If you’ve ever driven or hiked Platte Clove Rd. in the winter you’ve seen this north-facing cliff high above the clove on the southwest side. Sitting at the edge of the plateau, the High Cliff has commanding views of the Mid-Hudson Valley below. With a long walk, challenging featured climbs, and guarded by an approach pitch, the High Cliff is perhaps the greatest “lost crag” in the Catskills. It receives only a handful of visits each season despite having spectacular climbing.

Directions

Unlike all the other Platte Clove climbing areas, it’s best to approach this area from the bottom of Platte Clove Rd in West Saugerties. From Thruway exit 20 follow Route 212 west towards Woodstock. At a bend in the road veer right onto Blue Mountain Rd., also labeled County Route 35. After a few miles Route 35 will continue straight ahead. Follow a road called West Saugerties Rd to the left. This road will become Platte Clove Road in a few miles. Park at the end of Platte Clove Rd., off to the sides of the road barricades. Bring a block for your wheels if your car rolls, the hillside is steep here. Please do not park anywhere but at the end of the road. There are many posted signs near the creek due to the popular summer swimming holes. We don’t want to jeopardize future access to this area.

Approach

Make sure you’re not parked beneath any “No Parking” signs. The best place to park is right next to the closed road barricades.

1. From the parking walk up Platte Clove Rd. until you begin to see yellow blazes on trees on the left side. This indicates that you are on state land.
2. Drop down the excessively steep hillside and find a way across the creek. Crampons may be necessary and the rocks are very slippery.
3. Head straight up an excessively steep hillside for a while (10-20 minutes) to an old logging road (seems more like a creekbed but it goes up and to the right very gently).
4. Just beyond an old quarry on the left head uphill. This will deposit you on another logging road going up and left along the hillside.
5. Head straight uphill to a final logging road going to the right again. This road is supported by a very old yet impressive stone wall.
6. Follow this final road to the right until you hit a mess of trees in the road and you can see ice and a cliff above.
7. Head up the heinously steep slope to the initial Grade 3 pitch. Climb this to access the very beautiful routes above. You may want to rap this slope on the way down. A tumble here could be a game-ender.

The Climbing

Lucho Romero starting unnamed route #4

Climb the initial WI3 pitch (20m) to gain access to the roomy ledge where all of the climbs are found. A set of rappel anchors has been placed for convenient descent off this ledge.

There are five main routes all in the grade 4 range.The routes are all unnamed and are listed from left to right along the cliff.

1. WI4+ – Start left of the prominent low roof system. Climb ice on the face and in the left facing corner through a narrow bulge (one bolt, yellow TCU helpful) to a wider steep face above. Outstanding climbing.
2. WI4 – Start just right of the prominent low roof. Climb thin ice through a steep wall to lower-angled ice. Move left across the face and finish up rolling bulges with fantastic exposure.
3. WI4 – Same start as route 2 above. Instead of moving left follow a steep column and ice groove to a narrow, awkward ice chimney/roof above.
4. WI4 – Climb the thinly-iced left-facing corner and groove to ice above. Finish up a small steep right-facing corner above and squirm left to the trees and a fixed anchor. Outstanding climbing.
5. WI3+ – Same start as route 4 above. After the initial corner exit right and continue up turf ledges to low angle ice in a large left-facing corner.
6. WI4- – Walk right 100-150 feet and look for a shallow left facing corner with golden ice 30′ up. Climb turf ledges then follow the ice until the corner turns and becomes right facing. Continue to the top. Outstanding and ephemeral climbing