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wankel7
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Jun 18, 2011
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Indiana
· Joined Oct 2010
· Points: 10
So, I'm going to a wedding with my GF in Hartford. But scored 4 days after the wedding so we can go climbing. I figured the Gunks would be the place to go. But the $17 per day - per person is going to get pretty old. Buying a pass wouldn't help since we live in Dallas. Are there any other places we should look at? I'm a new trad leader so 5.6 and less would be my happy place. I've got a full set of hexes, tri-cams, doubles of the BD stoppers, 4-4 C4s, and a 70m. From reading it might be good to pick up somes c3s and micro nuts? Thanks!
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Devin Krevetski
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Jun 18, 2011
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Northfield, VT
· Joined May 2008
· Points: 140
The Gunks would definitely give you the most bang for your 5.6 leader buck, including the $68 a person. You will find more quality climbing at that grade than anywhere else in New England. If you want to hang around the central CT area though, the Traprock is hard to beat. If you can lead awkward/un-obvious 5.7+ then Main Cliff at Ragged and Pinnacle in Plainville could take up a couple of days. All of the CT stuff is pretty easy to top rope if you can set gear anchors at the lip or have ridiculously long pieces of webbing or static line. But seriously about the Gunks....there is no other place like it in the world.
dev
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John Biehn
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Jun 18, 2011
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Madison, CT
· Joined Nov 2010
· Points: 80
I love CT traprock climbing BUT if you've never been to the gunks... I'd go there! The amount of high quality 5.6 and easier climbs is amazing and New Paltz is a great town to eat and drink for a few days! You could always head up to Rumney NH and clip bolts, its about 3 hours from hartford but my vote is the gunks! John
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shawn bradley
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Jun 18, 2011
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined May 2006
· Points: 25
Meriden is very close to Hartford. Everything can be done on toprope, and you can tick Thors Hammer, one of the fifty classic lines. I met Mobley out there one year and he showed me around a little. Damn nice guy. The gunks rocks. Your anchor building skills should be sharp since there are no bolted anchors. Have fun.
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MaraC
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Jun 19, 2011
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined May 2011
· Points: 10
+1 for the Gunks! consider going to Peterskill for a day instead of the Trapps or the Nears. The climber's pass is $7 instead of the $17 for the Mohonk Preserve. The rock is the same. Everything is single-pitch. It's easy to throw down top ropes (build gear anchors - don't sling the pine trees!), but there are easy/moderate leadable lines there as well. Stop at Rock and Snow for the guide.
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mitchy B
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Jun 19, 2011
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nunya gotdamn business.
· Joined Aug 2009
· Points: 0
Dude, go to the gunks for a day or two and also check out ragged for a day or two. Devkrev is absolutely right about the need for crazy long static rope or webbing for top roping. Johnny B. has good info about Ct. as well, Ragged , chatfield. I used to have an old copy of ken nichols book "hooked on ragged". If i can find it i can send you some route beta. weissners slap is fun and easy, there is a big ass rock to rap from at the top.
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John Biehn
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Jun 19, 2011
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Madison, CT
· Joined Nov 2010
· Points: 80
Look around on Mountain Project and The Ragged Mountain Foundation website for info too! When are you going to be visiting? I may be able to show you around a bit or at least help ya out with some beta. Like mitchy said there is enough to keep you busy in CT for a few days and Ragged has a very interesting history and its a great place- although -I find the routes there to be a grade or two harder than anywhere else in the country... and the protection not as straightforward/good....also never expect fixed anchors on any route, even if the guidebook says they are there. If you go to Ragged try the 5.3 & 5.4's first- mays way, ancients way, main street, wiessner slab, knights move.... If those go well try a grade up When I was leading 5.10 at the Gunks and I remember being totally gripped on a few of the 5.8's at ragged. And like everybody has mentioned if you plan to setup a TR be prepared to have at least 100' of static rope to set up anchors. If you end up climbing in CT shoot me a message! John
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mitchy B
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Jun 19, 2011
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nunya gotdamn business.
· Joined Aug 2009
· Points: 0
Whoa, John you're back in Ct. Hey, man the pm's aren't working for some reason. give me a call 203-606-1686.
