Chapter 669

July 8, 2024

The Gunks

Shwangunk Ridge

It was a Bucket List Adventure. Weather sunny for photography but a hot bitch at 90 degrees with humidity. A grueling (for me) 9 mile 4 hour bike & hike across the expansive Mohonk Preserve to the beautiful Mohonk Resort. Not IDEAL conditions but sometimes you just got to go for it.

This rock formation is world class famous for elite climbers and right in our backyard. This goofy and irreverent, nevertheless descriptive video of the 9000 foot longest wall traverse in the world,  Great Wall of China Route illustrates the rock face I travelled next to along the Undercliff Road. In the distance is the tower at Skytop by the Mohonk Lake and Mountain House.

Parked at the Mohonk Preserve West Trapps Trailhead- $20 for hiking & biking day pass. Hadn't been on my hybrid bike all year. The grit, loose gravel surface of the hundred year old horse carriage roads from the prior estate was not smooth sailing especially hitting the rock limestone, Quartzite & shale ridges. Had to walk up and down the steeper uphill sections to stay alive and under control. This bike video shows Undercliff, old Minnewaska, Lake Shore Rd, Old Stage Rd, Forest Dr and Oakwood Drive that I took.

First encounter was a group of boulderers free climbing with success to the peak.

Next it was a pair attempting a traditional climb belayed with a rope partner in the Uber Falls section.

Three more groups were right around the bend.

More groups attempting on this hot day.

I free climbed up the wall (8 feet) to get this angle, after I asked permission of this female climber. Surprisingly nearly half the climbers were women. Whitney Bowland describes the life of a climber in this short and dramatic video. 

The beauty of the Gunks and the drama of a professional climber is captured in this longer video by Boland. 

But it is Hall of Famer Lynn Hill who learned climbing while at SUNY New Paltz and practiced on these walls.

It was then on to the Mohonk Lake with the magestic Mohonk Mountain House Resort in the background, top rated in the Northeast. It is one of the jewels of the Northeast. This video from their collection might give the best thumbnail description of the site. Goal was the awesome Labrynth and Lemon Squeeze trail a short distance ahead. However, I wanted to make it back to my truck alive, so I opted for a retreat.

We will accomplish that and more one day !

On the way back progress was being made.

They didn't need no stinking help.

You can never be too young to begin your climbing routines.