Hudson Valley Mountains Named Amongst Best Climbing Areas in U.S.

Hudson Valley rock climbers can rejoice as one of our climbing areas has been named amongst the top 10 in the country.

Get ready to send it, because rock climbing in the Hudson Valley is getting high praise. According to Outside Online, The Shawangunk Mountains has been ranked as the 10th best place to rock climb in the U.S. It was even touted as potentially the best for trad climbing under 5.10 in the world.

Outside Online curated its list based on solely crag climbing. This means single-pitch or Grade I-II routes. So if you're looking for intense climbing like El Capitan to be ranked on this list, it won't be. This list also excludes any kind of bouldering, which is rock climbing without ropes. The list also took history into account, like lore and legendary tales. Outside Online also took ambiance into account, like how crowded it was, views, and proximity to roads. Finally, the rock quality was arguably one of the most important things considered.

While I've never climbed the Gunks and spend 99% of my climbing bouldering (oh, and am definitely in no place to pick one climbing area of another) I can confirm that the Shawangunk Mountains are absolutely stunning. Outside Online recognized the amazing views and also paid homage to European climbers Fritz Weissner and Hans Krauss for their routes and climbs on the Gunks. It's easy to see why the Gunks were ranked the 10th best place to climb in the U.S.