Best Gunks routes for practicing aid climbing?

Hey everyone,

I am excited to get into big wall climbing, and I need to practice my aid climbing technique. Any recommendations for areas or specific routes to practice aiding and big wall technique? I'm looking for long easy routes with good and frequent placements.

Thanks!

Years ago someone put out a mini-guide to aid climbing in the Gunks. If you can find that you'll be all set. Just don't try to do your business on a 3 star classic on a busy day.

Your comments re. parking and approach suggest that you're not familiar with the Gunks. If that's the case, let me warn you - the rock characteristics are quite different from most big wall rock. You won't be leapfrogging cams up a continuous vertical crack here!

Appreciate the feedback! I tried to look for the mini-guide book, I couldn't find anything. Do you know how I could find it or who created it?
 
I understand the rock type is very different from most big wall areas, however its the best I have, so I need to make it work. Are there any particular routes that you think are good for practicing aiding but won't be crowded? I don't want to hog a crowded line!

If I was going to just play with aid I might go to PowerLinez. A little closer to the city, and free if not a Preserve member. Also a bit more chossy and less developed, might be more interesting to practice aid there. 

There used to be a page---I have the bookmark---but the link is now dead.

Honestly, I don't think you can learn much about big wall granite aid climbing in the Gunks,  Maybe if you want to practice for aid climbing in the Dolomites.  For learning to climb granite, Gunks rock is a bit too steep, there are way too many holds, and there aren't a lot of continuous cracks  You're as likely to develop bad habits (like not getting high enough in your ladders) as you are to develop good habits.

Heading West armed with a lot of book learning is your best bet, but you can manage with some routes in NH and the Adirondacks too.

RichBeBe wrote: If I was going to just play with aid I might go to PowerLinez. A little closer to the city, and free if not a Preserve member. Also a bit more chossy and less developed, might be more interesting to practice aid there. 

Interesting suggestion; I've never been. How are the approaches? What is the parking situation like? How crowded should I expect it to be on spring weekends? Are there any specific areas or routes that you believe would be suitable for practicing aiding and jugging? Are bolted anchors common?

Thanks for your help!

rgold wrote: There used to be a page---I have the bookmark---but the link is now dead.

Honestly, I don't think you can learn much about big wall granite aid climbing in the Gunks,  Maybe if you want to practice for aid climbing in the Dolomites.  For learning to climb granite, Gunks rock is a bit too steep, there are way too many holds, and there aren't a lot of continuous cracks  You're as likely to develop bad habits (like not getting high enough in your ladders) as you are to develop good habits.

Heading West armed with a lot of book learning is your best bet, but you can manage with some routes in NH and the Adirondacks too.

I totally get this, but I'd still like to get outside and practice a few times before the summer. Even if the rock types are different, there is still much to benefit by jugging laps and similar exercises.

Here's an archived version of that page:

https://web.archive.org/web/20141121085059/ ghiz.org/gunksaid.shtml

EDIT: MP keeps messing up the link but if you copy and paste that, or go to https://archive.org/web/ and type in

http://ghiz.org/gunksaid.shtml

you'll get it.

Haven't done any of those myself.

dave wrote: Here's an archived version of that page:

EDIT: MP keeps messing up the link but if you copy and paste that, or go to https://archive.org/web/ and type in you'll get it.

Haven't done any of those myself.

This is really helpful - thanks so much!

In the 70’s my partner and I aided Kansas City.  An 8 hour epic in homemade etrier’s and harnesses made out of webbing.  I think one of my micro copper top is still lodged in the roof. When weighted it just melted in.  Twilight Zone is another roof.  Vertical crack and improving your speed try Ken’s Crack near the uberfall.  but watch for a ground fall risk if you placements low pop.   

Neal Sailerwrote:

Vertical crack and improving your speed try Ken’s Crack near the uberfall. 

No no no no no no no

There's pretty much not a time when it's appropriate to take up a route this popular for aid.

David Kwrote:

No no no no no no no

There's pretty much not a time when it's appropriate to take up a route this popular for aid.

Funny you say that. I aided Ken’s crack on a weekday with pretty much no one around a few years ago. So yeah, there is always a time if you use common sense

Kens and all of the mini roofs in the Nears. 

For $465 you can have Supercrack at Skytop all to yourself for the day.

Carter Leywrote:

Interesting suggestion; I've never been. How are the approaches? What is the parking situation like? How crowded should I expect it to be on spring weekends? Are there any specific areas or routes that you believe would be suitable for practicing aiding and jugging? Are bolted anchors common?

Thanks for your help!

You can practice aid on Rachel’s Crack. No bolts

Twilight Zone 

David Kwrote:

No no no no no no no

There's pretty much not a time when it's appropriate to take up a route this popular for aid.

No one owns the wall man and it’s not like aiding it would take much longer than a slow party of 5 anyways.

If you want to practice aid height doesn’t really matter to get your systems down so don’t lock yourself into thinking you need to climb something big in order to climb big. You could likely aid anything you want without raising much eyebrow if you are efficient. 

For aid climbing on a big wall, hauling m, anchor systems and change-overs are every bit as important as leading aid. These can be practiced anywhere there are trees.  Even some climbing gyms let you practice A0 on their bolted routes and hauling practice. 

I learned how to jug and haul on High E.  Kegs are heavy.  I hope I didn’t offend any sober folks by mentioning a route name with “High” in it or ex- perverts by mentioning a route with “ exposure “ in it.

Thanks everybody for these suggestions! Last year I did a lot of practice at Powerlinez to prepare for the Nose, and it was great practice for the real thing. Many opportunities for aiding, pendulums, jugging, hauling, and lower-outs. I'll be sure to try some of the harder aid lines at the Trapps (when nobody is looking to free them!) to practice for my next trip to Yosemite! Thanks again.

Carter Leywrote:

Thanks everybody for these suggestions! Last year I did a lot of practice at Powerlinez to prepare for the Nose, and it was great practice for the real thing. Many opportunities for aiding, pendulums, jugging, hauling, and lower-outs. I'll be sure to try some of the harder aid lines at the Trapps (when nobody is looking to free them!) to practice for my next trip to Yosemite! Thanks again.

What spots in particular did you end up practicing on at Power Lines?