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dreday3000
Aug 27, 2008, 8:23 PM
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Made my first trip to the Gunks last weekend and I gotta say I was pretty bummed by all the pitons and fixed gear everywhere. I understand people have been climbing there forever but all the same.
A lot of the pitons were gumming up perfect nut placements.
Also didn't enjoy paying 15 dollars per person to climb.
Oh and that new guidebook was pretty tacky.
Climbing was pretty darn good though.
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Gmburns2000
Aug 27, 2008, 8:31 PM
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dreday3000 wrote: Oh and that new guidebook was pretty tacky. Climbing was pretty darn good though.
The good new guidebook has yet to hit store shelves. At least I assume the new guidebook you used was not the new Dick Williams book.
edit: but you are correct, the new guidebook that I've heard about is pretty tacky.
(This post was edited by Gmburns2000 on Aug 27, 2008, 8:31 PM)
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AlexCV
Aug 27, 2008, 8:57 PM
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dreday3000 wrote: Made my first trip to the Gunks last weekend and I gotta say I was pretty bummed by all the pitons and fixed gear everywhere. I understand people have been climbing there forever but all the same.
In reply to: Also didn't enjoy paying 15 dollars per person to climb.
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cracklover
Aug 27, 2008, 8:58 PM
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dreday3000 wrote: Made my first trip to the Gunks last weekend and I gotta say I was pretty bummed by all the pitons and fixed gear everywhere. I understand people have been climbing there forever but all the same. A lot of the pitons were gumming up perfect nut placements.
Really? I can't think of a single climb I've done there where a pin has taken up the only good placement. My GF has been there over a dozen times, and pretty much never even clips a pin. She doesn't trust them, and she doesn't need them - there are so many other placement opportunities.
I'm curious, can you name one place where you were unable to get good gear because of a pin?
And you do know that when most of those pins were placed, nuts (and cams) didn't exist, right?
In reply to: Also didn't enjoy paying 15 dollars per person to climb.
I hear that! But it's on private land, so they can charge whatever they feel, or just not allow folks to climb there at all. When you consider that, it seems like a better deal. And frankly, the place is so crowded that I don't think anyone would miss you (or me) if we never climbed there again.
In reply to: Oh and that new guidebook was pretty tacky.
Don't tell me you actually bought it? What on earth would possess you to do so, when there's several excellent guidebooks available (and a new one on the way).
In reply to: Climbing was pretty darn good though.
No doubt. What'd you get on?
GO
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chossmonkey
Aug 27, 2008, 10:12 PM
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cracklover wrote: dreday3000 wrote: Made my first trip to the Gunks last weekend and I gotta say I was pretty bummed by all the pitons and fixed gear everywhere. I understand people have been climbing there forever but all the same. A lot of the pitons were gumming up perfect nut placements. Really? I can't think of a single climb I've done there where a pin has taken up the only good placement. My GF has been there over a dozen times, and pretty much never even clips a pin. She doesn't trust them, and she doesn't need them - there are so many other placement opportunities. I'm curious, can you name one place where you were unable to get good gear because of a pin? And you do know that when most of those pins were placed, nuts (and cams) didn't exist, right?
I've never had that problem either.
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jakedatc
Aug 28, 2008, 3:52 AM
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rgold wrote: dreday3000 wrote: Made my first trip to the Gunks last weekend and I gotta say I was pretty bummed by all the pitons and fixed gear everywhere...A lot of the pitons were gumming up perfect nut placements. Which, of the 495 routes in the Trapps, did you do?
In reply to: Bird Cage Good route, too bad about the excess pitons + fixed gear new thought coming out of the roof was a lot of fun.
damn.. someone shoulda hooked Mr Barber up with some Aliens and a camelot or 2..
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jmeizis
Aug 28, 2008, 4:29 AM
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What exactly were you trying to achieve through this post. Inform? Persuasion? I never saw that many pitons climbing in the Gunks. At least not any more than I have climbing in other places that have a long history. You're right though, the climbing is pretty good, a tad expensive though.
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marc801
Aug 28, 2008, 4:56 AM
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dreday3000 wrote: Made my first trip to the Gunks last weekend and I gotta say I was pretty bummed by all the pitons and fixed gear everywhere.
