Easy climbs in the gunks

Can anyone recommend any climbs in the 5.0 - 5.2 range (or even 4th class) preferably in the uberfall area of the gunks? My dad wants to rock climb for his 70th birthday and by golly he will! (No he will not be leading -I will set up a toprope for him).
If anyone can recommend routes that are true to the grade and not sandbagged, I'd be super appreciative. Just looking for a spot that doesn't involve more than a 1/2 mile approach. It can be 20ft or 100ft as long as it's EASY. Thanks!!

Dirty Chimney is the only one I can think of. It's between apoplexy and laurel. You can share the same anchor with laurel (bolts)

To the OP, that is a very nice plan you have for for your dad.
I am sure you will get plenty of good suggestions but here are mine; P1 of Easy O ( mountainproject.com/v/easy-…). If your dad climbs better than expected, an outing on Three Pines to the GT Ledge would be spectacular.

I would suggest Radcliffe, a gully that begins to the right of P-38. It's rated 4th class and is usually used as a downclimb off of other routes, and is clean and fairly enjoyable for what it is. Maybe 100' long with a nice big ledge and good views at the top, plus you can just walk off if you'd like.

Easy V is a bit further down the wall and it's probably the best quality climb in that 5.2-ish grade I've done there. Plus the rap situation is good with a nice ledge (Arrow rap line).

You said you'd set up a TR. How about Easy Keyhole 5.2? IIRC, there's a big tree at the top of P1. Walk up the left side of the cliff and through the "cave" to access it.

Agree on P1 of Easy O and Three Pines if you're going to lead something. Good rap anchors on both. Easy O is not that far from the Uberfall.

Betty is 5.3-
I think Williams wrote that Betty was his father's first rock climb.

You can also use the practice slabs. They are even closer to the parking lot that Easy Keyhole, thought might be a little hard to find if you've never been there (PM me if you need directions.)

5.easy climbing with easy top-rope setup, and you can easily scramble to the top so you don't have to lead anything either.

I was going to suggest Dirty Chimney & P1 of Easy Keyhole as well.

As I looked at the Uberfall I saw a few others however I have never done them.

Easy Keyhole P1 5.2 (I found really enjoyable even for 5.2)

69 5.3 (If he does well on the others and would like to try something a tad more difficult)

Dirty Chimney (both large jugs & 3-D climbing make this extremely easy although it is near vertical)

Never done these but I know The Flake although it is 5.1 is apparently not a good choice.

Crimson Corner 5.0, another very easy chimney route

Harvard 5.2 again never done it but its said to be a good climb to bring new climbers on.

Have fun, that sounds like an awesome 70th birthday adventure.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions and help!

Stay off of Easy Keyhole and Easy Overhang. The first move on those routes are pretty hard for the grade.

devkrev wrote:Stay off of Easy Keyhole and Easy Overhang. The first move on those routes are pretty hard for the grade.

I second this.

devkrev wrote:Stay off of Easy Keyhole and Easy Overhang. The first move on those routes are pretty hard for the grade.

Easy Keyhole - the first move is harder than 5.2. And my view is that most of the rest of P1 is not representative of the fun popular easy routes in the Gunks (just in case this guy's father wants to decide whether he wants to try more). Actually I do most of P1 with wide stemming, fun for me (if only the Gunks had more of it) -- but I think most beginners just burrow inside and squirm - which might just "turn them off" against further Gunks climbing (unless that's the plan).

Easy O P1 - I like it, some interesting moves for that grade ... but I guess the opening sequence is a bit tricky. I vaguely remember my own father being confused by it and deciding not to finish - (but trying out rock climbing was really my mother's idea). Not physically harder than 5.2 (esp if grab the tree), but maybe too many moves in a row for a non-confident beginner just stepping up off the ground. Perhaps a more motivated first-timer even without strong muscles might enjoy working out the sequence (as a second climb of the day.)

Nice thing about Easy O P1 is that you actually get up to a sunny ledge with a big view (and exposure to rockfall). Need directionals to TR.

Dirty Chimney the lower half is usually not very dirty, lots of nice holds (with some thinking and looking around) representative of popular Gunks easy climbs. Does not actually require any "chimneying" moves. (But don't go all the way to the top: That's the "dirty" part.) Very easy approach.

Some people set a TR on the most popular "modern" version of the Uberfall descent route. Actually decent easy climbing on decent holds -- but pretty short. And of course you'd have people climbing through you.

