Climbing in the Gunks today

I can't believe nobody's made any "don't forget your hammer and chisel" or "I'm going to work my 5.13/soon-to-be 5.11 proj." jokes! Oh! I just thought of this one: "Heading up this weekend to Greenepoint (route name)." Haha! I crack myself up. Or, "It might be wet, but that's what a blow torch is for."

In all seriousness though, bad weather is a perfect opportunity to practice falling on your gear or get on that massively overhanging route you've been dreaming of doing. Get out there, be safe and have fun!

The Stoned Master wrote:I just read the Gunks and "alpine". Definitly not. With 3.75 trillion people around you and the fact that you rapp back down to your bags is not alpine at all. Its a large-small crag. So its multipitch and trad...and it has easily achieved exposure...not alpineesque even. More like the New York City of crags. I do love it though, the rock, routes, the actual climbing is fun.

Def nothing 'Alpine' about the Gunks per se - only some of the best climbing one could ever ask for!

losbill wrote:Eric got one.

Are you looking for Ed Webster as the other?

If you want alpine, we got alpine.

Looking out the window right now it looks pretty alpine.
youtu.be/ZtnTls0EtCE

Not alpine, but when you are the only party on Millbrook, and are pulling your ropes late in the day, and heading towards a route you havn't been on before... you get that feeling that youve committed to something. And that's what its all about.

Jim Sweeney wrote: If you want alpine, we got alpine. Looking out the window right now it looks pretty alpine. youtu.be/ZtnTls0EtCE

Sweet video

Run with it guys, you got me by the balls. Don't let go!!!

So Simon, what about the Travel Insurance?

I'm not sure I understand what you mean.

Kevin Heckeler wrote:Consider the cost of gas, tolls, and possiblty day pass for what isn't a sure thing. Maybe Simon would like to put up a "Gunks guarantee" travel insurance plan, and offer to pay for our expenses if we get there and there's only 20 dry climbs for a 100 climbers... :)

^^^

Why am I not surprised you only focused on that one thing in my other post and didn't read anything else I posted... ? :P

Wait why are you surprised?

Ben Brotelho wrote:Wait why are you surprised?

I suppose I'm easily startled and paranoid (?).

I cannot offer people advice on the way they spend their money. For some of these city slickers, I'm surprised they even ask about conditions. I'm broke as a joke and I've still spent all my money to poke around in the 'dax in "bad conditions." There's always something to climb if you're willing.

I'm not sorry that I didn't ask about someone's personal financial situation before giving conditions advice. The thing about a climbing trip is, if you have money to go in good weather you sure as hell have that same money to go in bad weather. So in the end it's really about if you're willing to walk home with your tail between your legs after not being able to get on CCK(or whatever) because it was wet.

Simon,
I respectfully disagree and this is why.

I live 121 miles from Keene Valley myself. That's 242 miles round trip. At 24 mpg x $3.90 per gallon of gas - it costs me about $40 for a day trip to the 'Dacks. Now - I am blessed - I work in a field where I make great money. However, not everyone in today's economy is this blessed - and $40+ is a lot of money to drive up to a place and find - say - the ice conditions just plain SUCK!

Just my $.02 - but I know a lot of my buds who are diehard climbers are weening away from a 'Dacks thrip this weekend to early next week due to declining conditions.
Like today - we have 5 inches of snow here outside of Albany, NY. I doubt that'd make for great rock climbing in the Gunks at a mere 30 degrees! Be tricky kepping your 'rock fingers' warm w/o gloves and such, eh?

OK. So I'm not interested in any of the chest puffing that's going on here. What I am interested in is what does New Paltz look like right now. Here in Norfolk it's been dumping snow for hours.

I was just hoping you would "put your money where your mouth is", so I could cash in... ;)

I don't see this at all like you do. If I don't go, then I have the money for another weekend when I'll be able to do what I want in better conditions.

The point wasn't whether we need to know people's financial position, it's that the advice isn't as bullet proof (or matter of fact) as it's being offered. They asked about the likely conditions, and the way your post and a couple other's read was as if it's never wet down there. When I countered with my experience I was ridiculed for being negative. Just clarifying.

I can understand that. All I'm really trying to say is that if you had the money for a trip in the first place, you can always climb something if you keep an open mind and a positive attitude. Try climbing at the spiders web in winter conditions, or do an easy rock route in mountaineering boots, or top-roping some really hard mixed climbing. The possibilities are pretty much endless... ESPECIALLY in the 'dax where objective hazard is generally pretty low(compared to the whites, the rockies, etc.)

Kevin Heckeler wrote:I was just hoping you would "put your money where your mouth is", so I could cash in... ;) I don't see this at all like you do. If I don't go, then I have the money for another weekend when I'll be able to do what I want in better conditions. The point wasn't whether we need to know people's financial position, it's that the advice isn't as bullet proof (or matter of fact) as it's being offered. They asked about the likely conditions, and the way your post and a couple other's read was as if it's never wet down there. When I countered with my experience I was ridiculed for being negative. Just clarifying.

Gotcha. I can see saving the money for another weekend. I know that it's wet down here sometimes but there has literally never been a day where I couldn't find something to climb. Easy routes like Three Pines, Beginners Delight, Minty, etc. are actually incredibly fun in the pouring rain or snow.

I look at climbing in terrible conditions as money in the bank for alpine climbing. Just my perspective.

Rock Cricket wrote:What I am interested in is what does New Paltz look like right now. Here in Norfolk it's been dumping snow for hours.

It's wet until late May. :-D

[sorry, couldn't resist]

I believe they got a few inches today at the Preserve. Not as much as east of the hudson, or north in Albany.

New Paltz is covered in a few inches of white stuff right now.

Ok thanks for the update. Your bullshit about May won't trick me. March has always been awesome for me in the Gunks and the 60 mile drive doesn't scare me off. Just I'm sick of having to decipher the varying reports of weather from the plethora of websites.