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dreday3000
Aug 28, 2008, 12:46 PM
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A general disclaimer:
I LIKED the gunks. A lot. That said, I was just sharing my thoughts on my first trip out there cause I was taken by surprise by some of the compromises in the place. Being an East Coast climber the Gunks is always whispered about with a lot of reference. And it IS nice, but I was expecting....I don't know... something a little more pristine. Guess that's hard when you're on private land and a focal point for a lot of history.
Anywho...
In reply to: dreday3000 wrote: Made my first trip to the Gunks last weekend and I gotta say I was pretty bummed by all the pitons and fixed gear everywhere. I understand people have been climbing there forever but all the same. A lot of the pitons were gumming up perfect nut placements. Really? I can't think of a single climb I've done there where a pin has taken up the only good placement. My GF has been there over a dozen times, and pretty much never even clips a pin. She doesn't trust them, and she doesn't need them - there are so many other placement opportunities.
I wasn't saying that I was forced to clip the pitons, just that its struck me as odd that a piton was placed to begin. I suppose if its true that "Mr. Barber" did the route before nuts were invented that is too be expected. But shit, its still annoying - even if it is history.
In reply to: Also didn't enjoy paying 15 dollars per person to climb. I hear that! But it's on private land, so they can charge whatever they feel, or just not allow folks to climb there at all. When you consider that, it seems like a better deal. And frankly, the place is so crowded that I don't think anyone would miss you (or me) if we never climbed there again.
Ok, so the 15 dollars is a necessary evil. Again, still fairly annoying and worthy of comment. As to the crowds, I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised. I spent the day at West Traps and only had to wait on one route. And even then I just scuttle a few climbs over and got on uber classic open route. Not sure if that is par for the course or if I was just lucky.
In reply to: Oh and that new guidebook was pretty tacky. Don't tell me you actually bought it? What on earth would possess you to do so, when there's several excellent guidebooks available (and a new one on the way).
Nope I didn't buy the guidebook. I have the Todd Swain book which I thought was pretty good. Nice size and the topos are well laid out. But my buddy picked up the New Guidebook ( can't remember the author but its the one with the busy cover and all the whacked out photos of vulgarians) at Rock and Snow on our way out. He returned it for the Swain book on our way out of town.
In reply to: In reply to: Climbing was pretty darn good though. No doubt. What'd you get on?
I got on Birdland, Bird Cage, Roseland, and Transcontinental Freeway.
All great routes.
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dreday3000
Aug 28, 2008, 12:49 PM
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In reply to: What exactly were you trying to achieve through this post. Inform? Persuasion? I never saw that many pitons climbing in the Gunks. At least not any more than I have climbing in other places that have a long history. You're right though, the climbing is pretty good, a tad expensive though.
I don't know... I'm just talking here. Voicing an opinion/experience and looking to see if people had a similar experience.
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dreday3000
Aug 28, 2008, 1:00 PM
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In reply to: Made my first trip to the Gunks last weekend and I gotta say I was pretty bummed by all the pitons and fixed gear everywhere. Man, you're gonna just hate Yosemite.
I've been to Yosemite and - at least on the routes I got on - I don't remember being too peeved about fixed gear and/or pitons. Probably opening a can of worms here but as I recall I got on... a few climbs at the Open Book Wall, Central Pillar of Frenzy, Moratorium (that...didn't go so well), Lunatic Fringe, and Armageddon.
And yes, I realize that Serenity Crack is an a testament to the overuse and abuse of pitons. Lots of scars.
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piton
Aug 28, 2008, 1:12 PM
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dude you went to the workout wall area. one of the most popluar areas in the gunks. which is home to the lazy gunks climbers. next time pm me and i'll tell you where to go.
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j_ung
Aug 28, 2008, 1:17 PM
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dreday3000
Aug 28, 2008, 1:32 PM
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j_ung wrote: In reply to: Gunks + Pitons [troll]= Sport Climbing[/troll]
Thanks for that helpful input.
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mheyman
Aug 28, 2008, 1:56 PM
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In reply to: "dreday3000"]Made my first trip to the Gunks last weekend and I gotta say I was pretty bummed by all the pitons and fixed gear everywhere.
My first impression was also troll. But perhaps there have been a few thousand placed since I’ve been there! 