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Kevin Flowers
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Jun 19, 2011
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Granby, CT
· Joined Mar 2010
· Points: 0
If anyone is looking for a partner in CT feel free to shoot me an email at kevin.j.flowers at gmail dot com
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Tom Fralich
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Jun 20, 2011
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Fort Collins, CO
· Joined Nov 2006
· Points: 0
shawn bradley wrote:...and you can tick Thors Hammer, one of the fifty classic lines... Wait, what? "Fifty classic lines?" Of where? Sorry, I find this hilarious. I spent 10 years climbing all over the northeast and never heard of this crag, this route, or this new "50 Classics" list before.
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Eric Engberg
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Jun 20, 2011
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Apr 2009
· Points: 0
Tom Fralich wrote: Wait, what? "Fifty classic lines?" Of where? Sorry, I find this hilarious. I spent 10 years climbing all over the northeast and never heard of this crag, this route, or this new "50 Classics" list before. Well 50 Classics status - no matter which version - (and I'd be curious to know what version is being refereed to here) is a stretch but Thor's Hammer is a great climb. Don't taint it for yourself with a TR though -it begs to be led when you are up to it. And really if you have climbed "all over the ne" you must have heard of East Peak - arguably the 2nd biggest single cliff in CT.
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Tom Fralich
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Jun 20, 2011
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Fort Collins, CO
· Joined Nov 2006
· Points: 0
I like and despise these threads simultaneously. They always follow the same pattern. 1) Someone from out of town is coming to an area, usually for something non-climbing (wedding, work assignment, etc). They ask for recommendations on how to spend a few extra days with certain criteria (grades, driving time, sport vs trad, etc). 2) Someone immediately responds with the "obvious answer," because there always is one. In this case, clearly it's the Gunks. 3) Some discussion ensues on the drawbacks of said "obvious answer." The day pass is expensive, it's hot and humid in the Gunks in summer, and so on. 4) Some people propose some very reasonable alternatives (Peterskill + a few days in the Gunks proper, moderates at Ragged + some TR's). Or maybe NH (Thin Air, Upper Refuse, Whitehorse)? 5) Then...my favorite part. Someone suggests something that makes no sense and doesn't fit at all with the OP's criteria. Why not waste a day thrashing through brush, trying to locate and TR a route that's probably too hard, on a cliff with few or no other noteworthy routes? 6) This suggestion is largely ignored (until now) and conversation resumes on the more reasonable options. It happens everywhere though. Suggestions for people visiting California (who could climb in Yosemite) always include some obscure piece-of-shit crag that's like an hour from Yosemite. Seriously? Maybe people don't climb at enough places to realize that there are world-class, destination areas that are simply so amazing that it's almost a crime to climb anywhere else on a trip where time is limited. Yosemite, Red Rocks...and I'd argue, The Gunks. People book international plane tickets to climb at these places. Routes like High Exposure are simply iconic. Can anyone seriously argue in favor of this Thor's Hammer thing over High Exposure? My suggestion: GO TO THE GUNKS. If you want to limit costs a bit, the Peterskill suggestion is a good one. But I don't see how you can live with yourself if you pass on the chance to climb Gelsa, Three Pines, Beginner's Delight, Disneyland...and maybe even High Exposure.
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John Biehn
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Jun 21, 2011
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Madison, CT
· Joined Nov 2010
· Points: 80
Ha- Tom is right! I've always thought about this as well.
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Joe M
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Jun 21, 2011
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MA and NH
· Joined Dec 2008
· Points: 11,725
Tom Fralich wrote: Wait, what? "Fifty classic lines?" Of where? Sorry, I find this hilarious. I spent 10 years climbing all over the northeast and never heard of this crag, this route, or this new "50 Classics" list before. what eric said...Thor's Hammer *might* be the best route in CT, how can you not know this after 10 years is mind boggling...
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Tom Fralich
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Jun 21, 2011
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Fort Collins, CO
· Joined Nov 2006
· Points: 0
Joe M. wrote: what eric said...Thor's Hammer *might* be the best route in CT, how can you not know this after 10 years is mind boggling... Maybe it is, but the climbing in CT is inferior overall to the climbing in NY and NH (sorry CT people, it's the truth). Also, though this one pitch may be very good, is it worth committing one day of a four-day trip to climbing that one single pitch? Is there anything else on that crag even worth mentioning? Look at the big picture. A couple classics in the Gunks vs Thor's Hammer? I don't care how good it is.
