5.5,
Trad, 290 ft (88 m), 3 pitches,
Avg: 2.8 from 145
votes
FA: Willie Crowther, Gardiner and Mary Perry, 1958
New York
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Access Issue: Tree Preservation and Rappelling
Details
Please use bolted rappel anchors to descend whenever possible.
The Mohonk Preserve, GCC, Access Fund, and Petzl have worked to install bolted anchors that eliminate the need to rappel from healthy trees with slings and rings. The primary reason for this action has been to reduce impact on the trees. By monitoring the trees we have direct evidence that this has worked.
Do NOT rappel from trees without in situ anchors. Wrapping ropes around trees is banned by the Mohonk Preserve, and damages the tree even if done only once. The Mohonk Preserve is private land and climbing access is a privilege that can be revoked. It is incumbent upon us as climbers to speak up when we witness environmentally unsound practices – so DO speak up and spread the word.
Currently there are enough rappel stations and walk-off options that a VERY short walk will lead to a bolted station, healthy tree with slings, or down-climb descent. The Gunks Apps, MP, and newer print guidebook each have detailed information that provide Leave No Trace descents.
If you feel there is a situation where there is no good LNT descent, you can contact the GCC or the Climbing Ranger of the Mohonk Preserve directly.
Locate a clean crack system leading past a big pine to a smaller one about 50' right of
Minty. This pitch is often used by guides to toprope beginners.
P1: Climb the crack to the upper tree. 5.3, 80'.
This pitch was highly impacted by massive rockfall in 2008. See comments below. P2: Climb up a short corner (about 10'-15'), place a LONG runner, and traverse right about 15' to another corner. Place pro and commit to a "old school" gunks 5.4 move stepping right around the corner. Things ease up about 20' later and you can continue right and up to the GT Ledge at the base of a large corner. 5.5, 140'.
Not a pitch for a first 5.5 lead - the crux is very steep and even with the big jugs it's scary. Also, it's very easy to lock yourself down with rope drag on this pitch.
P3: Up the corner to the top. 5.3, 70'.
Descend either to the left (
Minty) or the right (
Madame G's). Or walk left to the
Uberfall Descent. The Madame G's rap is better on weekends since it doesn't interfere with climbers coming up.
Standard Gunks rack; small cams will make you feel better at the crux.
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Bethesda, MD
P3- Extremely short, but with (in my opinion) the most difficult rock climbing moves of the climb.
Rappelling off Madame G's requires about about ten feet of easy down climbing (using a tree). Rap bolts are not noticeable from above, so get beta on this before leaving the ground. Oct 8, 2007
Most trees are gone from near the base of the climb, and in the nearby talus, having been replaced by broken rock from the fall. The ledges are now covered with so much broken rock and sand that it could be considered dangerous, for the leader, the belayer, and anybody walking by. It will rain on your belayer.
We went past the original first pitch ledge, to the next ledge up, where there's a small pine tree still intact. It's just big enough to rap off, which my partner and I did. The rap webbing was newly installed on July 11. A 60 meter rope makes it to the ground. Jul 25, 2009
Golden, CO
Have fun! Aug 18, 2009
New York, NY
Pitch 2, the route finding is easy if you remember to stay below the pins. Just keep traverse right and follow the natural line. Oct 11, 2009
East-Coast
BTW, the third pitch dihedral is almost as long as the first pitch, and leads you to the top of the cliff. It's great climbing and great gear exactly when you need it. Don't pass it up for the ugly crawl to the rap station! Oct 15, 2010
Brooklyn, NY
New York, NY
If I remember correctly there are a couple times where you kind of have to step across the void to head right across a corner that make for great exposure. There is good pro all along, but the way it traverses does make for a lot of rope drag. Recommend using long runners as well as revolvers if you have any on your rack. Oct 18, 2011
The obvious tree around the top of P1 is getting a bit old.
Difficulty: Some guidebooks rate both P2 & P3 as 5.4. It seemed to both my partner and me that P3 would then be one of the easiest 5.4s in the Gunks. My memory is that P2 was mostly like other Gunks 5.4 pitches, provided you could handle the exposure. Much of P2 had big-enough + positive hand-holds, and a couple of sections of somewhat balancey traversing with little hands but pretty reasonable feet, except ... I remember one short sequence in P2 where it was pretty tricky (tho well-protected) to move up to reach the next positive hand-hold. So if I call that move 5.4+, then add a little for the overall exposure, gets the difficulty to 5.5. Jun 12, 2012
Brooklyn, NY
I used a lot of long runners and was able to link up pitches 2 and 3 without too bad drag even with the "alternative" longer start. Pitch 3 is very mellow with one fun well protected 5.4 move. It was easy to scramble down a little ways to the Madame G's rappel. Aug 26, 2013
Brooklyn, New York
The second pitch has some serious rope drag even with double-length runners at the first two corners, but it's manageable. Bring a lot of trad draws and a couple double-length ones! I didn't link the last two pitches because I was out of trad draws, but I probably would next time, I don't think it would make the rope drag much worse.
You'll have to build gear anchors at the top of the first pitch, and the second if you don't link them. But the latter has a big block at the base of the corner that you can probably just sling. May 3, 2015
I don't know if I'd recommend this when wet. Unless you don't mind climbing on wet rock and were aching for a little excitement that day. It's jugs throughout, but those holds got pretty slimy, too. Nov 10, 2015
New Paltz, NY
Los Angeles, CA
New York, NY