Slide climbing for beginner

[napalmcore]

Hi guys,

is there any ideas for a slide climbing for beginner. I have so far climbed macomb slide and colden's trap dike. thanks

[tcd]

The Macomb "slide" doesn't really give you a "slide" feel. It's more off a gravel pile.

On the Trap Dike, there are several choices of how to finish. Which way you went will help people understand your experience:

>Stay in the dike all the way to the ridge (no slide climb involved)
>Climb the "new" (2011) slide, clean and white, directly above the dike (this is a good "real" slide climb, moderate steepness on good clean rock)
>Climb the "old" slide, darker, off to the right of the dike, variable steepness (this is also a good "real" slide climb, rock not quite as clean, lots of variation and opportunities for route finding)

A possible next slide would be Grace's "great slide" which is not very steep until the top, but quite slippery when wet.
Older slides on Wright and Giant are nice, but getting a little grown with vegetation.
The 2011 slides on Saddleback are right next to the "staircase" trail so they are another good option.

If you are a rock climber, or know a rock climber who can take you up, the Chapel Pond Slab is basically a steep slide. The "Empress" route is at the outer edge of steepness for what would be called a "slide" (at 5.5 it's a technical rock climb), but it can give you a taste for steep friction climbing. The advantage of the Chapel Pond Slab is that it's 30 seconds from the road, so no long approach.

[napalmcore]

The Macomb "slide" doesn't really give you a "slide" feel. It's more off a gravel pile.

On the Trap Dike, there are several choices of how to finish. Which way you went will help people understand your experience:

.

thanks for the answer it is really helpful.
Here is as shown in the image the route i took to the colden peak via trap dike.
i guess it is new (2011) slide.

[tcd]

Yes, that's the 2011 slide, which is the way most people go nowadays.

If you were comfortable on that, most slides will seem OK.

>Go with a partner
>Pick up a cheap (used is fine) pair of rock climbing shoes. Fit them comfortable, not tight. They make an amazing difference. Local gyms often sell used shoes.
>Pick up a copy of Drew's Slide Guide for reference:
https://store.mountaineer.com/product_p/slideguide.htm
>Review trip reports here for possibilities.

Be careful and have fun!

[Old Hunter]

Marcy has nice southern slides...but at top be very careful of the vegetation you trample. Also at the top of the big one but in the Cripplebush there is a 12ft long iron bar Verplanck Colvin's crew left there. [Jim Goodwin verified that, as I and George McClleand were with him when I found it.] I carried it for awhile then said, Hell, I ain't carrying it to Keene Valley' and left it. You find it give it to the summit ranger and have them give it to the Gov. for his collection of all things found in NY

[Neil]

The Bennies Brook slide on Lower Wolf Jaw might be the most commonly climbed easy slide. In Drew's book he calls it Bennies Root Canal. The airplane slide on Wright is a great experience, not too tough and includes an awesome creek whack (more like a long boulder field) to the bushwhack towards the slide. The Ermine Brook slide takes a long time to get to and ends a long way (and a tough bushwhack) from a trail (on Santanoni) but is very long and quite mellow. Easy to get on to and off of is the SE slide on Colden. Gets steep at the top but the rock is incredibly grippy.
That should get you started. The rock shoe advice is well worth heeding for many slides but for low-angled slides, approach shoes or in the case of Bennies, even trail runners do the job.