The Gunks!

Published on 2026-10-11 by Michael Stanton

We arrived at Frank's place in the Catskills and immediately received a glorious steak and mushroom dinner. What?! We stayed up around a fire and talked about all kinds of things. Really fun.

Sunday

These notes on rescue practice technique are only to aid memory. Don't treat them as instruction!

Deb and Sue arrived and we repaired to a great old barn to practice rope rescue techniques. First we practiced ascending and descending a rope. Then making the Munter hitch (called the Halbmastwurf in German), and tying it off with a Munter-mule to be able to go hands-free.

Sue emphasized that in any kind of rescue situation job one is to call for help. Job two is to get some slings, biners and an extra rope from anybody around, so you have enough gear to effect a rescue if it makes sense. We then practiced the "pick off," where a leader has fallen and you can't just lower them to the ground. They may be unconscious and you need to guide them down next to you.

Frank ascends to Deb to "pick her off" the mountain!

Sue shows us how to rig a pulley system to pull Steve up

A rigging closeup. Note the ever-present Munter-Mule!

We practiced ascending the rope (which has been tied off to an anchor) up to the climber, then attaching a prussik on the rope just above the stricken climber. The gri-gri is a great device for this because it allows progress capture. Be sure to tie a backup knot on the brake-hand side of the rope. Once at the climber, you've attached a prussik above them, and you've attacked that prussik with a sling to your belay loop. Then you can begin lowering yourself and the stricken climber with your gri-gri. They will come down with you.

We then practiced doing this past several rappel stations for a multi-pitch rescue. The munter-mule knot is essential for moving a climber from a tight rope to a station, then again back onto the rappel rope. This is the great rescue knot!

We practiced pulley systems, too. We probably got in about 6 hours. Throughout, Sue emphasized thinking through systems, which gives us the ability to improvise while respecting safety. It rained steadily all day, and we all felt great to use the time so productively!

An incredible dinner is prepared!

Deb brought some healthy vegan food to supplement our repast..!

We had an amazing dinner and Frank broke out some amazing wine. I earned a reputation as the garbage disposal because I ate any lamb chop people didn't tie down!

Monday

Off to the Gunks! I'd gotten a bit gloomy in all the rain, but once we were walking on the stately promenade with the gray and magnificent cliffs on our left, and incredible yellow, red and orange leaves on our right, I became eager to climb. Sue escorted us up to the Uberfall, an incredible gray wall with climbers already working some routes. She suggested "Rhododendron" (5.6), and I jumped at the chance to lead.

Three climbers heading in to the Trapps

One looks back as if to say, isn't life grand...

Steve, Sue and your faithful blogger

A bit apprehensive at the wet rock, but assured it was climbable, I started up, placing gear often. About 20 feet up, the rock became drier and I really enjoyed the climbing. I left gear at the bolted anchors and lowered off. Now it was Steve's turn! He led the route, enjoying it very much. Sue and Frank both climbed it too. At this time, the trees above the anchor were so brilliant in their hues that we joked the climber should somehow get out of the way so we could take pictures of the colors from below!

Sue then redirected the rope so we could top rope the route just to the left, called "Clover" (5.7+). Indeed, the start was tricky! This provided great fun.

Sue points out dozens of climbs and adventures

We loved the way the climbs begin right on the carriage road

Frank begins Rhododendron...

We then moved over to climb the first pitch of "Jackie" (5.5). Once again, Steve and I each got in a lead. We anchored at bolts right of the climb, making sure to place protection right at the top of the distinctive overhang that culminates the pitch in order to protect the follower. Frank offered hilarious comments as the day went on, often around the idea that he wouldn't be able to climb one pitch or another, but "I can always belay!" We wouldn't let him put himself out to pasture like that! Once, Frank thought he could escape doing a TR on a route but Sue pointed out how helpful it would be to clean the gear. Steel returned to Franks eye, and he tied in quickly to perform this duty. Wise in the ways of human nature, Sue is!

We also climbed pitch one of "Frog's Head" (5.6). The opening crack looked quite difficult. But it went very well.

I think our last climb of the day was "Bunny" (5.5). So this was five climbs. Four of them suffered 2 leads and 2 TRs. The only one that was only top-roped was Clover. We'd gotten our full value in! Walking out, I was so impressed by the harmony of the location, the climbers, and the walkers and bikers on the carriage road. Sue seemed to know everybody. People often called out to her, telling of a recent exploited or offering congratulations on retirement. We met Silas Rossi, a guide who made incredible videos of Gunks climbs that I'd discovered in the previous week.

The hardest moves are near the start

To climb is to live

Here we are on another route

Frank cleans the gear...

