There are a number of factual errors in the answers to these trivia questions. Here are some of them:

(1) The 5.10 routes in the original 1964 Art Gran guidebook were: Matinee, Retribution, NeverNeverLand and Nosedive. The latter two were always rated 5.10 in this guidebook and were downgraded in subsequent guidebooks only.

(2) Regarding the A4 ratings. There were two routes in the 1964 guidbook--New Frontier and Twighlight Zone. Later on, a number of first ascents were done that had short A4 sections, according to the opinions of the first ascent teams. One of these was "The Best Things in Life Aren't Free". The first ascent of Kligfield's Follies by myself and Robert Krumme was originally rated A3, for the second roof pitch, not the first pitch where the free climbing crux is now. It was never rated A4. However, in the late 60s, Dave Ingalls and I led a direct start to Yellow Wall that is now the first pitch of Scary Area. At the time this was rated by us A4 because of hook moves and rurps used and the death fall potential. The bolt that now protects the free climbing was of course not placed by us on the first ascent but was placed later during the free climbing attempts.

(3) Bolts. The trivia question should be extended to where are the bolts located in the Trapps? This is a far more difficult question. Probably shoudl qualify the question with "bolts placed before 1990." Good luck!

(4) And finally, do your readers know that there were 2 (TWO!) Gunks guides prior to the 1964 Art Gran guidebook? Do they know who were the authors and which routes were described in them?

(4) And finally, do your readers know that there were 2 (TWO!) Gunks guides prior to the 1964 Art Gran guidebook? Do they know who were the authors and which routes were described in them?

Ok Roy, we give up.

Here's the answer--7 years later.

The original guide was collated Dave Ingalls a number of years prior to the issuance of the Art Gran guidebook in 1964. This was entitled by him "Clmbing list of the Shawangunks". It contained a list of about ahundred climbs with three rating systems side-by-side: The Gran rating, the IOCA rating and the AMC rating. If any historian wants to see a copy of this I can provide it. Send me an e-mail to r.kligfield@comast.net.

The second guide was of course the article by Hans Kraus in the Appalachian Mountain Club journal, circa 1962 or 1963--again before the issuance by the AAC of the Gran guidebook.

If any historian wants to see a copy of this I can provide it. Send me an e-mail to r.kligfield@comast.net.


Roy, you'll find responding to every e-mail request taxing. A couple of years ago, I posted here that I scanned all three issues of the Vulgarian Digest, offering to e-mail copies on request. The response induced me to put the scans on Photobucket for one and all to download. Flickr is another site that enables you to do this.

Some clarifications on previous posting.

(1) The Dave Ingalls "guidebook" is a listing of Shawangunk routes with grades from different rating systems. It refers to Art Gran lists, IOCA lists and AMC lists--in effect it is a compilation of routes. The date on the pages is 3/27/62. The areas mentioned within are "The Traps" (sic), Mohonk, Millbrook, Lost City, and "Far Traps (second range)".

Regarding the latter, there are 3 climbs listed in the Far Traps: Adolf, Susi and Wasp Ridge. My assumption is that Far Traps refers to the Near Trapps of current useage, but this is not certain.

Further clarifications:
(1) The Appalachia (June 1960) Vol. XXXIII No. 1, pages 18-25 article with route desciptions is of course by Fritz Wiessner, not by Hans Kraus. Apologies for my mistake. There are 8 routes described including Foops!

I am sure Dick is well aware of the previously described routes and guides before he put out his first blue guide(I would love to catch the A-hole who took it out of my pack) but most of us are not at all. Thanks Roy.

That's something I asked about before but nobody responded.

The three routes aren't in any of the guides I have (I don't have the Gran), so where are they? My guess was that the "Second Range" refers to the Bayards?

The other question is then why aren't there any Nears routes on the list?


Edited to add:
Oops, actually, my original guess was Bonticou or somewhere out that way, as one of the old guidebooks shows an arrow pointing that way as "Far Out Trapps"

I've confirmed that the 3 routes in question are in the Near Trapps. If you read the Wiesnner article in Appalachia June 1960 Vol. XXXIII No. 1 page 22 this is clearly described.

The Dave Ingalls list apparently simply omitted any climbs in the Near Traps other than these 3. It included a total of 248 climbs when compiled in 1962. It was well known at the time that there were climbs in the Near Trapps other than the 3 mentioned so there is no simple explanation of why they were not included.