What would be the ideal rack for a beginner looking to start trad climbing in the Adirondacks? I'm 17 and still in high school so my budget is slightly limited. I already have a full set of Black Diamond stoppers and a few hexes ranging in size.
Pretty much the standard rack for anywhere. Practice placing nuts as much as possible early in your career. It is very tempting to just plug in cams but their placement is much harder to evaluate(plus they're more expensive.) The hexes might be good to supplement your rack before you have a bunch of cams but eventually you can ditch them. Place gear as much as possible even when chilling on the ground at the crag so you can get creative at working with what you've got. Also it's a good idea to look pretty closely at the route before you get on it so you have an idea of the type of gear you need.
If you're willing, you can lead a ton of routes with a full set of stoppers and a few cams. When I started leading in the 'dax I had a VERY incomplete set of cams. Have fun, the Adirondacks are an amazing place with lots of climbing variety!
I agree that adding a single set of cams should do you fine. Most pitches are not that long, and the cracks are variable (i.e. you don't need 3 of the same size).
I also learned to climb in the Daks! Awesome place to learn. After top-roping a few times, we asked some older guys where we could do some lead climbing where there are bolts. They just laughed and laughed.
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