Frank took us to dinner in New Paultz -- excellent Mexican food with an unusual seared tuna appetizer. On the evening of this great day we said goodbye to Frank who had to meet some folks down south. We promised to meet up before long for some skiing in the Pioneers!

Tuesday

We met at 9 at the trailhead, this time it would be Steve, Sue and I along with special guest star Alyssa, who I'd last seen in the City of Rocks. It was time for some multipitch climbing, however, after initially marveling at how few people were out, we discovered that little crowds were clustered at each of the longer routes Sue picked for us. So, we ended up at a wetter, more adventurous route called "Andrew" (5.4). Sue and Alyssa made up a rope team, and started up first. Steve and I next, and he led the first pitch. The pitch was a bit soaked! But the occasional dry foothold made it possible. Pitch 2 was just a walk across the GT ledge, but pitch 3 was quite interesting!

Sue on the second pitch of Andrew...it is very wet!

Alyssa begins a damp traverse on Andrew

Hmm, how to cross the face?

Sue moved carefully up along a crack on the left, ominously mentioning "puddles." Indeed, there were such horrors, and a steady drip from an overhang above. She led up and right in slabby terrain made serious by the moisture. Alyssa headed up, then I led just behind. I went a bit higher along the crack, but, coming to a loose block marked with an "X," decided to go ahead and traverse below it rather than touch it at all and so add another odd hazard to the collection of them we already dealt with!

Looking back on the delicate traverse and subsequent climb on the right, it looked and felt like a pitch much harder than 5.4. I dunno...5.7 at least! There was a concave structure to the rock here, and important if sparse protection points in overlaps.

Looking down to Steve and the interesting face

Our first rappel descent...

Alyssa and Sue heading down

In general, on all these routes, the protection was great. Small to medium cams very much favored. The occasional nut, and these were always bomber. Not only did we have the crack to protect in, but horizontal rails on the sides. Perhaps this second pitch of Andrew was unnerving because it deviated a bit from that pattern.

But anyway, we got on top and went over to the No Glow anchors to get down. On the descent Sue offered the catchphrase "never pass a problem," which is a good way to remember never to let the rope sit in a pile above you somewhere. Indeed...the horror of discovering you'd ignored a hang-up, which now sits above you, and perhaps the rap is free-hanging...! That could be costly...

We ate some snacks then headed up the great classic "High Exposure" (5.6). Sue and Alyssa took an initial line just left of the chimney/crack that marks the usual start. Unfazed by the wet start, she took off. We carried on conversations with some nice students from Cornell who had just finished the climb. One of the young men had learned to perform Tibetan throat-singing, which fascinated me.

Steve comes up the first pitch of High E

This section offered such great climbing

I led the long and interesting first pitch, enjoying the chimney/crack, then some middling terrain to a wall, and finally a long and exposed diagonal climb up to the GT ledge at a spectacular corner. So much fun! I took some pictures of Steve and generally felt the surroundings were alpine and dramatic. On the ledge, Sue produced a delicious chocolate and cream dessert for the four of us, only somewhat marred by the adventurous journey to this point. Gorgeous.

Meanwhile, I sat for a while on a friendly bench that pranksters had hauled up to the ledge. It seems this place is a cultural touchstone. I got the impression that weddings had been performed. I know people made coffee or crepes and such things here. And there were many moonlight climbs over the summer. If I lived here I'd offer a Peter Kreeft-esque talk comparing two philosophers, like Socrates and Jesus, or Nietzschie and Kiekergaard. Hee hee...

Okay, her eyes are closed but that is life on the High E ledge!

Steve leading the phenomenal upper pitch

A nice young lady charmed us all with expressions of delight at the overhang just above, but also educated us on the ravens and other birds flying around. Steve led up and I finally had to say goodbye to my comfortable bench. The overhang was certainly neat, but the real joy of this pitch is the incredible vertical, even slightly overhanging face above. Gorgeous horizontal rails and incut holds encourage you up a steep wall. It is long enough to get somewhat lost in (at least 30 feet, I think). I emerged on top where Steve raved about the joy of the pitch. We were all quite happy. Rather than go down the normal way, we walked back over to the No Glow anchors, since the party in front of us was doing a kind of tutorial over at the anchors. We made the now-familiar rappels down.

Michael follows the pitch...

I'm laughing with how cool the route is

And so ended another great day! We visited Sue's excellent abode, and sat outside by the pool amid some sculptures and deer, enjoying a post-climb repast of pasta and beer (for me anyway!). Steve and I reluctantly took off early, since our drive was kind of long. But we were learning the back roads to and from the Catskills, which is a cat worth skinning!

Wednesday

Another perfect morning on the Carriage Road

Steve and I drove back in, this time to meet Sue and Deb, last seen Sunday evening. The night before I'd watched Silas' great video of CCK and gotten inspired. Therefore, Sue walked us right over to "CCK" (5.8) so we could get on that thing. Gulp!

