The Gunks
The Shawangunk Ridge is made up of a unique quartz conglomerate resting atop shale. Millions of years ago a geologic upheaval pushed the quartz up into a ridge and erosion exposed the bare rock. There it waited until 1935 when Franz Wiessner, with John and Peggy Navas, established a route now named Old Route, rated a 5.5, on the Millbrook Ridge. The first recorded trad climb in the Gunks.
The heyday in the Gunks was in the 1950s, but many of the area's strongest climbers feel the Gunks are having currently having a resurgence.
The cliffs- Skytop, The Trapps, The Near Trapps, and Millbrook Mountain- can see thousands of climbers in a weekend. The Gunks Climbers Coalition, in partnership with the Mohonk Preserve is working toward improved conservation in the Gunks by replacing old rap stations, installing new bolted rappel anchors, and trying to establish more climbing in Minnewaska State Park.
The heyday in the Gunks was in the 1950s, but many of the area's strongest climbers feel the Gunks are having currently having a resurgence.
The cliffs- Skytop, The Trapps, The Near Trapps, and Millbrook Mountain- can see thousands of climbers in a weekend. The Gunks Climbers Coalition, in partnership with the Mohonk Preserve is working toward improved conservation in the Gunks by replacing old rap stations, installing new bolted rappel anchors, and trying to establish more climbing in Minnewaska State Park.
The Powerlinez Climbing Area
An elephant, a rhinoceros, and Jabba the Hutt inhabit the zoomorphic rock along the cliff at Torne Valley. Known to climbers as the Powerlinez, the utilitarian name doesn’t do justice to the picturesque crag, with its melted, colorful features. Read more
Brozone- Gunks' Newest, Hardest Climb
The Brozone- the female equivalent of the friend-zone, also the newest and hardest climb in the Gunks. Read more
Flash Foxy's Girl Crew Ramble Gunks
Over a hundred years of women’s climbing experience was on tap at the Flash Foxy Gunks Girl Crew Ramble climbers’ panel at Rock and Snow.
Elaine Matthews, Julie Seyfert Lillis and Whitney Boland talked about women, climbing, and culture. Read more |
2018 PEREGRINE FALCON CLIMBING CLOSUREATTENTION CLIMBERS! The Mohonk Preserve has just announced a substantial closure of the Gunks Trapps cliff due to nesting peregrine falcons, effective March 19, 2018. The section of the Trapps cliff between and including the routes Wisecrack (5.6) (in the Middle Earth area) and Scary Area (5.12) (in the Yellow Wall area) is temporarily closed to rock climbing. That means that this closure includes popular climbs like Sente, Thin Slabs, Arrow, Andrew, Moonlight, CCK, High Exposure, Ant’s Line, Bonnie’s Roof and The Yellow Wall. Please plan accordingly and consider the many other quality routes in the Near Trapps, Lost City, or Bonticou (except the Sunbowl which is also closed for peregrines), as well as Peter’s Kill and Dickie Barre in Minnewaska State Park. The Mohonk Preserve asks that to help protect the nesting Peregrines:
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Bolted Anchors in the Gunks
✅ DONE! Every Gunks bolted anchor is now composed of full stainless standardized components of the highest industry standard available! Big thanks to @mohonkpreserve @thecliffslic @rockandsnow @imrickvancebitch @cloudspittle @petzl_official #ASCA #americansafeimbingassociation and YOU, the donors! Additional anchor work help by @bizziemisslizzie @ameliamedley @andywsalo @jason_beaupre and Jason Hurwitz— with Rick Vance, Elizabeth Elliott, Jesse Williamsand 12 others at Mohonk Preserve.
Girl Crew Gunks
Girl Crew Ramble in the Gunks with Flash Foxy Sept 30- Oct 2.
“Your butt looks great over that roof,” I yell to my climbing partner as she pulls a roof on a route in the Gunks. Read more
“Your butt looks great over that roof,” I yell to my climbing partner as she pulls a roof on a route in the Gunks. Read more
Gunks Climbers Coalition at Work
The Mohonk Preserve is building the strongest fixed anchor management strategy in the country for a privately-owned cliff. In May, the bolt manufacturer Petzl gave the first bolt installation training seminar in the country. Four members each of Mohonk Preserve rangers and the AEC attended; now the Mohonk Preserve has eight qualified individuals to place, remove and maintain bolted anchors. They share access to a spreadsheet recording all work completed on the 71 bolted stations in the Trapps. Read more at the GCC website.
How the Gunks Volunteer Trail Crew is Changing the Way You Approach Climbing
Dick Williams has been climbing in the Gunks since 1958, and when you visit his office you’ll find signs of it. Pictures of Williams and friends out climbing dot the walls, huge bookshelves taking up the majority of the wall’s real estate are filled with old guidebooks, rows of CDs containing Gunks photos- Read more at the Rock and Snow Blog.
Fixed Rappel Anchors in the Trapps
There are five new fixed rappel anchors in the Trapps. The tree anchors on the Mohonk Preserve climbs No Picnic, Double Chin, Jackie, Betty and Baby were removed and half inch stainless steel bolted rappel anchors were installed in their place in mid-July. read more
80 Years of Climbing in the Gunks
Spring '15
Millbrook Ridge the site of the first recorded trad climb in the Gunks. Fritz Wiessner, with John and Peggy Navas, established a route now named Old Route, rated a 5.5, in 1935.
Millbrook Ridge the site of the first recorded trad climb in the Gunks. Fritz Wiessner, with John and Peggy Navas, established a route now named Old Route, rated a 5.5, in 1935.
