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Proctoscope

5.9+, Trad, 195 ft (59 m), 2 pitches,  Avg: 2.7 from 74 votes
FA: P1: J. McCarthy and R. Goldstone 1969 Complete: R. Goldstone, D. DuMais, R. Schrag 1969
New York > Gunks > Trapps > h. The Arrow Wall - CCK

Description

Great face climbing and surprisingly pumpy. A must do!

P1- Climb the wide crack to the ledge. Step right and climb the thin fault and face above to the small roof utilizing small, rounded face holds. Once here, go left to the Feast of Fools bolt anchors. Most rap here.

P2- Climb up straight up to the obvious overhang and pull it. Then head up to the next, step left and up to the GT. Rap at Arrow, which is to climbers' left.

Location

About 25 feet downhill and right of the huge Hans' Puss corner at a obvious 6" wide crack.

Protection

Standard rack to 2", small cams helpful.

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Nic on Proctoscope
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Start to Proctoscope.
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Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

BTodd
 
[Hide Comment] the thin fault was scary, I wish I could have put more gear in. However, its a great climb. I've seen people use this to top rope the 5.10 to the left that looks like fun...just put a directional in. May 26, 2008
Joe M
Beckley, wv
  5.9+
[Hide Comment] Nice exposed moves on it, worth doing. Jun 2, 2008
Gail Blauer
Gardiner, NY
[Hide Comment] I seconded this climb and found it rather reasonable. As a leader, I am sure it give some pause for thought on the face below the little roof. Fun climb. Sep 13, 2009
Pawel Janowski
Seattle, WA
  5.9
[Hide Comment] Beautiful, beautiful climb! Only wish the face/crack crux section were longer! Good gear (C3 and small cams). On top of that you have an unprotected offwidth start (you can avoid making it offwidth but without big gear it's still unprotected for the first 10-15ft) and classic gunks horizontals on vertical rock to finish.

PS: had heard of a fixed nut. As of 9/14 only fixed gear is a good piton at the start of the crux. Sep 29, 2014
chewtoynj G
NJ
  5.10a
[Hide Comment] The Gunks App has the start of this route about 10 feet left of that pictured wide crack. I did the App's version of the first 1/2 of the 1st pitch. It was super fun, steep, and very well protected. The face climbing above was classic Gunks 5.9+. Meaning it is probably 5.10a. Sep 8, 2017
[Hide Comment] The gunks app does seem to have this starting at the thin crack to the left, but the Grey Dick definitely had it starting in the offwidth, and says the thin crack is the start to “too old to know better.” Looks like a perfectly fine way to start the route though, and probably better protected. Oct 26, 2019
[Hide Comment] The wide crack listed is hard to protect so there is a variation start (broken cracks) ten feet down hill to the left. Found two good placements (yellow c3 and small nut) after pin but before crux and made this not so scary. Excellent route. Oct 24, 2020
[Hide Comment] Piton before the crux sadly pulled out while I was on this route.

After taking on the seemingly solid piton when a climber nearby took a nasty spill, the piton lifted out after I climbed past it. This makes the crux a little more spicy as the gear is somewhat tricky in that spot. Jul 9, 2022
[Hide Comment] The wide crack is about 5.6. The third pitch, starting from the GT ledge, is overgrown. It is - or was when climbable - atypical climbing for the 'Gunks and very interesting. Aug 3, 2024