Steve comes up the second pitch of CCK

Steve with the ominous wall we must cross behind

Steve recommended I lead every pitch, since I had such a keen fascination for the route. Okay! The first pitch was not that memorable, up to a tree. The second was very nice...a steep corner. Steve came up and just watching him arrive with all the air and space around was thrilling.

We beefed up the anchor a bit, trading one cam for another so that I could get another small cam on my rack. I slowly moved out to the right on the magnificient slab. Feet are great, and the occasional micro-cam protects the way. There was a tougher move where the feet dropped out for a couple meters. Then a piton offered protection, and a cam in a kind of side-cling or under-cling.

Michael lost at sea on CCK...

Looking back to Steve from the thrilling crux

Gulp, I'm going to have to commit to the layback!

Again, higher, above the crux wall and overhang

I reached the big vertical lieback crack, stepped up to a ledge, then got a perfect #1 Camelot above my head. Steve patiently took a few pictures here, then I committed to the moves: left foot smearing on a blank wall, one hand liebacking and the other jamming. Glorious!

I reached the roof above and got a cam into a horizontal rail above it. Then I made a traverse to the right on good hands with smearing feet. Soon I was above the roof, placing a directional, then walking over to build a belay. Steve came up, having enjoyed the pitch a lot.

Now we walked over a bit to meet Sue and Deb. We made the abseils back to the ground -- what a great time!

Now it was time for us to get on another classic, called "Madame G's," or more properly, "Madam Gruennebalm's Wulst" (5.6).

Steve led the first pitch to a tree, then I set off, hoping to combine pitches 2 and 3 with the aid of slings to reduce drag. I'd need to go up to a corner, then traverse up and right on a long journey from there, only moving back left a bit to surmount an overhang at the end. I went up a few moves and suddenly felt apprehensive -- there were wasps flying around the orange corner area. Were they angry? Happily, Sue was nearby preparing for a climb with Deb. I asked her about it. She said it might be better to save the climb for another day.

Sue in her element. Look at those colors!

Three ne'er-do-wells heading down

Steve on the magnificient upper pitch of Madame G's

Again, closer

Steve with AI fingers (lol)

He said this was his favorite pitch...I'm sure he'll climb it 20 times!

Well, I didn't want to do that. I asked God for help with the wasps. That is, to let them know I meant no harm and would pass through as quietly as possible. Up close, I saw that some of the flying bugs were not wasps, but something more benign. Still, there were a few traversing moves where I didn't breathe, feeling them somewhere behind me, buzzing and such!

I passed through the area of small, orange holds and sun into a shady area with big horizontal rails. Sue was almost a voice in my head as she was watching from the ground, and narrated that I should continue traversing up and right. What a luxury!

And these were great instructions. Vertical rock, little overhangs, always great gear...it went on and on. When Steve arrived, he said this was probably his favorite pitch ever. In fact, I thought about it the rest of the day, declaring myself happy to climb this again on our final day. We didn't do that, but it would have been a fine thing!!

Once back on the ground, I led up a route called "Something Interesting" (5.7+). Excellent climbing on this, though I rested on the rope before making the crux move...an awkward sort of lieback to get above a bulge. When things eased off, I traversed far to the right to clip to the anchors for "Higher Stannard" (5.9-). We'd top rope this climb.

All four of us did the route that way. My goodness, the opening moves of the climb are extremely difficult. After that, it goes quite nicely. Loved it!

Michael on Something Interesting

Same, a little higher

Steve cleaning gear on the amazing Something Interesting

Sue on Higher Stannard

Dinnertime!

Alyssa grows incredible flowers

For tonight, we were invited to dinner with Alyssa and her husband Michael who we hadn't met yet. They have a wonderful place with a view of the Trapps. We had lobster cakes, chili, salsa and other delicious food. I snuck back into the kitchen from our splendid position on a deck outside in the sunset for more. I really liked the IPA beer Michael had, too. We had a fantastic conversation about climbing in wild places. Steve and I expressed the hope that he'll come out to the City of Rocks later!

Thursday

Alas, it is our last climbing day! But we had Sue and Alyssa to share it with. Their smiles and mastery stemming from the love of this place kept Steve and I in a state of perpetual gratitude. Joy seems to be a country of ever-widening sky, of ever-new vistas, of hanging valleys found behind a secret ledge in what you thought was the penultimate one. Who can take it?! LOL...

First up was "The Arrow" (5.8), which Sue recommended firmly. She and Alyssa did a climb to the left of us. Steve took the interesting pitch 1. I especially remember moving left around a bulge where he'd found a fantastic nut placement, then stepping up in harder moves above that. Above this, I led through a little roof problem to gain a mysterious white face protected by a piton and two bolts. I found reaching the piton to be interesting, then the first bolt was attained with some delicate moves.