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M Mobley
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Jun 22, 2011
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Bar Harbor, ME
· Joined Mar 2006
· Points: 911
Tom Fralich wrote: Maybe it is, but the climbing in CT is inferior overall to the climbing in NY and NH (sorry CT people, it's the truth). Also, though this one pitch may be very good, is it worth committing one day of a four-day trip to climbing that one single pitch? Is there anything else on that crag even worth mentioning? Look at the big picture. A couple classics in the Gunks vs Thor's Hammer? I don't care how good it is. While I may somewhat agree with some of what you said it has been proven that you dont know CT well enough to give good advice on CT so why give advice on CT? Wankel, There are about 50 5.6 and under leads within 15 miles of Hartford. You wont need micro gear on most of these since they are mostly bigger cracks. Pinnacle would be awesome for you, so would the Main Cliff. RPs wouldnt hurt though if you were to accidentally get off route. Go hit the Gunks for at least a day, its worth it.
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Eric Engberg
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Jun 22, 2011
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Apr 2009
· Points: 0
Tom Fralich wrote: Maybe it is, but the climbing in CT is inferior overall to the climbing in NY and NH (sorry CT people, it's the truth). Also, though this one pitch may be very good, is it worth committing one day of a four-day trip to climbing that one single pitch? Is there anything else on that crag even worth mentioning? Look at the big picture. A couple classics in the Gunks vs Thor's Hammer? I don't care how good it is. East Peak = Rat Crack, Cat Crack, Rites of Spring, ... Lots. Not Gunks but not bad. Also not 2+ hours from Hartford and $17/day. You are only cheating yourself if you are around the area and never climb on Trapp Rock.
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Don MacKenzie
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Jun 23, 2011
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Seattle, WA
· Joined Apr 2009
· Points: 25
Think about it this way: 17 bucks is about how much it costs to climb in the gym for a day. If you ever go to the gym, then you shouldn't let $17 a day dissuade you from going to the Gunks. You will not find a higher number or concentration of excellent routes for the 5.6 leader on the East Coast than you will find at the Gunks. As much as I think some of these guys are a touch delusional for encouraging you to spend your limited time climbing in CT, here's my advice, which I hope even they can agree with: --> Go to the Gunks first. After the first day, if you are not absolutely giddy at the thought of climbing another day there, then head back over to CT and spend your $17 in the form of gas and the value of your own time shuttling around between little crags. Ditto after the second and third days. My prediction: you will have 4 incredible days at the Gunks.
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Pal Pocsi
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Jun 23, 2011
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Budapest, Hungary
· Joined Sep 2009
· Points: 1,205
For what it's worth, I also think you wouldn't regret the Gunks. I wish I could have had more time there but routes that I personally loved were Horseman, Frog's Head, and of course High Exposure. I also really liked Thin Air at Cathedral Ledge in NH for the same grade. I think that since time is probably your most limited resource, it is best to stick with 1 or 2 areas at the most for your trip. That said, you could easily do a few days in NH and split the time between Cathedral, Rumney, etc but I would probably go with the Gunks for a few days and maybe do one day in CT as per the previous suggestions.
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Don MacKenzie
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Jun 23, 2011
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Seattle, WA
· Joined Apr 2009
· Points: 25
I love Cathedral and Whitehorse, but the options are a bit limited at 5.6 and below. Not sure there's enough there for 4 days. Maybe if you explore some of the other crags in the area, but these are going to be a little harder to find. It's certainly easy enough to move around between Rumney and the N Conway cliffs, but going between NH and the Gunks would eat up half a day easily. wankel7 wrote:I'm a new trad leader so 5.6 and less would be my happy place. I've got a full set of hexes, tri-cams, doubles of the BD stoppers, 4-4 C4s, and a 70m. From reading it might be good to pick up somes c3s and micro nuts? Thanks! Not sure what you mean by "4-4 C4s." If you meant 0.4-4 then you should be ok. You could probably leave the #4 at home if you're short on space in your bags. Blue and yellow TCUs might be a useful addition, but you will probably get by just fine on the rack you have. I carry tricams black (0.25) through blue (2). Pink and red are the most useful. You may want to only carry half the hexes (some will say none!) and a single set of nuts (maybe doubles of a couple, but the tricams can often fit in the same places as larger stoppers).
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Rui Ferreira
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Jun 23, 2011
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Boulder, CO
· Joined Jul 2003
· Points: 903
I second the recommendation to visit the Gunks for at least part of your stay. For what it is worth, I have previously lived north of Hartford for several years during two tenures and I spent 85% of the time climbing at the Gunks, about 10% in NH and less than 5% in CT...besides you will get plenty of practice placing tri-cams by climbing at the Gunks!
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