ROCK CLIMBING

Gothics Mountain Adventure Climbing

by Jeff Edwards

Photo by Jeff Edwards South face of Gothics. Basin and Haystack in the background.

Every great adventure springs from an intricate fantasy. Each detail is vividly constructed before it becomes a reality; the hyperbole of imagination creating mental texture that can sustain the long-term desire to pursue an objective. I'd thought a great deal about some sort of High Peaks rock climbing adventure and it had to be good enough to highlight the summer.

All of that psychic clutter fed and nurtured the fantasy through lost opportunities and rainy days, but it faded into obscurity a couple hundred feet up the North Face of Gothics Mountain with the wind of a freak July cold snap lashing my windbreaker. I was daintily stepping from one clean, white foothold to another when I realized that all those sought after desires were being fulfilled. My companions were squinting upward from below, anxious to begin the excellent climbing, but my needs were boiled down to a singular urgency: I needed a wool hat to keep my freezing head warm.

The North Face of Gothics looms prominently in the distance when viewed from certain points on Lake Placid's main street. It's not the North Face of the Eiger over Kleine Scheidegg, but it's enough to force a pause in winter when late afternoon rays streak its icy face.

When I first saw Trudy Healy's second edition of A Climber's Guide to the Adirondacks (1972) I was astonished by Dougal Thomas's audacious 1966 winter and summer routes up the mighty North Face. The whole concept of trekking to the base of a remote peak and climbing a dozen unfamiliar high mountain pitches seemed too daunting. A winter ascent typically forges a bold line up the center of the face. Avalanche danger is certainly a concern here and most climbers will wait for the freeze/thaw cycles of late winter and spring to solidify the snowpack before considering the climb. I had eventually summoned the courage to scratch my way up the icy flanks of Gothics through constant spindrift with menacing clouds on the horizon. I felt the need to revisit such a magnificent setting with the sunshine on my back.

Let the Adventure Begin
Some rock climbing success has been found in the center and right center portions of the face, but with long runouts on lichen-covered slabs, most parties opt for the more appealing lines on the cleaner rock at the far right. In Don Mellor's Climbing in the Adirondacks, this route has been dubbed the Finger Slide. The scoured rock of this region is apparently a product of slides that occurred in 1990. More recent deluges have expanded the clean rock considerably with an attractive alternative now angling slightly up left from the midpoint of the Finger Slide. Embarking upon such a climbing journey always brings geographical revelations. Expect old sections to be grown back in and relish the "discovery" of fresh terrain.

Photo by Jeff Edwards Friction climbing on the northern face of Gothics.

It is difficult to grade any High Peaks adventure climb with any strict adherence to the typical technical scale. Protection is generally scant, essential holds are inevitably vegetated, and the grandeur of scale in a remote setting humbles the mind. All of this serves to erode the already fragile confidence of a leader launching out onto a gleaming slab with nothing but a cedar twig 60 feet below for protection. Even in the best of situations, expect entire rope lengths without protection and belays that feature clumps of bushes.

Cracks and overlaps creep up every so often, but if one navigates correctly, the Finger Slide should contain some of the best friction climbing anywhere on the planet. Never fear, however, if you find yourself in a hardcore bushwhacking scenario. You've probably nailed the route dead on! If the rock is wet, be wary. A successful ascent depends upon the ability to crawl up a variety of moss- and lichen-covered terrain.

Nothing beats a technical climb to the summit of an Adirondack peak and Gothics delivers satisfaction like no other 46'er. To reach the technical North Face of Gothics, hike the Orebed Brook Trail to the Orebed Lean-to. Continue another half mile beyond to lean-to and look for the first major stream on the left. This is the drainage that funnels off the North Face. To reach the Finger Slide move right across the base of the face to the cleanest section of rock. The possibilities will produce 7-10 pitches of climbing depending upon the choice of belay stances.

Descend from the summit via the cables and down the Orebed Brook Trail. A small collection of stoppers, some cams, and a healthy number of slings will suffice for a rack and as always, a helmet is recommended. Play it safe and remember that climbing in a remote setting demands greater self-reliance than relaxing climbing at a roadside crag. The backcountry is no place to learn the skills necessary for a successful adventure. Recognize the dangers and seek proper instruction before heading out for a technical ascent in the Adirondack wilderness.

Extending the Adventure
I'd suffered through my frigid moments on the North Face of Gothics and happily sought shelter behind the summit outcrops for an early lunch. My partners and I were keen to extend the adventure by adding an ascent of the South Face of Gothics as well. Climbers had previously concentrated on the long strip of rock that tops out on the ridge between Pyramid Peak and Gothics. This fine climb is clearly visible from Pyramid and is most easily accessed by bushwhacking down along the gully from the saddle between the two peaks. Climbing here ranges from 5.4 to 5.8 with a variety of options and challenging route-finding decisions. Our objective was an exploration of new route activity that had been occurring on the steeper portions of the South Face.

Few places in the High Peaks provide such a spectacular backdrop for climbing. Mount Haystack is visible in its entire splendor and the acres of exposed rock on Basin Mountain and Saddleback Mountain provide further fantasy possibilities. The foreboding aura of the North Face was long gone. The South Face of Gothics is sunny and relatively sheltered. With routes in the 5.9/5.10 range on spectacularly featured, clean rock, this isolated destination can provide an unparalleled climbing experience. I was merely content to soak up some warming rays, recover from my shivering, and take in the panorama.

By the time we had regained the summit ridge and I'd walked the 5 or so miles back to the car, my mind had already concocted a dozen new fantasy objectives, most of which will never come close to realization. Reality doesn't matter, of course, as long as complex fantasies can occupy the mind. I know now that the possibility of further adventures on the South Face of Gothics will provide the fabric of dreams for the rainy days of the future.

Jeff Edwards (edwardsj@northwoodschool.com) teaches English and environmental science at Northwood School in Lake Placid. He also guides rock and ice climbing for Adirondack Rock and River Guide Service in Keene.

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