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All Locations > New York > The Gunks > The Near Trapps > b. Gelsa to Moe (closure)

Grease Gun Groove

5.6 YDS 4c French 14 Ewbanks V UIAA 12 ZA S 4b British


 Avg: 2.7 from 117 votes

Routes in b. Gelsa to Moe (closure)

5.8 Crack Climb T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
After You T 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R
Back to the future T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13
Bird Cage T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
Birdbrain T,TR 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a X
Birdland T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
Boob Job T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
El Camino T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c R
El Kabong T,TR 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b R
Elder Cleavage Direct T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
Eraserhead T,TR 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
Farewell to Arms T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
Fat and Weak T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
Grease Gun Groove T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
Lonely Challenge T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
Loose Goose T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
Moe T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
Pain Strain T 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a PG13
Road Warrior T,TR 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a R
Roseland T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
Shitface T,TR 5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b R
Silver Bullet T 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
Slammin' the Salmon T,TR 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b PG13
To Be Or Not To Be T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a R
To Have or Have Not T,TR 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b R
Transcontinental Nailway T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
Tulip Mussel Garden T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
Up Yours T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
Yum Yum Yab Yum T 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c
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Type: Trad, 80 ft
FA: Gary Hemming, Art Gran, Roger Chorley, 1958
Page Views: 4,597 total · 30/month
Shared By: John Peterson on Mar 11, 2006
Admins: JSH

You & This Route


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Description

WARNING: a ground-nest of yellowjackets is in the blocks immediately opposite the start of the route. Avoid those blocks, and put your packs down well to climbers' right.

An excellent 5.6 pitch that marks the leftmost of the densest, highest quality climbing in the Nears. Beyond this the rock quality drops dramatically.

Start about 100' left of Birdland, at a slabby left-facing corner above a chest-high bulge.

P1: Make a tough bouldery move over the bulge into the corner (v1). Continue up the corner (v2), go right under a roof , and climb a steep wall capped by a small roof (pin) to bolted anchors. Good climbing all the way up. 5.6, 80'.

There is a second pitch but most find it "a safari".  

v1.  The face to the right of the start can be TR'd at 5.11
v2.  From the stance above the corner, head left to finish on a hand crack splitting a ceiling, then right back towards the anchors;  5.8+ G/PG.

Protection

Standard Gunks rack

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Photo Photo (copy)
Photos

First few moves of the climb.
First few moves of the climb.
 1
Mark Mooradian nearing the top of the first pitch.
Mark Mooradian nearing the top of the first pitch.
 0
a nice view of the 5.8 crack/roof variation...
a nice view of the 5.8 crack/roof variation...
 0
starting up
starting up
 0
further up on P1
further up on P1
 0
Grease Gun Groove
Grease Gun Groove
 0

12 Comments

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jeremyadams
Mount Joy, PA
 
jeremyadams   Mount Joy, PA
 
The second pitch is a safari. I gave it a go one time and found myself pulling on vegetation while my feet were skittering off dirty holds. It's too bad, really, because the rock was not awful, although the moves are not particularly memorable. Jan 5, 2007
monk
monk  
There's an interesting roof variation to GGG. The variation can be seen from the ground. About 3/4 the way up to the top, to the left of the regular route, you will see a roof with a crack. Traverse over to the roof and pull it at the crack. This variation is not in my (Swain) guidebook. It is well protected and goes at about 8+.

One word of warning. I told a friend about the variation and he warned me about a possible loose block up there. I don't remember any questionable rock. Jul 17, 2008
JSH

JSH    
There is indeed a loose block above - as in, you're standing just after having pulled - the crux roof on the variation. It's fairly loose, but fairly obviously loose. You'll want to place pro to protect follower(s) climbing through the roof, so take care to place it well above the loose block and you'll be fine. Jul 20, 2008
gblauer Blauer
Wayne, PA
gblauer Blauer   Wayne, PA
The first pitch is fun, with the crux move right off the ground. The gear is great, the moves even better. I found the second pitch fun as well. It's not too well traveled, so beware of grassy ledges, lichen etc.

There are two variations to this climb, a 5.10 and a 5.8. The 5.10 traverses left before you climb on the pedestal and climb the corner, clear that and climb the 5.8 variation over a small roof. Both variations protect well. Jul 27, 2008
Spiro Spiro
  5.6
Spiro Spiro  
  5.6
stop at the first pitch, second pitch is a safari. Oct 10, 2008
Mark Roth
Boulder
 
Mark Roth   Boulder
 
There is a fun 5.11 variation a few feet right of the start. Might as well top rope it while you are here... Really just a tall boulder problem, and being tall is also helpful. Apr 7, 2011
Neil Steinert
Hamilton
  5.6
Neil Steinert   Hamilton
  5.6
I liked the 2nd pitch (it is grassy with lichen). The first pitch is better and more cruxy in my opinion. Jun 17, 2012
Benjaminadk
San Pedro, California
 
Benjaminadk   San Pedro, California
 
The 5.8 variation is cool. Didnt notice the loose block today but it may still be there. Very good gear and monster jugs and a no hands rest after. On the easy side of gunks 8. No harder than Shockley's crux and kind of similar now that I think about it. Nov 10, 2014
Torren
Newark, DE
Torren   Newark, DE
I climbed both pitches last weekend. Pitch one is pretty awesome and pitch two was ok. P2 is pretty grassy for the last 30 feet. However, if it is your last climb of the day it makes for an easy walk off back to the west trapps lot if you don't leave stuff at the base. I just ran it out though the last bit so climbing was not that much slower then rapping down and walking out from the base. Oct 14, 2015
rogerbenton
 
rogerbenton  
 
TONS of gear available on 1st pitch.
Would be a good one to send a new leader up (provided they can climb comfortably at the grade) just because there are so many gear placement opportunities. May 1, 2016
David Kerkeslager
New Paltz, NY
5.6
David Kerkeslager   New Paltz, NY
5.6
I'm not sure why people are so excited about the protection on this climb, as there's definitely ground fall potential at the beginning crux and only mediocre gear for the next few moves. Granted, it's not a far fall, but definitely enough to sprain/break an ankle. If you're climbing hard enough to consider this a G, you're climbing hard enough that this climb will bore you.

If this is a climb at your grade, I'd do the beginning of this when you're bouldering in the area. The nice (V0+ or V1-) boulder problem at the beginning is the most fun part of the climb, and that's better protected by a boulder pad than by gear. Sep 5, 2017
JSH

JSH    
You can absolutely protect the first move with meaningful gear, and I do it every time. Sep 5, 2017

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