Throw away your cams and Aliens. Leave the cushy Misty Mountain harness at home. And don't even think about lacing up those stealth rubber 5.10s. Now, with hexes and swami belt go climb the Yellow Wall. John Bragg showed the crowd--at least half of which was under 30 years old--how it was "back in the day," and although every picture featured bad 70s haircuts, there were plenty of committed climbers, such as Steve Wunch and John Stannard, who along with Bragg climbed hard and established some of the toughest routes of the decade.

Bragg, who is well known for his Patagonia expeditions, relished the opportunity to give a slide show featuring the Gunks. And what an exquisite slide show it was, showing the Gunks in all its splendor. Folks marveled at one outstanding climbing shot after another: the Yellow Wall, Kansas City, and of course many routes at Skytop. It was indeed a different world then.

But Bragg also captured the darker days of the Gunks, a period in the 1980s where increased crowds resulted in graffiti and trash. If not for the work of a few dedicated locals at that time, the crag would certainly be in worse shape today.

This illustrates why John's slide show was the perfect inaugural event for the Gunks Climbers' Coalition. We too care deeply about the rock, and thus have formed as an organization to preserve its beauty and enjoy the spectacular climbing it affords.

The GCC was proud to host John Bragg for the evening. All proceeds from the event go directly to supporting and expanding climbing opportunities along the ridge. Stay tuned for more from the GCC.