To save paper & ink, use the [Hide] controls next to photos and comments
so you only print what you need.
Blistered Toe
5.8,
Trad, 3 pitches,
Avg: 2.6 from 84
votes
FA: Jim McCarthy and John Wharton, 1958
New York
> Gunks
> Trapps
> j. The Yellow Wall &…
Description
Blistered Toe is a fun, steeper-than-it-looks pitch of climbing with two starts. To keep the grade at 5.8, start at obvious (but somewhat suspect) flakes about 10 feet left of the crack, climb up 10-15 feet, and traverse right towards the crack. Climbing the crack directly from the ground ups the ante to 5.9+. Climb the crack above, with some jamming and stemming, to a large ledge, and traverse left to a bolted anchor in a right-facing corner.
P2 is loose and possibly inobviously wet - not recommended! Diagonal up right via 5.4 face climbing, to the path of least resistance up to a large overhang (5.6, loose); traverse left here, then pull past the overhang to easier rock. P3 climbs easier rock to the top.
Location
By a tree, below an obvious crack about 100 feet right of the Seasons (e.g The Spring (P1)).
There are two bolts at the left end of the large ledge atop P1, and slings on a tree at the GT / clifftop.
[Hide Photo] The opening flakes for the regular start of Blistered Toe.
[Hide Photo] Blistered Toe, direct start (5.9+(+)).
[Hide Photo] Blistered Toe. The right-facing corner below the crack is the direct start (5.9+(+)). The usual creaky-flake start is just to the left of the photo, and traverses in over the direct start.
[Hide Photo] Blistered Toe, maybe 1974. Tennis shoes clipped behind for the walk down, back then we always went to the top.
[Hide Photo] Doug A arriving at the top of the first pitch, May 29 2022
[Hide Photo] Doug A at the start of the Blistered Toe crack, May 29 2022
[Hide Photo] looking down the 1st pitch looks dirty and wet, but it climbs better than it looks
[Hide Comment] The direct start is a fun bouldering move with little fingers. There really is no sense in putting in pro until you make the move and get the good hand to the left. I thought it was pretty hard but what Gunks 5.9+ isn't?
Jul 9, 2009
[Hide Comment] I led the first two pitches of this route (regular start) two days ago. Williams rates the first pitch at 5.7, and I'm not sure any move is harder than that, but this sucker is sustained and steep! I thought it just kept coming at you, and I was pumped after this 70 foot pitch. I heard later that Swain calls it a 5.8, which made me feel a bit better about it. I saw no sign of wetness on P2, but there is a big collection of rock that looks perilously loose in the middle of the open book on that pitch. I found the loose stuff easy to avoid, however, and I thought the pitch was nice enough for the grade. Since there is a bolted anchor just to the left of where the first pitch ends, I think most people will just rap after one pitch.
May 31, 2010
[Hide Comment] Did the 5.7 start. Found the climb to be well protected. A couple of longish reaches (to jugs) for this shorty (I'm 5'2"). Fun climb.
Nov 8, 2014
[Hide Comment] We attempted the 3 star Blistered Toe/Torture Garden/Yellow Crack link-up described in the Grey Dick. I missed the turn and ended up doing B.T. all the way to the GT in one pitch. A fun long climb with interesting routefinding that avoided the 5.8 PG-R T.G. pitch. We walked right on the GT 100 ft. through copious vulture poop to P3 of Yellow Crack. Very cool start on clean, interesting rock, but the second half of the pitch was a bit dirty with a turf mantle finish. A fine adventure!
We rapped off a tree station (right at the top) a full 60m (two ropes) to a large pine tree rapp station. PLAN YOUR RAPPEL CAREFULLY! You don't want to get stuck or worse on this 5.12 terrain!
Oct 22, 2015
[Hide Comment] This is a fun line. I figured the direct start would flow more naturally so I did that. It doesn't. It feels like an independent (fun) boulder problem (V3) going into a moderate route.
Oct 31, 2016
[Hide Comment] Relaxed 5.7/5.8 climbing, thoughtful, did not encounter height issues for 5'3" climber.
Beta for direct start (FWIW given I bailed on this): There is a not-great hold that looks like a ball halfway up the crux, there is a fingerlock on the right of this.
Sep 29, 2019
[Hide Comment] Great climbing the takes excellent gear. A fun variety of moves that are sustained, but no distinct crux. Climb it for sure!
Apr 30, 2022
[Hide Comment] I've done this first pitch a bunch of times over the past few decades. Just did it again this past Sunday. Wonderful climbing with great gear. Put this pitch at the Uberfall and it might be the most climbed pitch in the Gunks.
May 31, 2022
Avg: 2.6 from 84
votes
Continue with onX Maps
Continue with Facebook
North Kingstown, RI
Gardiner, NY
Fort Collins, CO
We rapped off a tree station (right at the top) a full 60m (two ropes) to a large pine tree rapp station. PLAN YOUR RAPPEL CAREFULLY! You don't want to get stuck or worse on this 5.12 terrain! Oct 22, 2015
S Lake Tahoe, CA
Beta for direct start (FWIW given I bailed on this):
There is a not-great hold that looks like a ball halfway up the crux, there is a fingerlock on the right of this. Sep 29, 2019
New Paltz, NY
High Falls NY
Solebury, PA