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Ratings Transfer from the West

Original Post
Yacov · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 5

I'm heading back to the East Coast after living/climbing on the West Coast for three years. I essentially developed my crack/trad skills in Yosemite Valley.

I know ratings aren't always indicative of the difficulty of a climb necessarily, but I'm just wondering:

1. How do Yosemite ratings compare to places like the Gunks or the Adirondacks?

2. Are the Gunks always crowded with city-folk during the summer/fall or is it quieter during the middle of the week? Perhaps a stupid question, I just want to know if I should venture to more remote places to loose the crowds.

Thanks in advance

slim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 1,103

it's just different and hard to compare. if you have climbed a lot at yosemite and very little of anything resembling the gunks, it might take a bit of adjustment. one thing about the gunks is that the climbing is actually fairly straight forward and being physically fit will pay off more. granite crack and slabs seem to require more specific non-intuitive techniques. gear at the gunks can be more tedious also. lots of fun though.

gunks can be crowded, particularly on weekends. however, weekdays can be fairly empty.

Frank Derabid · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2010 · Points: 0

I have climbed at the 'Gunks and indeed it is very crowded with busy times being especially on the weekends.
The climbing grades at Yosemite are the hardest because the rock is very smooth and hard granite. If you can climb cracks at Yosemite then you can climb them anywhere!

Yacov · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 5

Thanks for the info. Looking forward to checking them out.

john strand · · southern colo · Joined May 2008 · Points: 1,640

It's not the climbing, it's the bugs !

camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240

Pretty much everything that has been said is true about the very different styles of the Gunks and Yosemite. I did not find either area to be particularly sandbagged.

One thing that has not been mentioned: in vertical cracks out west, it is fairly easy to push your limits on gear, since the pro is pretty plentiful. This is less the case in the Gunks, where many of the harder climbs (5.10 and up) also have smaller and more sparse gear. So, even though you will be able to avoid the crowds at the Gunks on harder grades, there is definitely quite a bit of commitment for such an urban crag.

eric larson · · aurora, co · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 50

I can only address issue 2 fairly

The difference in crowds between weekday/weekend is night and day. Granted, there is still a high chance of ending up behind someone on High E, say on a Tuesday, but much less likely.
In the days I have climbed the gunks on a weekday, I have had to wait only for one climb.. and that was high E... and it was a party of three .. go figure. Fortunatly there are enough super classic routes there that if one is taken just move on down and grab another.

The best beta for the gunks on weekends is to climb in the nears or far down in the traps. Stay clear of the Mac wall and the climbs RIGHT off the carriage road as they are mob scenes on weekends.

As for point 1.. the biggest difference @ gunks would be the lack of crack climbing. In all the routes I have done there 5.0-5.10 I have never HAD to jam... just get used to placing gear in horizontals.. tricams will be your new best friend!

doligo · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 264
john strand wrote:It's not the climbing, it's the bugs !
+humidity +iffy weather

and in the Gunks - CHIGGERS!!!!
Yacov · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 5

How about the Adirondacks. I've heard it's more adventure alpine routes than clear cut lines. Is it the same as the Gunks but with less crowds?

Sounds like I need to invest in some tricams...

Jon Clark · · Planet Earth · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 1,153
Yacov wrote:How about the Adirondacks. I've heard it's more adventure alpine routes than clear cut lines. Is it the same as the Gunks but with less crowds? Sounds like I need to invest in some tricams...
The climbing in the Adirondacks is much more varied than the Gunks. There are plenty of 'clear cut' lines. Some require significant approaches while some are close to the car. Pick up a copy of Adirondack Rock.

As for the tri cams at the Gunks, I've led plenty of 5.10 and 5.11 there and have never placed a single tri cam. The horizontals take cams just fine. I'm not saying that tri cams aren't useful, but they are definitely not required to adequately protect at the Gunks. Some lines are a bit spicey though.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northeastern States
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