An Adirondack Climber Discovers Spanish Limestone
By Phil Brown
October 3, 2017
The Adirondack Explorer's editor enjoys a day on a rock tower overlooking the Mediterranean.
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Rock climbing
Accidents In Adirondack Climbing In 2016
By Phil Brown
October 1, 2017
Each year the American Alpine Club publishes a little book titled Accidents in North American Climbing, on the theory that reading about accidents is one way to avoid them. Usually, most of the reports are from out west or Alaska. Occasionally, an accident in the Adirondacks makes the book. This year, however, a full three…
Comparing Two Classic Climbs On Wallface and Cannon
By Phil Brown
September 25, 2017
Wallface is the biggest cliff in the Adirondacks and so naturally has attracted the attention of rock climbers from way back. The first recorded routes were put up by two of the country’s best climbers of the 1930s—John Case and Fritz Wiessner. The authors of Yankee Rock and Ice say Wiessner regarded Wallface as the…
Guide Rescues Solo Climber Near Chapel Pond
By Phil Brown
August 22, 2017
Shipton’s Arete is one of my favorite places to take a novice rock climber. The three routes on the arête are all pretty easy. There’s a good anchor for a top rope. And the arête overlooks scenic Chapel Pond. The easiest route, Shipton’s Voyage, is rated only 5.4 on the Yosemite Decimal System scale of…
Climbing Crane With The King Of The Mountain
By Phil Brown
July 25, 2017
Jay Harrison lives at the base of Crane Mountain, but he probably spends more time on the mountain’s many cliffs than in his house. The guidebook Adirondack Rock devotes no less than seventy-three pages to the rock-climbing routes on Crane. This is thanks to Harrison, who has participated in about 350 first ascents in the…
Climbers Encounter Bear Near Chapel Pond
By Phil Brown
July 14, 2017
Rock-climbing guide Will Roth was rappelling down a cliff near Chapel Pond with two clients this week when they saw a bear below—climbing toward them. The climbers yelled and clapped their hands, but the bear kept coming, its claws scratching the rock like fingernails on chalkboard. When the bear got within fifteen feet, Roth tossed…
Bouldering On Baker: A Non-Routine Workout Routine
By Phil Brown
July 7, 2017
Baker Mountain on the edge of the village of Saranac Lake is one of the most popular peaks in the Adirondacks. Like many other local residents, I’ve hiked it countless times and thought I had seen it all. I was wrong. Will Roth recently made the hike to Baker’s summit more interesting for rock climbers:…
The Thrill Of Climbing At Seneca Rocks
By Phil Brown
July 5, 2017
Seneca Rocks in West Virginia is billed as the only peak in the eastern United States that can’t be summited by a mere hike. You need (or should have) ropes, helmets, and other rock-climbing gear. If you ever have the chance to see Seneca Rocks close up, you’ll see why. Seneca actually has two peaks,…
Fritz Wiessner’s Old Climbing Routes Still Hard
By Phil Brown
June 2, 2017
The legendary Fritz Wiessner established more than a dozen rock-climbing routes in the Adirondacks, according to the authors of Adirondack Rock. I’ve written about a few of the better ones, including Empress on Chapel Pond Slab, Wiessner Route on Upper Washbowl Cliff, and Old Route on Rooster Comb Mountain. One reason I’m drawn to Wiessner…
John Case’s Historic Climbing Route In Adirondacks
By Phil Brown
May 23, 2017
Bob’s Knob Standard is not the best rock-climbing route on Chapel Pond Slab, but for the novice it’s a superb introduction to multi-pitch climbing. As one of the oldest routes in the Adirondacks, it also lays claim to some interesting history. I climbed Bob’s Knob Standard last weekend with my girlfriend Carol. We had done…