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Miss Bailey
5.6 PG13,
Trad, 150 ft (45 m), 3 pitches,
Avg: 3.3 from 108
votes
FA: 1950s: Dave Noyes and Eric Schiffman
New York
> Gunks
> Trapps
> b. Jackie & friends
Description
1. Climb the chimney to the top (no pro), hang around the corner (pro), then make awkward moves onto the belay ledge.
2. Chimney a few moves, then stay left on the face following a fracture, using the back wall for stemming as well. The route Big Chimney stays in the chimney to the right. Belay at a ledge below a hand crack. From here, an easy traverse right would let you bail over to the Baby/Easy O bolts.
3. Climb the hand crack to the overhang. Traverse right and into the next right-facing corner. Head up the corner and the face above to a tree belay.
[Hide Photo] P3 of Miss Baileys. Would suggest linking P1&P2. Bring approach shoes for the Uberfall walk-off. A few strenuous 5.7 moves--would give the whole route a grade of 5.7. Excellent variety of chimney,…
[Hide Photo] 2nd and 3rd in a group of 3 coming up through the pitch 2 chimney.
[Hide Photo] Ben Hoste leading p3 of Miss Bailey. Photo by Andrew Kontola. July 2018.
[Hide Photo] Doug leading Miss Bailey. It's 20 degrees cooler in that offwidth. Nice and slimy and slick.
[Hide Photo] P1 Rap Station material replaced July 2021.
[Hide Comment] I gotta say, I thought this was a terrible climb with the exception of P3. The first unprotected P1 was slippery and strange. The move to the belay was awkward. We did P2 of Big Chimney (go into the chimney and climb near the crack, use the crack for pro, go up to the ceiling, traverse and turn around and use the big ledge above for hands and put your feet on the opposite wall. Exit the chimney and climb the face/corner to a belay.) We finished up on P3 of Miss Bailey, that's the only pitch that was fun. It had a spicy traverse with underclings and less than stellar feet. Roofs and jugs. Lots of fun.
OK...I went back to this climb 7 years later and guess what? I loved it. Seth ran P1/P2 together (with judicious use of long runner at the top of the first chimney) and I lead P3. To me, it feels harder than a 6 (is it because I rarely practice my chimney technique?, but, every pitch is a "money" pitch. Great climbing, great positions, a very fun and slightly committing P3. I would have been happier with 2 #2's.
Aug 15, 2009
[Hide Comment] Wow, one of my favorite climbs in the Trapps now. Every pitch is great. The chimney is just a tiny bit scary enough, but it tapers down so if you fall you're not going anywhere (BETA: it is possible to get a microcam in the the seam that goes up Matinee, if you are unsure of your chimneying). P2 finger crack face moves are definitely stiffer than 5.6, the P3 traverse is on tiny feet but bomber fist jams.
Aug 13, 2011
[Hide Comment] an incredible hidden gem, a good standby if you're trying to climb in this area on a crowded weekend. the chimney is much less of an ordeal than it looks. before you begin climbing it you scramble up ten feet or so, and end up on another ledge- so what looks like a horrid runout from the bottom is already shorter. the first part is the hardest, you get footholds and eventually a jug rail.
Sep 2, 2011
[Hide Comment] Lots of variety and some interesting moves -- but much of that is in the chimney sections. So you really have to be ready for serious chimney -- and most people nowadays (including me) are not.
The overhangs on P3 are intimidating and strenuous, but not that interesting. And surely harder than 5.6. Perhaps each single move is within 5.6, but the sequences are pretty sustained (and a couple of key moves lack footholds).
I found the exit from the lower chimney interesting and not awkward -- provided you have the strength to start with a hand-traverse of about five feet.
Jul 12, 2014
[Hide Comment] Link the first 2 pitches. p1 belay is awkward and cramped whereas the top of p2 offers a spacious ledge.
The cruxy sections on each pitch come back to back this way and makes for a much more interesting climb. Communication is clear to the ground throughout the first 2 pitches, and as long as your second has some chimney experience (or the gumption to grind it out), he or she will thank you for not making them belay at the top of p1.
Also, with such little gear on p1, there's no need to worry about not having enough for the rest of p2!
