Trad Gear | Amount Needed | Average Cost |
---|---|---|
Nuts/Stoppers | 10 (sizes 4 through 13) | $100 to $150 |
Quickdraws | 4 | $50 to $75 |
Slings/Runners | 8 | $60 to $90 |
Non-Locking Carabiners | 24 | $160 to $180 |
The Eastern Mountain Sports Climbing School is the oldest climbing school in the East, and has been offering technical rock climbing instruction outdoors since 1968. The School is fully accredited by the AMERICAN MOUNTAIN GUIDES ASSOCIATION (AMGA) and all of our climbing instructors are AMGA-Certified as Single Pitch Instructors, or higher.
Each rock climbing location offers a slightly different lineup of classes. Please select a location to view programs in your area. NORTH CONWAY, NH NEW PALTZ (GUNKS), NY LAKE PLACID, NY BOSTON AREA CONNECTICUT
Our winter climbing programs range from basic single day ice climbing and mountaineering instruction to technical multi-day mountaineering workshops on the Presidential Range in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. If you are training for a climb of MT.
In 2006, we accepted our responsibility to our students and the winter adventure community as a whole by offering nationally recognized AMERICAN INSTITUTE AVALANCHE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION (AIARE) courses.
We offer an assortment of free-heel and touring programs for everyone from backcountry veterans and first-time skiers to die-hard Alpine skiers seeking new challenges. Lessons and guided ski trips are available in the Mt.
Kayaking is the second largest program at the EMS Schools. We offer instruction and guided tours from locations in Lake Placid, the Boston Area, and Rhode Island.
The sport of Paddleboarding (aka “SUP”) has taken the northeast by storm and it’s here to stay. As a Schools we caught on quick and have been enjoying the sport and perfecting our teaching skills to deliver superior service.
The Gunks (short for Shawangunks) is one of the premier climbing areas in the country. Located near New Paltz, NY , the Gunks is about 85 miles from the NYC metropolitan area, making it a popular weekend destination. The rock is quartz conglomerate, solid rock with horizontal rather than vertical cracks. Climbing at the Gunks is characterized by roofs, jugs, traverses, big air, and sometimes "sporty" pro. The Gunks is famous for great one-to-three-pitch climbs of all levels of difficulty. You'll find some of the best easy and moderate trad climbs in the country at the Gunks. There are a few bolted climbs at the Gunks, but no sport climbs.#N#The ratings at the Gunks are stiff; beware of a climb with a "+" at the end of its rating. Climbs like Thin Slabs / Thin Slabs Direct (5.7+), Something Interesting (5.7+), Modern Times (5.8+), Broken Sling (5.8+), Le Teton (5.9+), and Coexistence (5.10+) will seem like sandbags to many climbers. Climbing overhanging rock, even with jugs, requires endurance and commitment. Most climbers new to the Gunks drop down a few grades in their first leads to get a feel for the rock, the ratings, and to learn how to place pro in the horizontal cracks.#N#The best time to climb at the Gunks is during the fall: September and October are the prime climbing season. Mid-October brings the fall colors to the area, and climbers will have to vie with "leaf peepers" for restaurants and places to stay in New Paltz. Climbing in the spring is also popular, but tends to be wetter and more buggy. Summer is hot and humid (don't miss the swimming hole), and winter offers a few climbable days.#N#The Gunks is one of the oldest climbing areas in the country. Fritz Wiessner first climbed at the Gunks in 1935, and he and Hans Kraus put up many classic routes in the 1940s. High Exposure, established in 1941, remains one of the most exposed and exciting 5.6 routes any climber will ever do, and should be on every visiting climber's tick list.#N#Most of the Gunks is part of the Mohonk Preserve, a land trust dedicated to preserving and protecting the northern Shawangunk Ridge. Climbers must purchase a $20 (as of 2018) day pass to climb at the Gunks, or else buy an annual pass ($95 as of 2018). Stop at the Visitor's Center, on Rt. 44/55 just below the cliffs, for more information or to get your pass. Passes are also often available on weekends from rangers at the steel bridge, the West Trapps lot, or at Lower Coxing, among others. If you get a day pass, keep your wristband, as the $20 cost can be credited toward the cost of an annual pass.
