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Rusty Trifle

5.5, Trad, 180 ft (55 m), 3 pitches,  Avg: 2.1 from 110 votes
FA: 1950 Hans Kraus and Bonnie Prudden
New York > Gunks > Trapps > c. Frog's Head - the…

Description

Fun first pitch, with easy, wandering climbing to the top.

P1) Go up the left-facing corner about 30 feet, then traverse right for 30 feet (crux) to a ledge. 5.5

P2) Climb up and right to a large block, then up and left to a right facing corner. Go up this corner and continue straight to the overhangs. After, go up and left to the GT Ledge, belay off tree. 5.3

P3) Go up the face right of a big block to an overhang. Go up and right, then up and left, and pass a small, white, right-facing corner to a pine tree belay/rap station. 5.3

Make sure to protect as well as possible on the traverse to avoid a large pendulum for the second.

Location

Shares a start with Bloody Mary, a few feet right of Morning After. 15 foot high left-facing corner with a crack approximately 30 feet high.

Rappel straight down with a single rope in three rappels off of trees.

Protection

P1 Anchor takes smaller gear and tricams in pockets.

P2 & 3 are tree belays.

Standard rack. Climb takes lots of nuts and tricams. A few old fixed pins scattered about.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Matt belaying Kevin on the 2nd pitch of Rusty Trifle
[Hide Photo] Matt belaying Kevin on the 2nd pitch of Rusty Trifle
Leading P3 of Rusty Trifle
[Hide Photo] Leading P3 of Rusty Trifle
P1 Rap station replaced Spring 2022
[Hide Photo] P1 Rap station replaced Spring 2022
Veronica leading P2
[Hide Photo] Veronica leading P2
Rap station material replaced July 2021.
[Hide Photo] Rap station material replaced July 2021.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Kevin Heckeler
Las Vegas, NV
 
[Hide Comment] Overall a fun, almost-accurate 5.3 Gunks climb. The 5.5 start from the left has no protection for the leader or the follower for about 20 feet. A swing would scrape you up, but there are no corners to swing into and there's no ground fall potential. Also there are virtually no hands for a few of those 20 feet. The anchor at P1 (5.5) is small gear and tricams.

Pitches 2 and 3 were almost on grade, with great Gunky face climbing and plenty of protection. The only non-5.3 section was the last couple of moves at the very top of P2, I found them to be maybe 5.4 or 5.5-ish.

Definitely a sleeper climb and something I'd bring beginners on. Apr 10, 2011
Gail Blauer
Gardiner, NY
[Hide Comment] Kevin, not sure what you are talking about with no pro for the first 20 feet. There are old pins and decent placements during the entire traverse. It's a great climb and the traverse adds some fun to the 5.3 pitches above. If you are a new leader, I would recommend skipping the 5.5 traverse and starting from the Bloody Bush ledge. Much fun climbing on this route. Oct 15, 2011
And Wilk
Espanola, NM
  5.5
[Hide Comment] The first pitch of this is definitely worth doing. The climbing up to the traverse is easy, the traverse protects very well and it ends with a nice jughaul up to a pine tree rap station. Great way to really appreciate good ol' gunks traversing. Apr 19, 2014
Optimistic
New Paltz
[Hide Comment] Overall kind of a strange climb, a bit dirty and wandering, but an engaging adventure. Did the p1 traverse in a downpour which was cool.

Did the "Trusty Feet" variation to p2 described in the Gunks app: climb straight up from the p2 tree, not much pro, nested a gray and purple c3 about 20 feet above the ledge and was glad I did, past an almost buried pin (needs to be tied off) and then up some interesting face and slab moves (6+,supposedly) to a rail that leads to jugs and the GT. Aug 4, 2015
awolf
New York, NY
[Hide Comment] Overall liked the route. Thought the traverse protected quite well and there were sufficient holds if you find them. Thought the second pitch was the best- unusual to get such a fun roof at only 5.3. Also did the "Trusty Feet" variation which I'd recommend. Jan 30, 2016
J. Serpico
Saratoga County, NY
5.5 PG13
[Hide Comment] I gave this a PG13 rating for the traverse, however, it would be a PG rating if that was an option. The gear on the traverse is ok; it's there, but not necessarily straightforward. When your primary gear before the crux is a micro nut and a screamer on a decrepit pin, it can't quite be G rated when it's a 5.5 climb. I was able to get a piece in not too far after the pin (at what I considered the end of the crux), and then it was a series of flared/muddy horizontals. As far as those folks saying the pins offer protection: seriously, NO! Those are exposed ring pins in the middle of the traverse and the first pin is in decent shape but shouldn't be counted on. They are probably 50 years old. Midway through the traverse there is a muddy flared crack system that takes tricams nicely.

I ended up leading the whole climb on tricams, nuts, and a single clipped pin. The rest of the climb beyond the traverse is straight forward. Definitely the 5.3 option is a good beginners climb. Mar 3, 2016
Joe Kain
Philadelphia, PA
[Hide Comment] (Perhaps obvious) Beta Alert: An old pin sitting below the first traverse can fool you into heading down low rather than moving across the roof. Once I clipped it I found myself cursing and shuffling up and down the wall above the pin for a half hour looking for something positive to grab onto in order to reach the webbed anchor that sits along the traverse next to a bush. I finally backtracked the traverse and moved back up to the roof to find easier terrain. May 21, 2017
Don Eiver
Westchester County, NY
 
[Hide Comment] The traverse on P1 was flared and dirty. Maybe I missed something but there was not abundant pro for a few dicey moves. After slinging the tree it got a bit better, but make sure to protect your follower. Jul 9, 2019
I F
Megalopolis Adjacent
 
[Hide Comment] I think I linked P1 and P2 up to a tree with cord and rap hardware. I can't imagine where people would have built an anchor on the ledge at the end of the traverse, I couldn't seen any protectable features. There are much better climbs for the grade. Oct 19, 2020
The Weavers
High Falls NY
[Hide Comment] Good climb that gets better the higher you go. Nice fun easy topout pitch. Oct 9, 2021
Chad Silva
Napanoch, NY
 
[Hide Comment] P1 and P2 have slung trees with fresh anchors (replaced in 2021 and 2022, respectively). P3 does not have a rap station - if you top out, walk over to the Arch/Ribs rap line. Apr 5, 2022
[Hide Comment] As of 9/24/22 there's nylon tat with a rap ring around a tree at the top of the 3rd pitch. Three raps with a single 70m will get you to the ground. Sep 26, 2022
Scott Doering
The Gunks
  5.5
[Hide Comment] Very decent climb. Easy climbing on the first pitch except for the traverse. I found there to definitely be sufficient pro on it. There are positive sections of the horizontal, so I just used these going right as I found random feet. A little run out after the tree anchor, but the climbing is easy at this point. Pitch two is easy with a fun move at the top. Given the easy climbing and available pitons I only used two pieces. Pitch three is pretty easy as well and also has a fun move to top it out. A little run out of you don’t have tricams but easy climbing. Two and three can easily be linked and aren’t really that long. I walked right and rapped down Ribs. Ribs rappel tip: With a 70m you can go through the notch to climbers left on the second rap and make it to the ground in two raps instead of three. Jun 29, 2023