Family Climbing at Peter's Kill - 10/16/2005

On a blustery fall day in October, a bunch of the members of cliffmama's family climbing mailing list got together for some family climbing. We went to Peter's Kill in Minnewaska State Park Preserve, for its abundance of easy and moderate 1 pitch climbs.

A good crowd turned out, there were

  • Jonathan and Jannette with 2 girls,
  • Dell with his toddler and a portable potty,
  • Eric with his 3 girls,
  • Jerod and Heidi with their 2 little ones,
  • Dana and daughter,
  • and Ethan.
We started out in two groups, our group going to the Enterprise Wall. Ethan led "The Kling-On" 5.7 and set up a top rope on there and on the adjacent "Captain's Log" 5.4. Jannette led "Reach Around", 5.7, and set up a top rope for that climb as well as Crack-a-Lack, 5.10. All of the older kids tried the 5.4, and some also tried the 5.7s.

Jasmine and Ariel both made it up the The "Kling-On", 5.7. It follows the corner up to a tricky crux bulge of white rock with so-so handholds. Not everyone did the crux, some went around to the side. They also both tried "Reach Around" 5.7, which starts off with a steep move with good holds to easy travel up an open book, then hits a tricky crux move. Jasmine did a great job, but eventually gave up at the crux, a tricky traverse right under a roof with bad feet, to a crack/layback handhold above the lip. Ariel, required a little bit of hauling to gain a few inches when she couldn't reach the holds under the roof before the crux, but stunned us all as she easily pulled the crux on her second try. This was pretty amazing, since the crux stumped two of our adults. After winning the best prize, a new climbing rope, at the New Paltz Climbing Film Festival the night before, she was supercharged and ready to tackle anything. That is, when we could part her from her new rope.

Ethan climbed "The Under-Kling-On" 5.9, to the right of "The Kling-On", and was disappointed. It's basically a one-move wonder - one tricky spot near the start, leads to an easy almost-walkup to the top.

Ethan and Jannette tried "Crack-A-Lack", 5.10, which starts as a steep but relatively easy face with horizontal holds and a crack, then pursues a series of relentless overhangs with small crimpy handholds and not so great feet. Very pumpy. Jannette managed to make it up with a couple of hangs and a lot of grunting and whining.

After doing the same 1 pitch top ropes in the Trapps for many years, it's fun to explore a new area with some fine climbs, easy access to the top and enough easier climbs for the whole family to enjoy. It was a fun day with great people and amazing climbing kids.

 

HOME