Published by Wolverine in early 2020, a new full-color guidebook is available: Gunks Climbing, by Andy Salo, Christian Fracchia, and Eric Ratkowski. This book covers the Trapps to the Slime Wall and the Near Trapps to the end of the Workout Wall.
The main cliffs at the Gunks are The Trapps and The Near Trapps. The Trapps is several miles long, and ranges in height from 30' to over 250'. A convenient gravel carriage road traverses under the cliff for its entire length, and designated access trails climb from the carriage road through the talus to the cliff. Access to most climbs at the Trapps involves hiking along the carriage road for 5 minutes to a half hour, followed by a short hike up to the rock. Some of the climbs on the left end of the Trapps start right off the carriage road.#N#The Nears is also a popular destination, with climbs ranging in height from 30' to 200'. While not as extensive as The Trapps, the Nears offers many excellent routes with short approaches. The near (north) end is most popular, but there are good climbs farther down the cliff as well.#N#Millbrook is more remote and offers adventurous climbing for those wanting to get off the beaten path. This area is frequented more by Gunks locals than first-time visiting climbers. The approach is roughly an hour along pleasant rambling trails, and Westward Ha! is worth the walk!#N#Sky Top has many classic routes, and was closed for over ten years by the landowner (the Mohonk Mountain House, an exclusive and expensive resort). As of April 2007 climbing is LEGAL at Sky Top once again - IF, and only if, you are there as a client of their only approved guide service, Alpine Endeavors.#N#Peterskill, in Minnewaska State Park, is another popular Gunks climbing destination, offering single-pitch climbs, top-roping, and bouldering. Follow directions to The Trapps and continue on Rt. 44/55 for about a mile past the steel bridge to get to the park entrance. As it is a State Park, a Mohonk Preserve pass won't work here; a separate day use fee is charged, and separate annual passes are available.#N#Other Gunks climbing areas, such as Lost City and Bonticou, are under-documented. Climbing here is by word of mouth; go with a Gunks local or ask for information at Rock & Snow, the local climbing shop in New Paltz.
The Trapps is several miles long, and ranges in height from 30' to over 250'. A convenient gravel carriage road traverses under the cliff for its entire length, and designated access trails climb from the carriage road through the talus to the cliff.
Due to the abundance of horizontal cracks and the limited number of vertical cracks, most Gunks routes have "PG" protection: adequate but not great, although many gear ratings were applied before small cams were invented. The horizontal cracks are great for small Tricams: the pink and red are especially useful. Small-to-medium cams with flexible shafts also work well. Climbs rarely need pro larger than 3". Hexes are not often carried, but sometimes work well.
Starting in 1999, bolted anchors started to appear in select locations along the cliffs. Placement of these anchors is approved by a 14-member bolting sub-committee composed of Gunks Climbers' Coalition members, volunteers, area climbing guides, and Mohonk Preserve rangers and staff.
Yogi Bear's is an RV-style family campground in Gardiner, at 50 Bevier Rd. Creek View in Rosendale, ~7 miles from New Paltz, has flat, grassy tent sites with picnic tables, showers, and there is plenty of hot water for dishes. The owner, Bill, makes it a point to enforce quiet hours (11pm to 7am).
The Hudson Valley String Quartet returns with a program of great romantic string quartets, beautiful music from all-around Europe and the United States — including Mozart, Grieg and Borodin on Aug. 16 to kick off the Sunday String Series. The series continues with Marka Young and James Bacon on Sept. 20, Amaranthus Emsemble on Oct.
Valley Uprising co-director Nick Rosen working in Yosemite (photo courtesy of Sender Films)
Anthony Aebi just wanted to build structurally sound houses that would last. In the process, he ended up creating the first zero-energy, single-family housing development in North America.