LOCALadk Magazine

45 Fall 2016 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk as many boulder sites and trails are not as populated as other destinations, and the relative solitude of the woods is attractive to many. Places like Nine Corner Lake, in Caroga Lake, while more travelled, offers a pristine lake for swimming, campsites and the chance to catch a sunset on top of the renowned climbing. Boul- dering, especially in places that offer hiking or swimming, can be a fun family outing. Bouldering is, for many reasons, more popular now than ever. For some, it's the inner challenge and the ability to gauge success from trip to trip. "One move closer equals success," Banta ex- plains why a climb is so rewarding, "You can see results from trip to trip, but you may also spend months working a problem and then finally get it." Or maybe it's the down-to-earth camaraderie of the sport. For all the inner drive a climber needs to see a climb through, this is a community of people who all want to see each other succeed. A climb itself is individual, but has elements of a team sport as climbers are spotted and encouraged and prob- lems are discussed. Not a selfish sport, the climbing community welcomes those who want to join in on the challenge and reward. For those of you driven, adventurous, outdoor-loving, competi- tive spirits, a good place to get your feet wet — or rather, up a wall— and to meet fellow climbers is an indoor rock gym. Cushy ground falls, shoe rentals, clearly marked routes and beta (the how-to-get-to-the-top) from other climbers offer a safe place to get practice before venturing into the world of outdoor boul- dering. The gym builds a solid foundation to move out-of-doors, where the pads are thinner, the holds less obvious (they aren't lime green), but the climbs yield more heart-racing excitement. Although climbing is undoubtedly tough, it's easy to learn, and the Park offers an array of places to begin. Many sites offer problems ranging from beginner to expert. Gear, while minimal, means a small investment, but a climber needs a pair of climb- ing shoes, a crash pad and chalk to keep hands grippy and holds marked. Get a few climbs under your belt in time for prime Adirondack bouldering season — September to November. Cool, dry tem- peratures create pristine conditions, while summer heat and humidity can make the rock difficult to hold. Outdoor climbing is possible whenever the boulders are dry. April and early May of- fer windows of opportunity when the rain holds off, and before the horrors of black fly season begin in mid May. As in all Park recreation, we share this invaluable land. Be aware that the best days for climbing often coincide with hunting sea- son. Please practice utmost safety and respect. Respect for this gift of public land means carrying out what is carried into boul- der sites, and making it a goal to leave the area in better condi- tion than when you arrived. Please brush chalk marks off holds before leaving. New York State's great playground houses three thousand lakes, tens of thousands of miles of rivers and streams, countless hiking trails and cliffs to climb, and 46 high peaks. Woven through these treasures lie nearly twenty bouldering sites, and that's only the ones that have been discovered. It's no wonder that the activities associated with these established areas — hiking, biking, rope climbing, paddling, fishing, hunting— abound within the Park. Bouldering is still getting its footing in the area. To borrow a few words from Sanford's book, "Adirondack bouldering is still in its infancy stage…With the sheer size of the Adirondack Park, it is safe to assume that we have only begun to scratch the surface of the bouldering potential throughout the Park." Bouldering his- tory began in the late 1970s. Its future looks brighter with each new climber and each new site discovered and developed. San- ford's book documents well over 800 boulder problems in the Park, each aptly — or enthusiastically — named. Creativity isn't limited to the fusion of mental and physical energy in the climb itself; it's largely reflected in the originality of problem names. From Bacon Wrapped Steak to Intergalactic Panthers to Popa- dropolis, those blessed with a first ascent obviously have fun naming their climbs. Although still a niche sport, bouldering has gained speed since the 70s. Originally intended as training for the true cliff and mountain climbing in the northern part of the Park, no one can pinpoint a date that climbers transitioned to a focus on the boul- ders themselves. According to Bouldering, among the first climb- ers to venture out with the intention of scaling boulders were Paul Smith's College students in the McKenzie Pond Region. Over the decades, others explored and climbed the area, and an online guidebook was released, McKenzie Pond Bouldering Guide by Scott Carpenter and Arien Cartrette. This book guided Sanford's early bouldering days and piqued his interest in docu- menting other areas. This inspiration led to over three years of research, climbing, planning, mapping and writing to produce the only comprehensive Adirondack bouldering guide. Original and new climbers branched out from McKenzie Pond to Chapel Pond in Keene, and further south into Caroga Lake and the sur- rounding area. The early 2000s witnessed a rush of bouldering development and rising popularity throughout the Park. Climb- ers banded into groups to unearth the Park's potential, cleaning boulders and grading climbs. The Southern Adirondacks acquired a climbing group known as SAC (Southern Adirondack Climbers), dedicated to seeking out and maintaining new areas. Visit San- ford's blog of the same name for more bouldering resources and to purchase the guidebook. Bouldering has grown from one area regarded as training for rope climbing to twenty separate areas boasting hundreds of established problems. The Park hosts dozens of found problems that have yet to see a first ascent. An unknown number of undis- covered problems slumber in the pines, hidden under a dense forest canopy, and wait to be discovered — and conquered — by the next fearless generation of climbers.

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