Route Closures Due to Peregrine Falcons Have Been Lifted
June 14, 2010
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Two peregrine young were fledged from the Trapps Cliff and another 3 from Millbrook Cliff.
The peregrine closure is therefore lifted. Thank you for your cooperation!
GCC's Giant Rosendale Waterworks Fundraising Party
May 22, 2010
Williams Lake, Rosendale, NY
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What a great time! Beautiful venue, fun people, delicious food, high quality beer and wine, high energy tunes and videos,
incredible prizes! And a thank you to the attendees who did a great job in cleaning up after themselves. The Sunday morning
GCC clean-up crew found barely any trash on the grounds.
If you couldn't make it to the party, you can still help out. We have a donation button set up to direct contributions to the
Rosendale Waterworks fund. CLICK HERE to make a donation.
You can pay via credit card using paypal from there, or mail us a personal check.
The goal is high, we still need more funds to help pay for operational costs of the Waterworks Area.
Thanks to everyone who came out and partied with us, for all those who have helped and contributed to the cause,
and for all those who donated to the party.
Click here for list of major donors and corporate sponsors.
These businesses and companies are supporting the Gunks climbing community, we urge you to reciprocate and support
these businesses and thank them for their help.
Trapps Route Closures
March 12, 2010
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The Mohonk Preserve has informed us of the following route closure at the Trapps cliff:
Due to nesting peregrine falcons, the section of the Trapps cliff between, and including the routes
Credibility Gap (5.6) and Bitchy Virgin (5.6)
is temporarily closed to rock climbing.
- Do not use ascent trails or rappel routes that access this area.
- Do not use the section of the cliff base climber’s trail between these routes.
- Please refrain from excessive noise making while in the vicinity of this closure.
We appreciate your cooperation.
Millbrook cliff land acquisition
March 11, 2010
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The Open Space Institute (OSI) announced today the acquisition and permanent
protection of 67 acres of dramatic Millbrook cliff face on the southeastern edge of the Shawangunk Ridge.
OSI’s acquisition now paves the way for opening the site up for public access and enjoyment, as it will
be added to the neighboring Mohonk Preserve for management as a public recreation area.
Click here
for the press release from OSI.
Access Fund Action Alert
Keep Minnewaska State Park Open!
March 10, 2010
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New York State Parks are at Risk! For the first time ever, budget woes may close down New York State parks,
including the climbing found at Minnewaska State Park. We need your help to support funding for New York's
parks by contacting your state legislators and Governor Paterson.
Visit the
Access
Fund advocacy center and take action now!
Adopt-A-Crag Day
December 5, 2009
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Please join us for Adopt-A-Crag day on Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 10:00am at the Mohonk Mountain
House. Click here for details.
GCC Board of Directors Elected
November 19, 2009
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The GCC is pleased to announce the 2009 Board of Directors.
Elections were held on November 19, 2009, and Directors will serve a 2 year term.
Please support the Fund Raising Soiree!
on November 7, 2009
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We really need your attendance and donations for the GCC Benefit
Soiree (on 11/7) to help acquire and manage the Rosendale Waterworks Bouldering Area. Just imagine a large
world-class bouldering area open for climbing with your help!
If you received a Paperless Post email invitation, please send in your RSVP. Pay for your tickets from the
"Donations" Page. If you can't attend, please send
in your tax deductible donation to help with this project. For those who will be attending, when you purchase a ticket
any amount above $30 will be tax deductible.
Less than a week left until the big event! Dinner, wine, door prizes, and Vulgarian poetry slam/spoken word!
And best of all, a fun evening out with the climbing community and knowing that you helped to make the Rosendale
Waterworks Bouldering Area a reality!
Please spread the word, tell your climbing friends, and come join us for an evening of fun with a purpose!
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2009 GCC Board of Directors Nominees
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The GCC is pleased to announce the 2009 nominees for Board of Directors.
Access Fund provides letter writing generator for Minnewaska Draft Master Plan
Deadline November 13, 2009
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Minnewaska Master Plan - Access Fund Letter Generator
We need more climbing areas at Minnewaska State Park Preserve open for climbing.
Now that the master plan is open and under review, we have a short window to make a change.
Please send your comments now. The comment period ends November 13, 2009.
The Access Fund has set up a great letter writing generator for the Minnewaska issue.
Please click on this URL and click on "Minnewaska":
http://www.accessfund.org/c.tmL5KhNWLrH/b.5208267/k.8C84/Action_Center/siteapps/advocacy/ActionCenter.aspx#
Please use your own words if possible.
