Love these high and tight, super simple anchors. Allows for great positioning to see your follower — a must on this gorgeous, exposed climb!
@ryan_baker_zo6 on the Sword (5.6) at the Beer Walls
We love showing off the beauty of the Adirondacks to visitors to our amazing park. The Baudins, hailing from Switzerland, took a waterfall hiking tour with us yesterday, and we got to enjoy water from above (river), below (waterfall), and within (rain shower) all in a 4-hour period!
#PerfectDayADK @newyorkoutdoorguides @saranaclake #HireAGuide
Our 3-day backpacking trip to summit Cliff & Redfield was a super success! Jim has had a few years off hiking high peaks, but he’s determined to become a #46er this summer with only 3 peaks left now that we’ve crossed off the formidable Cliff and Redfield! And to do them with his daughter, @imjessicakahler (peaks 10 and 11 for her!), is something special. We enjoyed two picturesque nights at Lake Colden, and as ideal trail conditions as you can expect for the ADK. There were many challenges — we had to doctor up both of Jess’ boots! — but found ourselves up to the task. Can’t wait for our next ones!
@newyorkoutdoorguides @lakeplacidadk @saranaclake @adirondack46ers_ #Adirondacks #PerfectDayADK #HireAGuide
A superb day to be above Chapel Pond on Tilman’s Arete. Today, Aurelia took a big step in her climbing career by proving she’s competent belayer for both top rope and lead. This opens up new climbing venues for us as she continues along her progression. And, of course she made quick work of the variations on Tilman’s first pitch. Can’t wait to see what she sends next!
@newyorkoutdoorguides @lakeplacidadk #Adirondacks #PerfectDayADK #HireAGuide
Well, Scott, I think you achieved everything you set out to! Climb on real rock. ✅ Solidify lead belay technique. ✅ Study up on basic multi-pitching skills like cleaning trad gear, efficient belay changeovers, and rappelling. ✅ Get a taste of the classic Keene routes and crags. ✅ It was a roaring success and your positive attitude and eagerness to learn and try new things made our time together an absolute joy! Until next time, my friend!
Get a first-person view of our climb up the Regular Route on Chapel Pond Slab and a few climbs at Jewels and Gems. Both spots are real treats with their quality and quick approaches right off the road!
They survived!! Kudos to @raybanmeta on their glasses being surprisingly rugged. Mine took a 30-meter (~100-foot) tumble down a rock face when I was out guiding a multi-pitch rock climb. (Totally my fault, I perched them on my shirt collar and then leaned over the edge.) Neither lens was damaged, and after a little rest and recharge in their case, they work perfectly fine!
BTW, these are my secret weapon for capturing awesome moments while my guests are climbing, all while keeping my hands safely on their rope. And you get a copy of all the shots when you book an adventure with @onwardguides.
📸: @baker_media24
Two great days of climbing at Chapel Pond with @saw_dust_ery! The Slab, Shipton’s Arete, and Tilman’s Arete all provided lovely routes and opportunities for fun onsights. Summer rock is a gooo! 🤘
Sundays are for friends and a great day for up, particularly out on Cloudspin Cliff in Wilmington! We enjoyed splendid views of @whiteface_mt all day as we topped out climb after climb. Thanks Dakota, Louisa, and Bill for such a fun day.
Giant Mountain via the Ridge Trail - 6/6/25
Today was Day 2 with @sekoshan as she prepares for a long hike down in Peru. I guided her up Giant Mountain along the Ridge Trail today. Compared to yesterday, today was far more humid, wet, and cloudy. But we still had a great time on the trail!
5.8 miles, 3000 ft of elevation gain, 6 hours car-to-car.
No warm-up like we had yesterday on Colden! This trail is steep from the beginning, rising 600 feet in the first .5 miles to a lookout. You do nearly 1000 feet of elevation gain for each of the 3 miles to the summit, popping in and out of the woods onto the rocky ridges. It’s one of my favorite routes because you get views all the way up!
The trail was in superb condition on the way up. Mud and blowdown was basically a non-issue. We were way more wet from sweating in the muggy weather than any water/mud on the trail.
Clouds rolled in just as we were reaching the summit, but we got a short window view down into the valley before getting socked in. We knew rain was imminent and that the descent would be harder on wet rock, we opted not to continue to Rocky Peak Ridge, saving our legs for the McIntyre Range tomorrow.
Rain did indeed start coming down about halfway back to the car. It soaked the rock quickly, and we took our time to avoid slipping. Rain coats went on to avoid getting chilly and it was quite pleasant.
Bugs were out, but not too bad. Some swarms knew the summit, but nothing a little bug spray couldn’t handle. The mosquitos kept biting through the rain.
We saw 17 people on the trail, with a few still headed up as we were coming down.
Timeline:
- 6:45am - Started from Route 73
- 7:30am - Giant’s Washbowl
- 9:00am - Roaring Brook/Ridge Trail Crossover
- 9:45am - Giant Summit (3 hours)
- 10:15am - Left the summit
- 11:00am - Roaring Brook/Ridge Trail Crossover
- 12:15am - Giant’s Washbowl
- 12:45am - Returned to the trailhead (6 hours)
Colden from Loj, 6/5/25
I had the pleasure of guiding Shannon and Susan up Colden yesterday from the Loj. We had a splendid day with great views despite Canadian wildfire smoke, and the rain even held off for us!
We opted to do it as an out-and-back via the Lake Arnold Trail. ~13 miles, 2734 ft of vert, 10 hours car-to-car.
Trails were in really good condition — some of the best I’ve seen for this hike. Basically no blowdown left, and even the trail near Lake Arnold wasn’t as muddy as usual. Some slick rock near the summit was our only challenge, and only when coming down.
