The Gunks is one of the most expensive climbing destinations in America. If you’ve climbed here with any regularity then you’ve literally already paid your dues. You’ve either paid a high daily entry fee, coughed up for an annual membership, or splurged and hired a certified guide.

But beyond the monetary dues that are a prerequisite to enjoying the brilliant conglomerate of the Shawangunks, there are dues to be paid via the actual climbing—and these dues will yield a far more meaningful ROI to any climber. Learning to keep a cool head while pumped, figuring out creative gear placements, and pulling outrageous roofs with bizarre cruxes are all benefits bestowed upon dedicated Gunks climbers.

Fritz Weissner was one of the world’s best climbers in the 1930s-1950s. He made an early bid on the first ascent of K2, but his contributions to the Gunks will be felt by the thousands of climbers who test themselves on his routes.

The Gunks is one of the oldest climbing areas in America, dating back to Fritz Weissner’s “Old Route” 5.7 at Millbrook in 1935. There is a treasure trove of historical trad climbing here. For years, climbers came from all over the world to pay their dues—with, perhaps, the exception of Patrick Edlinger, who, in 1985, flashed every single route he tried.

Inevitably, there will be people who will attempt to shortcut their progression—or just overestimate their abilities. Sometimes they will get lucky, though other times the funky gear and heady run-outs will dish up a hard lesson.

Gym climbers, in general, have a skewed perception of difficulty

Western crack climbers may cruise 5.11s at Indian Creek but they seem prone to pumping out and whipping on 5.10s here, balking at the lack of available jams. Gym climbers, in general, have a skewed perception of difficulty; they may cruise 5.12 in the gym, but find themselves getting horribly pumped on 5.6—and without sufficient knowledge and gear-placing experience, they tend to end up in trouble.

Recently, a climber decked on the first pitch (5.8) of Birdie Party (5.10b), because four (!) cams ripped from straightforward horizontal placements. Don’t let that be you!

With the advent of sport climbing and the contemporaneous banning of bolts in the Gunks, the area has turned into something of a museum, with many top climbers no longer showing up to test their mettle on routes (the bouldering is a different story). However, climbers of all abilities continue to come here to hone their craft at the cornerstone of Eastern trad.

Rich Romano adrift in a sea of rock at Millbrook. Photo: Chris Vultaggio

With hundreds of routes of all grades, there might not be a better area to learn how to trad climb than at the Gunks. Just showing up here for any day of cragging is, in and of itself, the quintessential dues-paying experience. And as you find yourself getting pumped on 5.6s—especially those with the dreaded “+” sign—just remember that many of these climbs were done before modern gear was even invented, and probably before you were even born.

What follows is a lovely potpourri of routes and boulders across a variety of grades and styles. Those with a deep appreciation for our sport’s history and vested interested in their own healthy and humbling progression ought to add these rock climbs to their ticklist.