Trip Log: The Gunks

Some 280 miles southeast of Rochester and 90 miles north of New York City, a stoney ridge rises above the surrounding countryside. The light, sandy colored cliffs stand in contrast to the dense green forests that swallow the rest of the earth below. A window into the geological history of this mysterious rock spine and how it came to be shaped.

A view of the distant Shawangunk Ridge from the road below

Sun cutting though a foggy forest en route to Shawangunk Ridge

The imposing feature is referred to as the Shawangunk Ridge, the larger Shawangunk Mountains, or simply “the Gunks”. The name is derived from a Dutch transliteration of the indigenous Munsee Lenape word “Sha-WAN-gunk”, approximately meaning “in the smoky air” to non-native speakers. What now stands 2,300 feet in the air was initially formed from a conglomerate of sub-marine sediment deposited en route to a shallow sea that once covered much of western New York. Braided rivers carried sand-sized quartz and pebbles that sank to the floor and the mineral rich sediment was continuously buried. Over time, it crystalized and cemented together, resulting in an incredibly hard and resistant rock. Quartz is just about as hard as diamonds, rating 7-8/10 on the hardness scale with diamonds sitting top of the table. So, when everything else eroded, the Gunks remained standing.

Rock & Snow, a historic climbing gear store that's been in downtown New Paltz since 1970

When spending time in nature one can understand the innate sense of mystery and awe attached to the environment. A sense of place and scale. Somewhere your mind and body become a part of the thing. A state of being. For some it may be to find tranquility, stillness, and spirituality. For others, a sense of adventure, discovery, and pushing limits. For many of us, it is through engaging physically with these spaces. To snowboard, surf, skate, and along this ridge, to climb. Many thinkers, writers, and friends far more intelligent on the matter have addressed the subject, but no matter the starting point most every conclusion seems to reach its inevitable end at connection. Ultimately, it’s the same reason why we find ourselves in a gear shop parking lot in New Paltz, NY after a foggy morning’s drive, waiting for our friends to arrive from the city. Giddy and calm all at the same time. I guess that’s what strong coffee and quality rock can do to you.

The quartz rich stone showing through the canopy

Dean admiring the surroundings

After a quick walk around town and getting lost gazing at the ridge, the rest of the crew met us back in the lot. An equipment inventory and reshuffle ensued in-between bouts of sharing beta on the area. Once sorted, a stop into Rock and Snow was in order. This spot is a staple in Gunks climbing and they are the hometown purveyors of any and all things climbing access, not to mention a living memory log of the region’s climbing history. A few carabiners and slings, then out the door and up into the craggy, stone edifice that is the Shawangunks. Jess and Dean, two of the three from New York, took point as we followed along a gravel path into the woods. The path quickly turned into a trail and the trail quickly turned into a rock hop right up to the base of our first climb. That dense green forest suddenly gave way and we found ourselves face to face with a mesmerizingly warm, milky gray wall. Broken blocks beside, caverns below, and open rock above. Tie in, sink foot, sink hand, up and up.

Meandering through the unique rock formations of the Gunks on the way up to set the anchors

Jess calling down to the rest of the group from atop the climb

Jess beginning to build our anchor system atop the ridge

Cycling through the rotation on “Pop Quiz (5.8)” we climbed a few moves into the flake, pulled through a small roof, and kept on diagonal right to the dihedral finish, rising above the trees to look out over the valley. Through the remainder of the day we’d find ourselves on an array of routes; laying back into cracks, searching for thin feet, and working corners to move onto the quintessential horizontal slots of the Gunks. The style is defined and unique. We all followed the same line with different moves, thoroughly enjoying each part of the process. The time between climbs was filled with meandering through tunnels and belay ledges, snapping cameras, talking gear and laughing over stories of being lost in the hills. It’s what a crag can do, act as space to share the joy of the journey. After we finished our rounds, it’s up to the anchors, pull rope, break-down, and a quick chat with the local vets. They recommended an absolute classic just around the corner, and around these parts, there seems to be a classic around every corner.

Coming up to the flake on Pop Quiz

A taught climbing rope over the quartz heavy rock

Kaitlynn moving onto a high right foot while climbing

A racked up AR harness testing out organization and how it feels under gear weight

Jess chalking as he moves through "Bronto Platter (5.6)"

Chalking up mid-route

Managing rope at the base of "Skink (5.8)"

Dean standing on top of a flake half way up the climb

Dean standing on top of a flake half way up the climb

The Gunks are known for horizontal slot features and amazingly dense concentration of routes ranging from techy slabs to splitter cracks to multi-pitch climbs. About 1,200 routes to be exact and graded up to 5.14. Ah, and boulders, don’t sleep on Gunks boulders. In recent years, many climbs have been equipped with bolted anchors at the top routes, granting easy access to top ropes and repels across much of the area. Climbing here began with European mountaineers Fritz Wiessner and Hans Kraus teaming up to establish lines like “Horseman (5.5)” and “High Exposure (5.6)” circa 1935. This prompted an uptick in route development around the ridge, many of the climbers arriving on the scene being associated with the Appalachian Mountain Club. Think of the AMC as the “no walking on the grass!” kind of neighbor, maybe a bit pompous and doesn’t much care for fun. They took the unfortunate stance of controlling much of the climbing access in the Gunks, but fortunately the ‘Vulgarians’ were born to combat such treachery. The Vulgarians were a band of rough and tumble climbers invested heavily in the open access and free enjoyment of Gunks climbing. And so they did. Eventually, the family who owned land rights to the ridge granted explicit access to the Vulgarians, bringing the AMC rule to its knees. This, along with a strong current of progression through the sport as a whole, blasted open the door for Gunks climbing to establish itself as some of the best out there. The legendary Lynn Hill would find herself relocating to New Platz in ’83 to tick a laundry list of the region's test pieces and took part in establishing the first 5.13 in the Gunks, ‘Vandals’. We won’t be popping onto ‘Vandals’ anytime soon, but Bronto Platter and Skink seem like good introductory options

Dean pulling the rope after our last climb of the day

Kaitlynn getting ready to send

The magic of the Gunks is that no matter what line you get on, it feels just as special as the next one. It’s no mystery as to why. What once rested beneath an ancient shallow sea now holds the tales of climbing’s evolution, living as a continuous route forward into unwritten days. There is an undeniable richness to this section of the ridge line. It is these kinds of places, the people in them, and opportunities to access them we hope to celebrate and push forward in the world. Here’s to moving upward.