Jul 1, 2015
[Hide Comment] Total classic! Super fun and varied route!! How is this so under the radar? Heard about it from an article by Andy Salo - calls it the testpiece of gunks 6's. So happy he draws attention to it for people. I thought the 1st pitch was harder than it looked.. and was the scariest to me. The run out on it isn't long, but enough to probably hurt yourself if you fell in the chimney. I found it a bit slippery even on dry rock. 2nd pitch face option was pretty chill with good gear if you look around. 3rd pitch was easier than it looked (to me) and really enjoyable to climb! Much easier overhangs than shockleys (There is a slightly loose block near the start of where you pull the overhang on pitch 3 near the piton.)
Aug 11, 2019
[Hide Comment] Varied climbing throughout; each of the three pitches feel like distinct sections-- surprised it is not climbed as frequently as its neighbors (maybe the chimney is intimidating...hmm)
Only points of emphasis I would make are:
The chimney feels secure (sans gear). If you want specifics, approach it similar to gblauer's picture (facing the second 'chimney' that the standard P2 begins at) starting ~3ft into the chimney. After climbing directly upwards, you'll have the opportunity to plug a fingers-to-hands sized cam into the horizontal that's 2-3 ft below the ledge (again, reference gblauer's pic - the placement is great even if it looks shallow) before traversing over a ledge that feels a bit over-loved.
Link P1 & P2 w/a competent second -- the change-over is a bit of a squeeze
[Hide Comment] My partner and I thought this would be a great climb for the sticky hot days of summer because it's cool in the chimney, but turns out it's *so* cool in the chimney that humidity condenses and the chimney was soaked. Wet or not, it's a cool climb and very unique for the Gunks.
Jun 28, 2021
Avg: 3.3 from 108
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Gardiner, NY
OK...I went back to this climb 7 years later and guess what? I loved it. Seth ran P1/P2 together (with judicious use of long runner at the top of the first chimney) and I lead P3. To me, it feels harder than a 6 (is it because I rarely practice my chimney technique?, but, every pitch is a "money" pitch. Great climbing, great positions, a very fun and slightly committing P3. I would have been happier with 2 #2's. Aug 15, 2009
Detroit
The Gunks
Do it in one long pitch as long as your second is okay with the chimney to start for full value. Oct 5, 2011
Las Vegas, NV
The overhangs on P3 are intimidating and strenuous, but not that interesting. And surely harder than 5.6. Perhaps each single move is within 5.6, but the sequences are pretty sustained (and a couple of key moves lack footholds).
I found the exit from the lower chimney interesting and not awkward -- provided you have the strength to start with a hand-traverse of about five feet. Jul 12, 2014
Seattle, WA
The cruxy sections on each pitch come back to back this way and makes for a much more interesting climb. Communication is clear to the ground throughout the first 2 pitches, and as long as your second has some chimney experience (or the gumption to grind it out), he or she will thank you for not making them belay at the top of p1.
Also, with such little gear on p1, there's no need to worry about not having enough for the rest of p2! Jul 1, 2015
Las Vegas
I thought the 1st pitch was harder than it looked.. and was the scariest to me. The run out on it isn't long, but enough to probably hurt yourself if you fell in the chimney. I found it a bit slippery even on dry rock.
2nd pitch face option was pretty chill with good gear if you look around.
3rd pitch was easier than it looked (to me) and really enjoyable to climb! Much easier overhangs than shockleys (There is a slightly loose block near the start of where you pull the overhang on pitch 3 near the piton.) Aug 11, 2019
Only points of emphasis I would make are:
- The chimney feels secure (sans gear). If you want specifics, approach it similar to gblauer's picture (facing the second 'chimney' that the standard P2 begins at) starting ~3ft into the chimney. After climbing directly upwards, you'll have the opportunity to plug a fingers-to-hands sized cam into the horizontal that's 2-3 ft below the ledge (again, reference gblauer's pic - the placement is great even if it looks shallow) before traversing over a ledge that feels a bit over-loved.
- Link P1 & P2 w/a competent second -- the change-over is a bit of a squeeze
Mar 10, 2020Kerhonkson, NY