Trails were quiet for most of the day. We saw two people headed out to Skylight, and another couple we leap frogged with up and down Colden. Once returning, more groups were headed to the Avalanche Campsites and Marcy Dam.
Timeline:
- 6:45am - Departed from Loj
- 7:45am - Marcy Dam
- 8:30am - Avalanche Camps/Lake Arnold Crossover
- 10:00am - Lake Arnold
- 11:15am - Little Colden
- 11:45am - Colden Summit (5 hours)
- 1:30pm - Lake Arnold
- 2:45pm - Avalanche Camps
- 3:30pm - Marcy Dam
- 4:30pm - Loj Trailhead (~10 hours)
These three peaks provide lots of technical challenge. Steep climbs, exposed rock faces, and lots of winter blowdown. But the incredible views from the heart of the lower great range made it all totally worthwhile. It’s amazing what our bodies can do with a little gumption! Congrats to Meg on peaks 40-42 on her 46er journey!
Strong legs and great conditions turned our two-peak day turned into a four-peak day! Gotta love those long days in the mountains. Congrats to Meg on peaks 37-40 on her 46er journey!
Is there a better way to spend the first sunny day in a while than questing up Chapel Pond Slab? We think not! Empress (5.5 X) was a total joy with Shane. We even spied the incomparable Will Roth on Regular Route!
It’s the summer of sending! Book your own climbing adventure today — both group instruction and private climbing days available on our website. Link in bio.
📸: Gripped Photo
@newyorkoutdoorguides @lakeplacidadk @adirondackclimberscoalition #lifeisbetterwhenclimbing #Adirondacks #PerfectDayADK #HireAGuide
I had the pleasure of guiding Bill and Bev up Mt. Marcy for them to reach the top of New York State for their high point journey! We lucked out with incredible weather with spectacular views clear across to Vermont. Bill regaled us with tales of their climbs across the world. He and Bev are so impressive and dedicated, showing us how it’s done into their 70s. I can’t wait to hear about their next adventures, including Mont Blanc this fall. Wow!
@rockandriver_official
Tom and I nabbed the rest of the Dix Range (Dix and Hough) yesterday to tick his 27th and 28th high peaks! The weather was glorious, though the black flies are officially out in full force. But even those little buggers couldn’t keep the smiles off our faces as we traversed that gorgeous range. We summited via the Beckhorn trail and then went down Lillian Brook for a 12.5 mile day in just about 11 hours.
Big thanks to Curt, a volunteer herd path maintainer who we met on top of Hough and who was continuing to clear the significant blowdown in the range!
@newyorkoutdoorguides @lakeplacidadk #Adirondacks #PerfectDayADK #HireAGuide
Tom and I only planned on hiking Macomb, but it was so nice that we went out to South Dix and Grace Peaks as well! He’s well on his way to becoming a #46er with these being 24-26/46 summits for him. Great way to spend the 133rd anniversary of the Adirondack Park. 👌
@newyorkoutdoorguides #nysoga @lakeplacidadk #Adirondacks #PerfectDayADK #HireAGuide
We wrapped up April and kicked off May with 3 more summits on Tom’s tick list! Dial and Nippletop provided challenge and beauty with the miles and elevation gain. Tabletop’s approach was more pleasant, but the last half mile proved particularly dicey with a shark’s fin of snow taking up the narrow trail. Tom crushed it both days, always with a smile and a chuckle at the hard bits, reveling at the payoff views of the high peaks. 25 miles and 6000 feet of elevation gain over two days is not for the feint of heart this time of year, but Tom proved himself!
@newyorkoutdoorguides @lakeplacidadk #Adirondacks #PerfectDayADK #HireAGuide
Last weekend, I escaped the rainy ADK to climb with some friends in the rainy Red River Gorge in KY! Miguel’s and RRG was our usual weekend getaway back in the CMU days, but it’s a longer haul from NY now! Still, mega fun weekend ticking off some classic routes that I hadn’t done in years, and trying hard on new ones.
When the weather’s warm and sunny down south while it’s wet and dreary up north, you go to the Gunks! A perfect weekend spent with good friends from @adkclimb.club! Finally tagged Ken’s Crack (5.7+) on this trip — what a great little route.
A little solo hike up Saddleback from The Garden yesterday. Trailhead says spring, but the peak’s still in winter with fresh snow. 14.3 miles, 3157 ft elevation gain, 9.5 hours.
A little personal trip down to the Gunks to get ready for rock season! Feels great to be pluggin’ cams and pulling on rock. Book a trip of your own! Single and multi pitch, learn to lead, anchoring clinics — we do it all.
Todd and I completed a mega day out in the High Peaks (18 miles, 6000 ft elevation gain, 13.5 hours) tagging his 20th-23rd winter summits. Our first truly warm hike together this winter, we battled steep ascents, deteriorating snow, and high winds. But it was all smiles all day with incredible views throughout the day. What a way to close out the winter hiking season!
March ended in a flurry! I scurried down to the Gunks for a few days of nice weather to climb with @coppertop217 (we stayed in a school bus AirBnB!), who then followed me back up north for a very successful @adkclimb.club and skiing at @whiteface_mt. I hunkered down for a couple days while an ice storm made everything slippery and then back to Whiteface for an open-to-close laps day with the man, the myth, the legend @willclimbz for his birthday. Great way to round out the month, and now I’m back to dreaming about rock climbing!
Tried out an (unclimbed?) ice flow off of the Jay Mountain ridge today! T’was thin-but-in! The 3-mile uphill walk to get there was a bit of a bear, but nabbing an extra day of climbing was well-worth it. Thanks for the invitation, Jim!