P1 of Easy Verschneidung is a long pitch of good easy face climbing - (but then the upper pitch is completely different, surely not for uncertain first-timers). A drawback is that the approach scramble up to the base of the route is pretty strenuous for someone not accustomed to that.

Practice Rock - does require at least one full-value Class 3 move to get to the base. Climbing there is good training for footwork - but not much of what makes the popular easy routes in the Gunks so great - (in case the idea is to permit this guy's father to make an informed decision about trying more climbing).

Eddie2170 wrote:Crimson Corner 5.0, another very easy chimney route

chimney?
My guidebook says to climb the rib, makes no mention of a chimney.
No mention of chimney on the MountainProject description either.

Now it's true that I've never seen anyone actually climbing that rib, and the one time I started climbing it, it seemed dirty and unworthwhile.

So who knows - perhaps the unknown chimney Variation is the secret to making a decent climb out of Crimson Corner. Please inform me of the details.

Ken

P.S. I do think there's some fun moves more toward the center of the wide gully to the Left of the rib, first lower down and then higher up, with some scrambling in between, and a slightly tricky mantle exit at the top - (not sure how I'd put a TR on the whole thing). No harder than Gunks 5.2, but tricky and intimidating for an uncertain first-timer.

devkrev wrote:Stay off of Easy Keyhole and Easy Overhang. The first move on those routes are pretty hard for the grade.

Thirdeded.

Classic Gunks grading. "Most of the route is 5.X, so we'll just ignore the grade of that inconvenient 5.Y start..." lol

Kevin Heckeler wrote: Thirdeded. Classic Gunks grading. "Most of the route is 5.X, so we'll just ignore the grade of that inconvenient 5.Y start..." lol

Very apt observation. Slightly off topic, but I always thought that if you put the first 2 moves on Laurel 100 feet of the deck, it'd be a 5.9.

I'll throw out another vote for Dirty Chimney. It's a great approach, easy TR setup, and unique 5.0-5.1 climbing.

The mentality was/is "boulder problem start does not count". The start of Laurel was really polished even 20 years ago. I imagine it is like glass now. :)

What about Peterskill? Super short, level approach. Cheaper. Probably less crowded. The best lines for first timers might be the West Cliff (Easy Crack or Sleepwalking), Big Slab (not described in the Wilson guide but it's the low angle (5.1 or 2) slab immediately left of the route Slant Crack), or Jitterbug, described here

Jitterbug, 5.4

The only real downside is that your Dad doesn't get the "Trapps experience" and so may not get the full appreciation of where you go to climb.

JSH wrote:Crimson Corner and the area around Harvard provide some good TRing opportunities ...

Please tell me more details about how to find the "good" stuff around there.

Quality ratings on MountainProject are Half-star for Crimson Corner and only One star for Harvard.
Grey Dick guidebook gives no stars for any climb in that area, and most of them are put in non-bold print, which normally indicates that they're not worthwhile.

Last time I tried the Crimson Corner rib a couple of years ago, seemed licheny and slimy -- but maybe somebody cleaned it up since then. Or maybe I'm just confused about what's what.

Now I really do like one weaving line through the wide gully above the toilet (to the left of what I imagine to be the Crimson Corner rib). Probably do it at least once a month as a descent route or to set up TRs. Definitely more fun and less exposed than the normal (modern version) Uberfall descent.

Ken

Oh fer god's sake. Do Easy O. The first move is just not that bad and is certainly no "boulder problem." Over the years, I've taken all manner of elderly and infirm people up it. You can demonstrate the hell out of it and belay immediately above if you are concerned. And if the old guy does good, do the second pitch as well.

Perhaps the best of the full-length easy climbs is Casa Emilio. Yes, a bit of a walk, but frankly if the old dude can't walk that far he shouldn't be trying to climb anyway. First pitch is 5.0, second is 5.2. Then you can enjoy, probably in solitude, the scenic walk all the way back along the top (go past the Uberfall and come down just after the Brat, so no downclimbing).

The short routes by the Uberfall are short and crappy. At least on Easy O you get up in the air a bit and get to look out over the valley. What is the point of climbing, after all? (Don't answer that.)

(*) No offense meant with the old-guy comments---I'm the same age as your dad (well ok, six months younger) myself.

I get it Julie. I wasn't responding to anything you said.

Whoa, Rich, I didn't realize you were nearing a big date. How many front side levers are you still doing?

KP, that's awesome for your Dad - if he's anything like you in perseverance I'm sure he'll get up anything you put him on!