In reply to: Also didn't enjoy paying 15 dollars per person to climb.
Oh well. You didn't have to climb on someone else’s property!
In reply to: Oh and that new guidebook was pretty tacky.
Complain to the publisher and author. They should be embarrassed and deserve to loose money! It's not the Gunks fault. Return the Swain book for a better one too.
In reply to: Climbing was pretty darn good though.
To the whole mess, tell us something we don't know!
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devkrev
Aug 28, 2008, 2:00 PM
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j_ung wrote: In reply to: Gunks + Pitons [troll]= Sport Climbing[/troll]
Hey, there's SOME truth to that.
I used to climb with a guy that climbed at the gunks in the 70s. When he started buying his own gear, he bought a bunch of slings and biners first, because there was a bunch of routes that could be lead on the fixed gear. The one he mentioned that was like that that I remember was Horseman. But there was enough others to make it worth his while.
dev
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Gmburns2000
Aug 28, 2008, 2:04 PM
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mheyman wrote: Complain to the publisher and author. They should be embarrassed and deserve to loose money! It's not the Gunks fault. Return the Swain book for a better one too.
Looks like he went to the Nears, so the Swain book was needed (though I think Rock and Snow have the Black Dick, which I think has the Nears - not sure on that, though). The anticipated Dick is supposed to include the Nears, which is nice, because the Swain guide lacks a lot of details that would be helpful.
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marc801
Aug 28, 2008, 2:11 PM
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Gmburns2000 wrote: The anticipated Dick is supposed to include the Nears, ...
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cracklover
Aug 28, 2008, 2:15 PM
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j_ung wrote: In reply to: Gunks + Pitons [troll]= Sport Climbing[/troll]
I don't mind feeding this troll for a minute, he looks friendly enough (they always do until you feed them - hmm, are trolls like the movie Gremlins?)
Anyway, Disneyland can be led reasonably safely with only a rack of draws and a small cam or two for the very beginning. That's the only example I can think of in the entire Gunks.
Seriously, though - you have to understand the history. In order to keep the Gunks from looking like some of those beat out cracks in Yosemite, a consensus was agreed on to leave all pitons placed - in the rock. That way, instead of each party placing and removing, they'd be placed once, last for however many years, and then... What do you know, by the time that first set of pins was rotting out, new technology had come along, and they didn't need to be replaced at all! So it turned out to be an even better idea in hindsight than anyone could have known at the time! (Did I get that right, Rich? I wasn't there, of course).
If you still feel bummed out about how many there are, think about how it would have felt to be doing Birdcage, holding on with one hand, placing and then pounding in a pin, all without falling or weighting the gear. When I think about how it must have been back then, I sure don't find myself inclined to be unsympathetic to those climbers and their pins.
GO
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j_ung
Aug 28, 2008, 2:24 PM
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cracklover wrote: j_ung wrote: In reply to: Gunks + Pitons [troll]= Sport Climbing[/troll] I don't mind feeding this troll for a minute, he looks friendly enough...
Friendly and 100% kidding.  I learned to lead in part at the Gunks and have no complaints.
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AlexCV
Aug 28, 2008, 2:27 PM
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Gmburns2000 wrote: Looks like he went to the Nears, so the Swain book was needed (though I think Rock and Snow have the Black Dick, which I think has the Nears - not sure on that, though). The anticipated Dick is supposed to include the Nears, which is nice, because the Swain guide lacks a lot of details that would be helpful.
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dreday3000
Aug 28, 2008, 2:30 PM
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In reply to: The anticipated Dick is supposed to include the Nears, which is nice, because the Swain guide lacks a lot of details that would be helpful.
edited for clarity
(This post was edited by dreday3000 on Aug 28, 2008, 2:33 PM)
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budman
Aug 28, 2008, 2:39 PM
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Headed back to the Gunks after being in the desert for 10 years, possibly I should leave my rack at home and bring quickdraws. Maybe I should stay home who wants to climb in a beautiful setting where climbers are welcome and access is only about 80 dollars a year. As to those 40 year old pitons yeah their safe. Did order the tacky guide book, really liked the one for Devils Tower, besides I think Batso may have approved due to all the commotion it caused. The Gunks has been rated # 1 Trad area in the world before and probably will get that distinction again due to the quality and quantity of climbs at all levels.
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