A great place to climb: Shawangunk Ridge

By Sean T. McMann
Poughkeepsie Journal

''For local climbers, this is the only place to go,'' said Tillson's Travis Robie, a climbing rope coiled around his right shoulder, the summer sun reflecting in his sunglasses.

A seven-year veteran of the sport and a rock climbing guide for the Stone Ridge-based Mountain Skills, Inc., Robie said the Mohonk Preserve, part of the Gunks, offers ''top notch'' terrain for climbers of all experience levels.

Emily Stoehr of Old Lyme, Conn., also said the Gunks provide climbers who are new to the sport an excellent challenge, and a place to hone their skills. She said the rock outcrops at the Gunks are tall enough for a good adrenaline rush, but not so high as to induce fear.

''A lot of these climbs are not as high as climbs in other areas,'' said Stoehr, who has been climbing for several years. ''Here, there aren't really long approaches. With some climbs at other places, you're hiking quite a few miles to get to a climb. That's a lot more physical. If you go to another area, it might be more draining.''

Instead of ''draining,'' the Gunks' topography seems more to invigorate.

On a summer day, a climber can look to the west for miles and miles of panoramic views.

Between old country roads, a sea of green treetops, the faint impressions of mountains in the distance and haze leading the eye upward to the cobalt blue sky, the majestic views the Gunks provide remind one of a Bob Ross painting. Only this masterpiece took more than 30 minutes to complete. Mother Nature took millions of years and just as many brush strokes.

Signs throughout the Mohonk Preserve remind visitors ''No Radios'' are allowed. Instead, the only sounds one will encounter are the occasional car driving past the Gunks on Routes 44/55, and the breeze through the park's many varieties of flora, including the pitch pine, mountain laurel and blueberry plant.

''I really like the environmental concern of the preserve,'' Kingston's Diana Gildersleeve said after descending a rock at the Mohonk Preserve. ''It's traditional climbing. There are no bolts (implanted in the rock). And I think there are a lot of really friendly people here who just really love to climb.''

Just as tranquility is important at the Gunks, so, too, is safety.

At the Mohonk Preserve, climbers are reminded of the risk their passion can pose.

The black letters on the yellow signs at the Mohonk Preserve say it all: ''Rock Climbing is Dangerous.'' Backing up that warning are boxes of rescue equipment contain neck braces, ropes and stretchers. The boxes line the tree-shaded trails that run along the jagged rock faces.

Gottlieb: Sport is safe

With precautions in place, the sport of climbing is a relatively safe one, said Rich Gottlieb, owner of Rock & Snow in New Paltz, a store that specializes in climbing gear.

''The amount of serious accidents is fewer than other sports that insurance companies don't balk at,'' he said.

Stoehr said climbing is a physical, mental and social experience not to be missed.

''I just really love being outside, hanging out with people, getting a good workout and having fun,'' she said. ''You work out every muscle you have. And you have to concentrate so hard, that it takes all of your energy. It's a great rush.''

It's that ''great rush'' that brings Kirk Aengenheyster to the Gunks.

''Inside your head, when you're on the rock, you have to conquer your fear,'' the Gardiner resident said. He likens climbing to a combination of gymnastics and meditation. ''It's all about personal growth. You have to know where and when to grab, and unlike other sports, the older you get, the better you get.''

And the older you get, the more challenges await you at the Gunks, said Aengenheyster, also a Mountain Skills guide. ''You can climb for years and years, there are so many climbs here,'' he said. ''You don't really get bored.''

But before that, novice climbers must make that first climb. In order for it to be a safe and enjoyable experience, Gottlieb said, new climbers should be well trained.

''They need instruction first,'' he said. ''You don't just do this on a whim. You have to learn safety, and see if you like it. The other way is to meet someone who does it. Hopefully, they're not a dummy.''

With any luck, that trained ''someone'' will have the same passion that Gottlieb said draws climbers to the Gunks.

''The rock is there,'' he said, ''and it beckons.''