Sue leads up a route left of Arrow

Steve climbing the Arrow slab

I had to concentrate hard to get up to the second bolt, a good ways up! I knew the crux was here, and that people argued back and forth about going left or right. I decided on left as it was listed as the original way. There is a "potato chip" feature on the left that fingers can try to meld around. Between that and a high step with the right foot, a finger ledge can be gained. Once that is done you feel pretty good! A few careful slabby moves and I was up. WOOOt!

Steve arrived, taking the right side of the bolt. Hmm...I'll have to give him a hard time about that, let's see..."oh, so you did a variation...when are you going back to climb Arrow?" Hee hee...we climbers have to have our fun!

We joined Sue and Deb. They'd enjoyed their climb, though it ended with runout on rounded, slabby rock.

Continuing the tour of the classics, Sue recommended getting on Shockley's Ceiling, aka "The Ceiling" (5.6). Planning to meet them again later, we marched over to it. I saw a variation start called "Oscar and Charlie" (5.7), that should allow us to pick up Shockley's on P2.

I led up the steep corner, but kind of lost my confidence at the crux. I've noticed this happens to me sometimes, especially on a last day. I get worried about injury because I'm suspicious of the afternoon of the last day, kind of like the way a skier might feel who planned to get in just "one more run" before they get hurt.

Steve in his slabby element!

Steve working on Red Cabbage

So I placed a nut and hung on it, and in fact, I pulled on the nut to get above the bulge. So it's an A1 climb for me, with hang. I've become an old climber now, and it is clear I'm not bold, so I must be on schedule!

I had a hanging belay just right of the top of the corner, where I was able to serve as an object of fun for Sue, Alyssa and Ginny, a new arrival to their merry girl's party. Steve had placed a rope for them to top-rope a harder route ending at this belay. With me hanging atop the route, they had to grab my cankles (lol) to mark completion of the climb. Endless jokes about my undignified position on a kind of examination table, at least until I could get the heck out of there!

Steve had led a very interesting pitch, traversing over to the right and up, much like we'd encountered on "Madame G's" before. He liked it a lot. I was sent off for the final pitch with one of the bigger roofs for a 5.6 in the area. I enjoyed getting up to it, then launched into it. I ended up with a hand jam in the roof, bringing my knees up against the wall to put me in a kind of compact yoga post. Back to toes, and stand up. Great! The next roof was climbed in a standard way, and was well protected. Sue had made sure I had an extra #2 Camelot, which was good (Steve had the other one at the belay).

While I belayed Steve up, a raven came slowly by, floating on a wind of her own. It was a magical position.

Back on the ground, we found the girls doing some hard climbing on "Red Cabbage" (5.9) and neighboring routes. I top roped it, though there was one spot I may not have correctly climbed. This was great fun.

Ginny had to leave, and as we packed up Sue tripped on some leaves and got a decent bruise on her leg, darn it! But nothing could stop us from repairing to the brew pub nearby for good german beer! And an amazing collection of appetizers that served as dinner. We four were a happy quartet. And...someone had a birthday...and the staff knew them well, and there was much singing.

Steve and I practically vowed in blood to return. More Gunks, ever more, no ceasing! We made our goodbyes and raced again north.

Really happy after four climbing days

A birthday cake appeared!

Friday

Steve made the last of our bacon and eggs, then I headed out with an umbrella Sue had given me the day before. I wanted to walk a long section of trail in the Catskills and emerge down at Arkville to the north. After several miles of road-walking, I reached the trailhead and followed a narrow, leaf-strewn way into a dark forest. Sometimes climbing, then descending, I reached a lean-to where I ate one of the incredible pears Frank had given us. Then, long miles, sometimes in driving raining, but usually just a general fog and dampness. Once, a branch fell down from a tree just beside me. I felt a bit watched by the trees, or older life forms.

Lonely walking on Dry Brook Ridge

I made it down to town

At some points, the trail sidestepped from the ridge crest to balds and knobs on the left where I knew I'd see an amazing view if the weather was clear. I found another lean-to for eating lunch and rested here a while.

As I went down, I listened to old Kiss songs, which I intend to learn in order to jam with some friends later on. Something about the northeast and Kiss go together. In fact, the Catskills feel quite a bit like the year 1975 to me. I love the way places and years sometimes go together...

I reached town, and had a lively discussion with the proprietress of the gin factory. Steve arrived and we ordered incredible pizzas from the food truck outside. Apparently, a medium would come for Halloween soon. Amazing!

Steve and I headed out the next morning. Big thanks to Steve, and to Frank, and to Sue and Alyssa and Deb and Ginny! Many good pitches, a little hiking, and lots of laughs.