Interesting that so many of us are Gunkies and love the place, yet our favorite climb ever in almost all cases was NOT at the Gunks. Is it that an experience in a far away crag is more exciting and exotic than our favorite line done many times at our home crag?

Jannette

The Gunks is great and there are very few places I would rather have as a home crag. Many of the climbs are great, however there is something to be said for climbs that involve some more commitment, long approaches, long days, many pitches of perfect rock, a bit of adventure. No matter how perfect a one or two pitch route may be I still can't envision that being my favorite climb due to the length of the climb and relatively short time on the rock.

Yeah, I think that's part of it, like how Guinness taste's better in Ireland. The other aspect is that people are listing mountain routes which are the routes we use the Gunks to train for. For myself there are numerous rock routes in the Gunks that are outstanding but if I was to say my favorite climb ever? I would choose from Chamonix, Grindewald, Tetons, Cirque of the Towers, Zion, Yosemite...someplace where I was on the climb for a day or more.

A number of my favorite pitches are in the Gunks, and many of them are better than any pitch on my favorite climbs. But I agree with Coppertone and cfrac that a favorite climb is going to have to have a lot more ingredients than a Gunks route can possibly provide.

The routes I love at the Gunks have been done so many times by now that the individual experience diminishes. I still love them but it's like trying to identify a particular Big Mac as having been better than the others.

But Guinness DOES taste better in Ireland.

Okay if we're going to throw mountain routes in here, then Shaken, Not Stirred is ALMOST the perfect climb. The only thing it lacks is the True East summit of the Mooses Tooth.

RR

The Nose

Central Pillar of Frenzy in the valley.

The first five pitches are awesome but the finger crack on the second pitch is unbelievable.

Splitter cracks or awesome exposure certainly make for favorite moments, but my favorite climbs are the ones where I transcend preconceived limits, psychological barriers, or just something I thought was really hard. The kind of climb that leaves you buzzing and smiling at the same time.

The Northeast Buttress of Higher Cathedral gave me one of those break-through days.