Rack for climbing Gelsa in the Gunks

My partner and I are pretty new to trad climbing. We want to climb Gelsa ( mountainproject.com/route/1…). We have this rack:
0.4" cam x1
0.5" cams x2
0.75" cams x2
1" cams x2
2" cam x1
3" cam x1
set of 11 nuts

Will this be enough to comfortably do this climb, or should we buy more cams so that we can stick more gear into the 3rd pitch? Also, does anyone happen to know if there is fixed gear at any of the belay stations?

Gear anchors. That rack is fine but a .3 and another .4 would probably make you happier. 

My recollection is that the third pitch is a little chossy.   Be careful where you put gear and what you pull on.

mbkwrote:

My recollection is that the third pitch is a little chossy.   Be careful where you put gear and what you pull on.

This.  I did it in the 70s when I didn’t know any better.  More recently, I didn’t see much in the way of gear placements on that pitch that didn’t look like they would lever the loose blocks in a fall.  Be careful! 

Third pitch eats nuts…. They also have the added advantage of not levering on the flakes. A few placements can be tricky to get out so make sure you have a nut tool. It’s an awesome pitch.

No fixed gear at belay stations. IIRC, anchor at the start of P3 was small stuff in a horizontal. Like, yellow Alien, blue TCU, possibly pink TriCam, etc.

Save a few finger size cams for the belay station before the third pitch. 

Don't bother.  The 3rd pitch is nothing but loose rocks in a semi-wide crack.   

Seriously though, for a new leader, there are way better (and more straightforward) classic easy climbs at the Gunks.  The 3rd pitch is pretty chossy and gear placement requires some experience.  Also, the leader will not be able to hear their second.

Tim Schafstallwrote:

Don't bother.  The 3rd pitch is nothing but loose rocks in a semi-wide crack.   

Seriously though, for a new leader, there are way better (and more straightforward) classic easy climbs at the Gunks.  The 3rd pitch is pretty chossy and gear placement requires some experience.  Also, the leader will not be able to hear their second.

Hey as a new leader I would love to hear those recommendations, thanks

Tim Schafstallwrote:

Don't bother.  The 3rd pitch is nothing but loose rocks in a semi-wide crack.   

Seriously though, for a new leader, there are way better (and more straightforward) classic easy climbs at the Gunks.  The 3rd pitch is pretty chossy and gear placement requires some experience.  Also, the leader will not be able to hear their second.

The challenges of the top pitch are what make Gelsa a noteworthy route in its grade. Not a good early pitch for the grade, but a stepping stone to more difficult and/or serious routes. Think of it as a Type Two 5.4 lead.

Stefan Matwijecwrote:

Hey as a new leader I would love to hear those recommendations, thanks

I’d suggest looking at Betty, Bunny, Three Pines, Minty, Northern Pillar, and Easy Overhang to start with. They’re all classic, fun, reasonably well protected routes. On Betty, Three Pines, and Minty, you might lose line-of-sight with your partner but you should be able to hear them when shouting. Extending your attachment to get you to the edge of the cliff will help improve communication

I still can’t go to the Gunks without climbing Easy Overhang. It’s just plain enjoyable with a position that rivals most routes that aren’t 5.2. Minty is a lot of fun as well. 

I wound up using a BD#4 about midway up the third pitch. I honestly love that route because it gets a little questionable in some spots. Personally I think the end of P2 up the belay ledge is a little nervy for the grade but thats about it. my only advice, is to make sure you protect the traverse in P1 for your second. A fall there without any pro could be bad. Otherwise, enjoy the climb. Its a great one.