Toprope advice for Gunks
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Hi - I used to do a lot of lead climbing at the Gunks .... but ~20 years ago ... am planning to go back this summer for some top-roping with my kids, they've done gym climbing and now want to get outdoors. It's been a while, so I'll need to get new gear to set up some anchors. So, four questions: |
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Yes to Peterskill. There are relatively few climbs in the Trapps/Nears/LC with easy top access. PK is the way to go if that's what you are looking for and there are plenty of high quality routes with top access. Mondays will generally be close to empty. |
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Peterskill. The app seems better than the guidebook, and is cheaper I think. A lot of people bring a long static line ... not strictly necessary but definitely worth getting if you don’t have a rack & you plan on TRing regularly. |
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+1 to Peterskill. |
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Thanks, so PK it is. I purchased the PK package in the app and agree it’s pretty good. Any suggestions on what routes to set up top ropes on (that don’t require a static rope as I’m not ready to splurge on that right now). |
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depends on the grade youre looking for. There are some great 10 b/c/d hidden in there. |
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The guidebook (p. 19) lists the bolted anchors. Since then, bolts (hard-to-see glue-ins at the top edge) have been added to Anna's Route, Jumbled Arete, and Easy Crack. You can set up a TR off of any of these with nothing more than a pair of slings/cordelettes, with the exception of the Captain's Log bolts, which are set well back from the edge. There are some routes with trees close to the edge suitable for setting up a TR, but you'll have to find these on your own. |
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JRZane wrote: Psycho Crack left and right are both good and there are DBA's in the super cool chimney to the left of psychocracks too. No bolts for the chimney routes. The closest anchor is Yellow Wallpaper just at the mouth of the chimney (left of Psy. Crack). Of interest to the OP though, a couple fun lines in that area can be set up without static rope: "Not All It's Cracked Up To Be" can be TR'ed from the large WHITE pine above it, and "Santa's Escape" from gear (also "The Ripper" in that same area, but that one's beyond OP's stated grade range). Two cordelettes needed in either case IIRC. |
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Thanks. My son (age 20) has done a lot of gym climbing but first time outdoors so not sure, guessing 5.7-5.9 for him. Golden dream and Dunce's Corner look good for him? My daughter is 16 and hasn't really climbed before but is pretty fit. Guessing 5.5-5.6 for her. Looking maybe at Captain's Log (looks like my son can use the same anchor for Kling-On), Cornflake, Genuflect, Slot Machine? |
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Well, this is getting confusing. Now there's another David K in the Gunks? |
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David K wrote: In the App, what does the white hexagon mean at the top of some routes? I think it's supposed to mean "bolted anchor". But there are some bolted anchors that have been added to older routes which haven't been added to the app--Slot Machine, Golden Dream, and Yellow Wallpaper all have bolted anchors but no hexagons. What's your comfort level with setting up gear anchors, or anchoring off trees? That opens up a lot more options.EDIT: Actually Slot Machine doesn't have bolts. The bolts are on Fickle Fingers, the neighboring climb. |
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Haha, I just changed my profile from David to Dave, let's see if that sticks on this post? Great advice so far, I'll need to study the app to plan it out. I got rid of my gear along with the rope a while ago, so at this point I've got cordelettes and slings and a few quickdraws ... so I'm not able to set up a gear anchor but could anchor off a tree if it's not too far away. |
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David K wrote: the hexagon with an arrow means fixed anchor/rappel. In the Trapps that could mean a slung tree with rings, or those funky steel cables with QLs. At PK, that generally means bolted anchor because there are few, if any, slung trees. |
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Thanks all for the great advice. I think we'll focus on the following (all 5.9 or below, with DBAs and easy walk up/down to set top-ropes): |
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David K wrote: Unless I'm blind (quite possible), there are no bolts for Slot Machine. Maybe you mean Fickle Fingers, next to Golden Dream? |
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I'm going off memory here, so I may be misremembering, but I don't think Jumbled Arete, Easy Crack, or Dunce's Corner have bolts. As JimN pointed out, the bolts near Slot Machine are actually on the neighboring climb, Fickle Fingers. The Anna's route bolts may be hard to find. |
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JimN wrote: You're right--I've edited my previous post to avoid confusing anyone. |
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The universe is full of David K's. |
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Skink is right near Golden Dream and has bolts too. It's 5.8, although depending on your height, you might disagree. You can also get pretty cool pics of people climbing Golden Dream standing near the bolts at the top of Skink. |
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Golden Dream is good but gets a little busy on the weekends. Skink used to be 5.6, is now a 5.7+, definitely not a 5.8. There's also Stinky Americans and another 5.10c (can't remember the name) right next to it to the climber's left of Slot Machine. You can easily build an anchor for Slot Machine at the top of the route. |
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Mike K wrote: There's also Stinky Americans and another 5.10c (can't remember the name) right next to it to the climber's left of Slot Machine.I think the other 5.10c is Completely Francois. Also, i'd recommend either rapping down off of Golden Dream or Skink if you want an easy way down. There's also a 5.2 descent gully between the Skink Block and the main cliff which locals frequently solo, if that's your thing. |