For more ideas for talking points, see http://gunksclimbers.org/talkpoints.shtml
.We need to generate hundreds of letters in support of climbing.
If from NY send copy to your local assemblyperson and state senator.
To find local assemblyperson and state senator go here: http://nymap.elections.state.ny.us/nysboe/
Once located you can click on their name to take you to your elected officials home page when they all have links to contact them.
Send them a copy of your remarks with how anti-recreation, anti tourism the Minnewaska Master Plan is.
Please pass this information on to as many climbers as you know.
If a local business owner please push local chamber of commerce to send letters as well.
Link to the Minnewaska Draft Master Plan: http://www.nysparks.state.ny.us/inside-our-agency/public-documents.aspx
Letter writing information for Minnewaska Draft Master Plan
Deadline November 13, 2009
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We need the climbing community to send letters to New York State to convince them to expand
climbing opportunities in Minnewaska. Please see our
talking points page for ideas on what to write.
The deadline for public comments is November 13, 2009. This is your chance to have your voice
heard - they are listening and we need to let them know how many climbers are out there, how
much we'd like more areas open to climbing, and how climbers can benefit the park, the community,
the economy and be responsible environmental stewards.
Send your letters to:
Fred Williams, Deputy Director
Palisades Region
NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Bear Mountain, NY 10911
Phone: 845-786-2701
Fax: 845-786-2776
Thomas B. Lyons, Director of Resource Management
NYC Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Empire State Plaza
Agency Building 1
Albany, NY 12238
Phone: 518-474-0409
Fax: 518-474-7013
Or send emails to:
Minnewaska.plan@oprhp.state.ny.us
Letter writing and talking points for Minnewaska Draft Master Plan
October 2009
|
Please help comment on the Minnewaska Draft Master Plan in person or by writing letters.
We need a large climber presence at the October 22nd public
hearing at 7:00 pm in the Lecture Center,
Room 100 at SUNY New Paltz.
Also, please write letters to the New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Development
to let them know that you want more areas open to climbing in Minnewaska. For a sample letter that
you can use as a template, as well as for talking points that can be used at the hearing, please
click here (MS Word doc).
Click here for more detailed talking points.
The public comment period ends November 13, 2009.
Please spread the word - tell all your friends who climb or use Minnewaska State Park.
GCC's Ajax Green interviewed on radio to discuss Minnewaska Master Plan
Fri, October 16, 2009
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GCC co-chairman, Ajax Greene, was interviewed on Red Hook station WKZE 98.1
(http://www.wkze.com)
on the morning of Friday, October 16 to bring attention to the Minnewaska Draft Master Plan
and the public hearing on October 22. To listen to his interview,
click here
(mp3 format, 12:23 minutes).
Minnewaska State Park released its draft Master Plan. It includes an
extremely limited increase in climbing in the park to a handful of
routes above the Peter's Kill at Dickie Barre. The ban within the park
on climbing on Hamilton Point, Gertrude's Nose, Murrary Hill,
Castle Point, Millbrook, Beacon Hill, and Lake Minnewaska cliffs
continues. Climbing ban now also extends to the newly acquired lands
including Awosting Reserve (Gertrudes Nose), the Shevchenko parcel
crags, and Sam's Point. The ban on ice climbing within the park's
numerous falls and flows continues as well. The climbing ban at
Minnewaska represents the largest ban on climbing on public lands in the
country.
Details of the plan can be found at:
http://www.nysparks.state.ny.us/inside-our-agency/public-documents.aspx
A public hearing for the Minnewaska State Park Preserve master plan will
be held on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 7:00 pm in the Lecture Center,
Room 100 at SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz, NY. Please try to attend.
NOTE: this is a Draft, not a Fait accompli and it is very important to
get as many climbers to the meeting as possible to loudly complain, that
it is not a good plan, and does not represent a large constituency.
This is only the beginning of the fight to open Minnewaska to climbing!
Details on letter writing campaign to State Parks and State Legislature
to follow.
Please forward this to as many climbers as you can think of.
The draft of the Minnewaska Master Plan and Environmental Impact Statement was released on 9/30/2009.
From initial inspection, it describes expansion of the Peter's Kill Climbing area to include
climbing access to the Dickie Barre cliff area with constructing additional parking spaces a possibility,
but no additional access to climbing in other areas of the park, and no ice climbing.
Key sections to read are on pages 105, 155-116, 120.
