General
The Adirondacks (Dacks) is a very large park in upstate New York set aside to be preserved from development. It is one of the largest wilderness-type regions on the East Coast. As such it contains quite a large number of rock and ice climbing areas.
The Dacks is a popular area for winter climbing and the Club typically runs an ice climbing trip over the MLK holiday weekend in January.
The rock climbing varies from single pitch climbs near the roadside to multipitch climbs that require hours of bushwhacking. The ice and snow climbing varies from short roadside flows that can be top roped to remote climbs that will require a pre-dawn start from the car and will have you hiking back to the car in the dark.
Many of the most popular rock and ice climbs are around Chapel Pond in the Keene Valley. The climbs here have approach times of 30 minutes or less. The rock is generally solid. There is no fee to climb here unless one parks at the Adirondack Mountain Club Lodge.
Most of the Dacks is not covered by cell phone service.
Driving From Washington DC
The most direct route – but traffic will be an issue – is I-95 north to the NJ Turnpike to the Garden State Parkway to the NY Thruway (I-87N toward Albany) to the NY Northway (I-87N toward Montreal). Exit at Route 9 and head to Lake Placid. This passes through the Keene Valley
An hour longer but rarely has traffic issues is the route through Pennsylvania:: MD-15N from Frederick MD to Harrisburg PA, then I-81N to Scranton PA to I-84E to the NY Thruway and follow the route above.
Two or more hours longer but the least traffic concerns: MD-15N from Frederick MD to Harrisburg PA to I-81N to Watertown NY to NY 3E to Lake Placid.
Climbing Considerations
Rock Climbing
Although some routes can be top roped, this is mostly a traditional climbing area. There are few bolted routes and these are generally at Pokomoonshine and some newer crags. A standard rack with a full set of cams up to 3.5 inches is needed. Some crack climbs will need more cams, and you may need a trail rope – or climb with double ropes – to be able to descend by rappel.
Snow And Ice Climbing
Some areas e.g. Cascade Pass can be top roped with a walk up approach, but many ice routes are multiple pitches with rappels or walk offs. The gear entirely depends upon the climb. For pure ice climbs, you may want 8-12 ice screws depending upon the route. For snow and ice climbs, you may want several pickets and a selection of ice screws. Some areas such as the Chapel Pond Slab regularly have thin ice in certain areas, so you may want a few short (13 cm) screws. Bring webbing or cord for rappel anchors.
And if it’s too cold to ice climb or the routes are not in condition there’s always winter hiking which can be very challenging.
Guidebooks
Adirondack Rock: A Rock Climber’s Guide (2nd ed 2010) by Jim Lawyer and Jeremy Haas is the most up-to-date rock guidebook for the area. Free pdf updates are available at this site.
Blue Lines: An Adirondack Ice Climber’s Guide (2nd ed 2016) by Don Mellor is the most up-to-date guidebook for ice and snow climbs. This is available from various outdoor stores as well as Amazon
There is also detailed climbing information for the Adirondacks on Mountainproject.
Other Information
There are numerous motels and restaurants in the Keene Valley/Lake Placid area. And a number of good campsites in the summer.
An enormous selection of climbing gear, clothes, guides and info can be found at The Mountaineer in the Keene Valley.
Potomac Mountain Club trips often stay at Rock and River, which offers accommodation and also guiding services and instruction.