TR: closing out January at Stoney Clove

Another promising weekend day for ice, another early morning start. Despite a dire outlook for ice conditions given the recent warm spell, we were intent on giving Stony Clove a return visit. We headed out early on Sunday, leaving Manhattan by 5:30 for an 8 AM rendezvous at the lake parking lot.

Moonlight guidance for an early morning start
Parking lot temp

Don't know if it was the frigid conditions or the forecast for thin ice, but we were only the second and third cars in the parking lot and the first climbers on the West Side. It was a bit chilly though, temps around 3F with 10-20 mph gusts as we hiked up the road.

A chilly but empty parking lot!

Our primary goal was The Entertainer (WI3+), a solid looking, wide single pitch climb with a slabby shelf leading to a good 30 ft vertical run of ice. It was big and blue the last time we were here, and had for the most part survived the intermittent heat wave - later, on the climb, we would see the beginning delamination up close and personal. After Guillaume mountain goat-bounded up the icy approach slope (with B and I cussing our way behind him), he quickly racked up and set out, well before the sun rose high enough to catch the base. Very strong lead, especially when he tried to place the same screw 4 or 5 times before realizing its teeth had been mangled last week. After the vertical section, you have to negotiate carefully left out of a little cave, then scratch your way up and over a tricky topout only to fight a mud and thin-ice fest to the bolt anchors. Way to gut it out!


B and I took turns leading it next, it was a definite hop up in grade from the 2+ we tried the previous trip. Brian looked strong, and is getting the hang of running it out on ice (and the obvious complimentary plan of not falling). The ice was for the most part thick and solid, though a little brittle given the cold; lots of the top was starting to delam, with a clear bit of running water behind, especially to the right. Fun climb, solid swings and plenty of spots for screws. Lucky we came early, as 3 or 4 parties made their way up while we were on route, taking a wistful glance before heading off to other climbs.


Afterwards, we wandered right where most of the other parties were, but climbs were either taken or just way too thin. Doubling back, we headed north until we found - at the suggestion of a party on That Climb - an awesome looking, aptly named line called The Curtain (WI4). The first pitch ascends up a vertical column of ice, then steps out left with a delicate traverse onto a free hanging curtain and a subsequent scramble up thin ice to a tree belay. G took the lead duties with determination (and a wise decision to not check out the underside of the curtain before climbing, though B and I did suss it out). Nice lead, involving a sustained start, a slog through a middle section of crappy mushroom formations, and a real tricky highstep left onto the curtain. B and I took turns running it on TR to finish the day; excellent climb, though the dripping water made it pretty tough to hang long in any one spot, good rest or not. Took a gander at the second pitch, which looked pretty in, the ice looked mostly solid and was touching down - good option the next time we decide we're not cold enough cragging and opt for a multi-pitch...

Dripping water + single digit temps = instant ice

Another great day out in the Catskills, more pics here. Besides the practice swinging and kicking, there was all sorts of belay technique on display: the serious professorial approach, the rocking single-hand lockoff, and the rarely seen heavenly finger. We were either totally stoked or totally brain dead by the end of the day, because we descended the hillside with four axes and got to the parking lot with three. Worse yet, none of us realized we had gotten down to the road with all of our tools, despite the fact that we each had one for the steep descent and I had an extra clipped to my harness, which I had G remove for me at the road. This, of course, resulted in a totally fruitless return trip up the approach slopes for Guillaume, which was only mitigated by the fact the B was smart enough to check the roadside where we had originally emerged (sorry about that, G). Closed out the day, as per burgeoning tradition, with wings and a burger at the Hurley Mountain House.