On page 132, they acknowledge the contributions from the GCC:
The Gunks Climbers Coalition, an affiliate of
the national Access Fund, has been very active in improving and
maintaining the climbing area as part of the national Adopt-a-Crag effort.
Coalition volunteers have assisted with research in the climbing area and
development of the new climbing area, the Dickie Barre.
They also include a map of the planned Shawangunk Gateway Campground.
Take a look HERE.
The GCC's position is that climbers should never trespass on private land where trespassing
is forbidden and to respect all closures on public and private lands. Questions about closures
should preferably be directed at the GCC or the Access Fund. Rock and Snow in New Paltz is another
reliable source. If there is any doubt, then a property should be considered off limits. If
possible and appropriate, information about closures will be communicated in bulletins to the
climbing public. In cases where property boundaries are in dispute, it is best to avoid climbing
in the vicinity altogether or to get very intimately informed as where said boundaries are. Even
the GCC may not always have the most accurate information. In these cases it is caveat emptor.
Even in areas where climbing is legal, on the Shawangunk ridge there are rare fauna and flora and
climbers must be aware of their impact and absolutely minimize it. The Shawangunks are very
heavily used and climbers must be aware that low impact is much more crucial here than in most
other climbing areas if we are to continue to enjoy this resource relatively freely. Please be
aware of and abide by all rules and regulations wherever you are climbing.
It is our policy not to post any information about certain climbing areas that are closed to
climbing due to wishes of landowners. If exploring climbing unknown to you always check with
the landowner first.
The GCC
Rosendale Waterworks Bouldering Area Update
July 23, 2009
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In its June 10th town meeting, the Rosendale town board approved the sale of the
Waterworks parcel to the Open Space Institute (OSI). A 30-day period for public
petitioning of the sale closed on July 17. The closing is expected to occur within
the next several months.
Following an expected transfer by OSI to the Mohonk Preserve, a planning process
for the Waterworks will be developed by the Preserve considering community,
environmental, and recreational interests. A projected opening date for the
Waterworks pending completion of all of these developments remains to be announced.
The bouldering moratorium also remains in effect.
Trapps cliff closure lifted
June 30, 2009
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The rock fall and nesting peregrine falcon route closure that affected the section of
Trapps cliff between, and including the routes Asphodel (5.5) and Bitchy Virgin (5.6)
has been lifted. Two young falcons were successfully fledged from the aerie in this area.
The compliance of the climbing community was instrumental in this success story. There may
still be some loose rock present in this zone, so extra caution should be used when climbing
or using the cliff-base climber’s trail in this area.
A trail has been blazed by the GCC that accesses the far end of the
Near Trapps.
This trail has already been used by climbers for years and cuts left off
the first junction of the blue trail on the top of the Nears where the
first red trail cuts off right. From this junction the blazes are marked
with orange survey tape tied on the trees as well as small orange flags
on metal sticks which are planted on the ground or on dead trees. This
was particularly necessary since there is a section of the trail a
little ways down that cuts left and needed a bit of extra marking to
clarify where it goes. This section has extra density of the small flags
on the ground. After cutting across the woods for a little bit the trail
again becomes very clear and well trodden. This access to the end of the
Near Trapps is a better solution to the present closure of the small
section of the Nears by Eenie Meenie than a rappel solution so we have
not implemented any rappel station.
This overall approach takes about the same time to approach the far end
of the cliff than it does to hike all along the bottom of the Nears.
Trapps Route Closures (Expanded)
April 26, 2009
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The Mohonk Preserve has informed us of the following route closure at the Trapps cliff:
Due to rock fall and nesting peregrine falcons, the section of the Trapps cliff between,
AND including the routes Asphodel (5.5) and Bitchy Virgin (5.6) is temporarily closed to rock climbing.
- Do not use ascent trails or rappel routes that access this area.
- Do not use the section of the cliff base climber’s trail between these routes.
- Please refrain from excessive noise making while in the vicinity of this closure.
We appreciate your cooperation.
Note: This has been edited - as of April 26, the closure was expanded from Le Teton to
Bitchy Virgin, and includes the climbs mentioned. This expansion is necessary to further
reduce the stresses that human activities are incurring on the nesting falcons.
The Near Trapps at the Gunks offer nearly a mile of classic and popular climbs just south of
Route 44-55. In 1993, the Access Fund worked with the Mohonk Preserve, Open Space Institute, and
Friends of Shawangunks to protect access to the Near Trapps, but a portion remains on private land.
