thing.

Location: The Gunks are outside of New Paltz, an upstate town from NYC that swells with weekend nonclimbing tourists. Unlike Josh, you don't have to drive very far from your tent to get beer, supplies, burritos, ice cream cones, a rainy-day movie matinee, or time-wasting at local shop Rock and Snow. Upstate New York is gorgeous and filled with rest day opportunities. On the other hand, Josh is a magical desert place with an undeniable aura. The solitude and raw geologic expanse are pretty amazing.

General Vibe: My ONE trip to Josh led me to briefly believe that my buddies and I were the only climbers in America who weren't dumpster diving, uber-tanned, Cali-style dudes and dudettes. Dirtbag style was definitely the ideal, as least as far as I observed on my ONE trip. The Gunks are (seem?) much more cosmopolitan: you'll find folk from all over the world muttering about sandbags and runouts. But, again, on nice weekends it does turn into something of a shit show.

Overall: Very different experiences across the board. I've been out to the Southwest many times and only climbed at Josh once. I much prefer Red Rocks!

No comparison..the West is the BEST!

Go to both! I much prefer the Gunks, but both are unique experiences that every climber should check out at least once.

crispy wrote:General Vibe: My ONE trip to Josh led me to briefly believe that my buddies and I were the only climbers in America who weren't dumpster diving, uber-tanned, Cali-style dudes and dudettes.

Clearly you were there on the one day of the season that the San Diego constituency was taking the day off quaffing brews at Crossroads.

Either that or you spent the day bouldering at Hidden Valley. :)

crispy wrote:Unlike Josh, you don't have to drive very far from your tent to get beer, supplies, burritos, ice cream cones, a rainy-day movie matinee, or time-wasting at local shop Rock and Snow.

I'll take coolers full of supplies and no rain.

As long as we are talking East Coast vs. West Coast attitudes, check out this Onion masterpiece: theonion.com/articles/84-mi…

NY residents, "whose meanness and cynicism is cloaked in a kind of holier-than-thou brand of sarcasm that the rest of the world finds nauseating" vs. "Los Angeles–area residents, tired of their self-centered, laid-back culture and lack of four distinct seasons". ha

Josh: 7000 routes and new routes still going up every week.
Gunks: Maybe a 1000?

Josh: 315 days of sunshine annually
Gunks: 150 days of rain, 365 days of sick humidity.

Gunks: A-hole New Yawkah next to you at the crag.
Josh: Passive aggressive Los Angelino next to you at the crag.

Josh: Easy striking distance to RedRock, Tahquitz/Suicide, Riveside Quarry, San Bernardino mtn crags, Woodson Mission Gorge and other SD crags. 6hrs puts you in the best climbing in North America (Needles, Yosemite, high Sierra, etc)

Gunks: Uh, I guess there's some else decent nearby..Cannon?

Will S wrote:Josh: 7000 routes and new routes still going up every week. Gunks: Maybe a 1000?

To be fair, 6500 of those 7000 "routes" are exfoliating piles.

Ryan Kelly wrote: To be fair, 6500 of those 7000 "routes" are exfoliating piles.

yes, and let's be honest Will S... you can talk sh*t all you want about A-hole New Yawkahs, but I would take them any day over the majority of SoCal, bro brah gnar gnar spewing, oversized white sunglass wearing, douchenozzles that flock to J-Tree.

J. Albers wrote: you can talk sh*t all you want about A-hole New Yawkahs, but I would take them any day over the majority of SoCal, bro brah gnar gnar spewing, oversized white sunglass wearing, douchenozzles that flock to J-Tree.

Gonna have to say it's a draw on that one.

according to MP.com, josh has 254 3 star routes to the gunk's 138... just sayin

Well you have your choices, I have mine. I did grow up on the east coast...lived there 25 years, and it sucks nine kinds of monkeybutt. SoCal is plastic and fake, but NY is fake, plastic, angry, and stupidly humid to boot.

Since I've already climbed just about everything I want to in the popular areas at Josh, I rarely see more than one or two other parties when I'm out.

Never been to the Gunks when it wasn't wall to wall peeps. It also gets a little boring at the Gunks...oh look,another route of steep horizontals, wheeeeee.

Will S wrote:Gunks: 150 days of rain, 365 days of sick humidity.

what? autumn in the gunks is just about as good as it gets, anywhere. let's be accurate here.

Ok, let's be accurate. It rains, on average, over 4" in Oct in the Gunks. Avg relative humidity in Oct is about 70%. Is that accurate enough for ya?

Will S wrote:Ok, let's be accurate. It rains, on average, over 4" in Oct in the Gunks. Avg relative humidity in Oct is about 70%. Is that accurate enough for ya?

Thats pretty damn accurate. The only good destination area on the East Coast is the RRG, because there are so many climbs protected by roofs from the rain. JTree, it just doesn't rain. The camping in JTree is probably some of the best in the country. JTree is a lot of slabish technical routes, where as the Gunks is much more steep on average. Most of the grades in JTree are soft in the moderates, so if you need an ego booster that is also a better place. As far as the locals, it is pretty easy to get away from everyone in JTree. Go out to Wanderland and you may not see anyone.

TomCaldwell wrote: Most of the grades in JTree are soft in the moderates, so if you need an ego booster that is also a better place.

That's funny, because you upgraded Invisibility Lessons ;)

mountainproject.com/scripts…

Will S wrote: It also gets a little boring at the Gunks...oh look,another route of steep horizontals, wheeeeee.

Josh: Oh, look, another low angle, exfoliating dummy dome!

It seems like the Josh/Gunks comparison comes up a lot. Maybe I'll go to the Gunks one day and see why.

Will S wrote:Is that accurate enough for ya?

ya keep it up

Zeke wrote: It seems like the Josh/Gunks comparison comes up a lot.

It's something to talk about in-between Red vs. New discussions.

they are both fun in similar and different sorts of ways. if a buddy asked me if i wanted to go to either one for a week (assuming the weather would be good) i would be happy to go to either one.