Under the Gunks...5 1/2 minutes you aren't getting back!

It's been a busy 2 months dating back to mid April. Lots of trips and trip reports on the back burner, but I'd rather be outside than blogging about being outside, so like all of 2008's missing trip reports, these might end up in the permanent incomplete file.

If you follow this blog, then you know that we've been working with Colvin to get him climbing at a competent level. This summer is mostly focused on getting him climbing 3rd and 4th class rock scrambles with or without moderate assistance. In a few weeks we'll start working on vertical rock descents with him on rappel.

This month he's done his hardest single day hike, 18 miles and 12,000ft gain and lost, and his hardest scrambling to date. The hiking was no problem, but the scrambling has been a heck of a challenge for him, though he is making hella progress as he continues to be pushed beyond his comfort level. Last year he was terrified of going above treeline into the wind, this winter he was first to ascend no matter how ferocious it was. With a little luck he'll get his confidence on rock this summer.

The video is "Under the Gunks", and it pretty much covers the underground half of our day in the Gunks. Colvin also climbed a 3rd class scramble to the top of the Shawangunk Ridge earlier in the day. Some photos of that more scenic half of the trip will follow.

Although it's probably 5.5 minutes you'll want back, chances are it's more interesting than whatever you were gonna do with that 5.5 minutes anyway.


Under the Gunks from Mountain Visions on Vimeo.
After spending years climbing the clean white cliff faces of the Gunks, we decided to mix it up and try a convoluted loop over and under the Shawangunk Ridge in the Hudson Valley of New York State.




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