Slide Climbing in the Adirondacks
Slide climbing in the Adirondacks is mountaineering at it's best. It
requires skills beyond those of hiking on tamed trails. In many cases it
requires keen navigation skills as the mountaineer must travel without
the aid of a trail and the skill required when on the steep slopes of
the slide in picking route is critical to safety and success.
In its truest sense slide climbing is New York's "big time"
mountaineering experience as unlike many of the road side rock climbing
routes, slide climbs are deep in the Adirondack back woods.
As Don Mellor author of "Climbing in the Adirondacks" writes, "All
slides require a map and compass, as well as stout clothing for the
approach and exit through the bush... Finally, bring along a good
attitude, especially if you're used to tame climbs with easy approaches.
Slide climbers get lost, get scared, get torn by nasty little spruces,
get bitten by black flies that hold on all summer long in the High
Peaks, and generally have a whale of a good time."
Trip to Mount Colden's Newest Slide
September 5 - 7, 2008
In the fall of 1999, several large slides were triggered when the
remnants of Hurricane Floyd slammed into NY. The newly exposed rock
beneath those slides on Colden appear much whiter than the more
weathered surfaces of the old slides (see photo).
A huge mass of trees, soil, and rock that used to cover the slope
slid down into Avalanche Pass, blocking a popular hiking and skiing
trail there and forcing several hikers to find another way out of
the High Peaks that week. The trail has since been cleared and
reopened, but the slide and pass have been closed to hikers and
skiers several times during the winter due to the increased threat
of snow avalanches on the new slide.
Picture of Slide (left side) | Map of Trip (coming soon) |
High Peaks Weather