Earlier this month, a portion of the Near Trapps was closed to climbing. This includes land below the
cliff to above cliff-line and starts approximately at Eenie Meenie and continues south about 200 feet.
Climbers are asked to respect the no-trespassing signs and obtain access to climbs further south by
hiking in from the Millbrook Ridge Trail and following a descent trail marked by orange flagging tape.
The Gunks Climbers' Coalition
is addressing the issue and looking into potential solutions.
To all of our dear Friends, and Supporters.
Before the start of the current 2009 climbing season it is past time to summarize our last
years' activities. Better late than never, so the saying goes!
The Mohonk Preserve experienced a theft of rescue equipment valued at 10,000 dollars last year.
The thieves stole the titanium litter that we donated in 2007, along with the bulk of the items
in the main rescue cache.
In order to help make up most of the sum not covered by insurance, our rescue fund
will contribute a good portion of the remainder so that new rescue equipment can be purchased.
Thanks to all who contributed to the Rescue Fund, we got some very generous donations.
We try to acknowledge at least some of the donations and some times take some time actually
depositing them, since we are a very small all-volunteer organization. If you did not
get an acknowledgement and need one for tax purposes, please let us know and we will send
one to you. We greatly appreciate all donations.
Part of our contribution will be covered by a non-solicited grant which we have written and
submitted to the Rivendell Foundation, once that is received.
We plan on also making another significant contribution in 2009 to our valued Gardiner volunteer
fire department, who have always cooperated with the climbing community where climber rescue
is concerned. We also wish to raise awareness among all climbing users that the rock climbing takes
place in Gardiner rather than New Paltz, and that the limited resources of the Gardiner Fire and
Rescue are significantly strained by the (unfortunately) increasing need for climber rescue.
We've also been continuing work the Rosendale bouldering area project "Water Works" as we
have been doing since 2005/2006. Negotiations with the town of Rosendale, the Mohonk Preserve,
and Open Space Institute have been positive. We are happy to report excellent progress and that
we will be required to raise a considerable sum in order to finalize the land acquisition.
After the next stage in the process we will announce the amount that we need and we
can already report that we have a substantial sum amounting to one quarter of this amount in our coffers.
Of course it was a matter of great honor for us to be the recipient of the
Mohonk Preserve's Thom Scheuer Memorial Stewardship Award this last fall at the New Paltz Climbing
Film Festival. It was a validation of our efforts so far, and will spur us on to
increase our efforts and efficient operation in the future.
It was also our pleasure to host donuts and coffee on the weekend of the Fall Film Festival at
the Trapps Bridge entrance. We got to meet many of our supporters, friends and new faces and had
a lot of fun. We also raised a good amount of money toward our various projects.
Our events this year were very well received and successful. This included slide shows by
Michael Kodas, our usual cleanup at Peter's Kill, a garbage pickup from the Mountain Deli all
the way to the hairpin turn on 44/55, and sponsoring a chalk clean up. A fun get together was
had after the chalk clean up. We also sponsored free pizza at the Vulgarian Roundtable at
Rock and Snow during reunion weekend.
News about Minnewaska is that the present Park Management is very receptive to opening new climbing areas.
The new Management Plan is being drafted. We will work together with Minnewaska and also consult
the Access Fund as this is progresses. We are optimistic that at least some climbing areas can be
opened, but that at the same time we must keep in mind the present budget crisis that New York State
is facing and that this could impact things as this goes along.
We expect the coming year to also be a busy one in light of all the above. Our events planning
is well under way and we have some really great ones in the works that we are excited about.
More on this soon!
Another piece of news is that our super-webmama, Jannette Pazer, has put together our very own
Facebook page. Please visit us by searching "Gunks Climbers Coalition" on Facebook and become
a fan to get all of our blow-by-blow, minute by minute updates. We hope that this can become a
much better venue of communication between us and you than anything we have had in the past.
Of course we will still maintain our web page, as well as continuing news flashes, and the
occasional Newsletter. The Newsletter has now involved as a forum for poetry, photography and
art by the talented climbing community. Please send your submissions to us via our contact info
on our web site as we will be coming out with another newsletter this year, thanks to our
very talented Ms. France Menk.
To all of you, best wishes for a good climbing season and see you at the cliff in the coming year.
Thanks for your continued support and good karma.
- The GCC board of directors and your Access Fund regional coordinator,
Chris Moratz - Gardiner, NY
