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Latest Gunks Climbers' Coalition News
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Trapps Closure for Peregrine Falcons - April 2008
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Peregrine falcons have returned to their usual nesting site
on the Trapps cliff. The closure is the same as last year.
Climbs between and including "Broken Hammer" and "The Blue Stink"
will be closed until further notice.
As a very busy year has come to a close and snow has taken hold up here
in the mountains, this is the time to update all our friends about what
we've been up to in "wrapping up" this year.
We sponsored two Access Fund Adopt-A-Crag events in 2007. The first one
was at Skytop, where we picked up several garbage bags worth of mostly
water bottles left by careless hotel guests (many bottles had just been
dropped haphazardly and fallen between the talus blocks!) It is clear by
our actions that we have proven that climbers do not have a negative impact
on the environment, it tends to be other user groups that do and that
climbers make good stewards of the environment. Of course the other news
about Skytop is that as of this year it is partly open, to paying hotel
guests who hire a guide. It seems that a quite a lot of climbers are
taking advantage of this. We think that this is probably a good thing as
it may eventually lead to more of a democratic access to this one of a
kind crag in the future.
Our other Adopt-A-Crag was at Peter's Kill area of Minnewaska State Park.
Rather than just a cleanup, this involves working on climbers access trails
and filling in heaping helpings of wood chips where the bare earth would
otherwise be susceptible to erosion. We got quite a few volunteers for
this one, about a dozen in all, and everyone pitched in until the
afternoon when we went climbing. We've done this event now for several
years running and it has created a lot of goodwill with the park
management. (The management of the park has just changed and it
is under new management.) As a new master plan is just starting to
be in process of drafting, we look forward to being able to give
climbers a needed voice in determining where climbing access may
be considered in the future.
The Mohonk Preserve was pleased to receive a donation of a litter wheel
from our rescue fund. The wheel can be attached to the bottom of a
rescue litter and serves to take at least some of the weight off the
rescuers holding and passing the litter along to its destination.
In conjunction with the titanium letter we donated a couple of years
ago, the wheel will also serve to expedite climber rescues in the future.
Also at the close of this year we have made another donation to the
Gardiner Volunteer Fire Department, who has always cooperated with
the climbing community where climber rescue is concerned.
We've also been continuing to pursue the Rosendale bouldering area
project "Water Works" as we have been doing with some time.
Negotiations with the town of Rosendale, the Mohonk preserve,
and open space institute have been positive. We still need to
have some more issues resolved for the next stage of the project,
look for more updates on this sometime in the near future.
We expect the coming year to also be a busy one. To all of you, best
wishes for a happy winter and see you at the cliff in the coming year.
-The GCC Board of Directors - Gardiner, NY
May 22nd, 2007
Gunks Climbers' Coalition donates rescue equipment to the Mohonk Preserve
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MOHONK PRESERVE NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: May 22, 2007
Cliff Rescue on Wheels
Gunks Climbers' Coalition donates rescue equipment to the Mohonk Preserve
Gardiner, New York - Any injured climber on the Mohonk Preserve will be rushed
off to treatment even more quickly than before, thanks to a new rescue wheel
donated this month by the Gunks Climbers' Coalition (GCC). The wheel clamps to
the top rail of a rescue litter so that it can be wheeled instead of carried,
speeding up response time.
Click here for
more details...
The GCC is pleased to post Minnewaska State Park Preserve's announcement of
a 2007 season climbing pass for the Peter's Kill area.
New also to this year's Peter's Kill climbing policy: climbers
will be requested to check-out upon departure.
Click here for
more details...
February 15, 2007
Climbing at Sky Top for
Overnight Guest Climb With An Approved Guide
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Starting April 1, 2007, overnight guests of the Mohonk Mountain
House will be allowed to participate in rock climbing at Sky Top
while escorted by an authorized guide from Alpine Endeavors.
Climbing will be available seven days a week, from April 1, 2007,
through November 30, 2007. Due to liability/insurance concerns and
interaction with other Mohonk Mountain House scheduled events,
only those overnight guests escorted with an Alpine Endeavors
authorized guide will be allowed to climb at Sky Top. Unescorted
guests, day guests, and the public are not permitted to rock climb
at Sky Top at this time.
Read the Fact Sheet here (MSWord).
November 15, 2006
The Access Fund Honors GCC's Christopher Spatz
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Press Release: National Climbing Organization Honors Gunks' Climber
The Access Fund, a national, non-profit organization that represents
over 1.6 million climbers nationwide, has named Rosendale resident and
Gunks Climbers' Coalition (GCC) Board member Christopher Spatz as one
of five recipients of its 2006 Sharp End Award. As an organization
dedicated to the dual goals of preserving climbing access and the
climbing environment, the Access Fund's Sharp End Award "recognizes
individuals and businesses that volunteer their efforts and shine
above the rest in their commitment and work on behalf of the American
climbing community..."
Click here for
more.
To see the announcement and all the award recipients
on the Access Fund website,
click here.
October 2006
GCC October Summary Report
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What has the GCC been up to this October? This has been a very exciting and
productive year for the GCC. Please read our
October Report to find out!
October 21, 2006
New GCC By-Laws
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Our new GCC By-Laws have been approved. The document is available for viewing
here (in MS Word).
This includes a new membership model for the GCC.
October 2006
October GCC News Bulletin
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In order to keep the general public aware of what the GCC is doing, we have
created our first regularly released News Bulletin. You can read it
here (pdf format).
August 26, 2006
Search and Rescue Team
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Marty Molitoris, of guide service Alpine Endeavors, has started to organize a
local search and rescue team along with other local climbers.
The name of the group is Hudson Valley Mountain Rescue.
In the next month Marty will be working on the new website and applying
for not-for-profit status.
The GCC remains in discussion with Minnewaska State Park officials
to expand climbing opportunities in the Park. Any expansion will require
establishing a backcountry Search & Rescue team.
This will be its own stand alone organization.
If anyone is interested in volunteering, please contact
Marty Molitoris at and check out their website,
www.hvmr.org.
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