For a good aerial view of the High Peak's best terrain, check out Drew Haas' Adirondack Slide Guide: An Aerial View of the High Peaks.

Wallface Mountain's Case Route (II 5.3, 700'). The eastern face towering above Indian Pass is the East’s biggest and most remote wilderness cliff. The Case Route provides an historic scramble up a series of ledge traverses and a steep exposed step high on the face. A short rope, a quick belay on the crux and multiple rappels on the descent makes it an ideal objective for enthusiastic scramblers ready to sample the exposure of a big, steep wilderness cliff.

Mt. Colden’s Trap Dyke (II 5.0 or WI 2, 2000') was the region’s first recreational mountaineering ascent way back in 1850 and remains the range’s premier backcountry objective in all seasons. The route follows easy flat and rolling trails (by foot, snowshoes or ski) for five miles to scenic Avalanche Lake and the base of the Dyke itself. A thousand feet of fourth class rock scrambling and/or grade 2 ice ascend the steep shadowed gully and another thousand feet of either fourth (or optionally steeper 5th) class friction and/ or moderate ice and snow lead stright to the summit’s landmark boulder. Descent is via trail, or for a more ambitious alpine training experience- back down the Dyke via down-climbing and a short rappel. Easily visible as Mt. Colden’s summit skyline from Rt. 73 near Lake Placid, the Trap Dyke Route (II 5.0 WI2) is the centerpiece mountaineering objective in the Park’s High Peaks.

Giant Mountain’s Eagle Slide (II 5.0, 1000') is easily visible from the clubhouse in St. Hubert’s and, due to it’s southern aspect and easy access from Keene Valley, is the classic summer and fall mountaineering outing on exposed rock. The route follows Roaring Brook for several miles up a rocky streambed before emerging into an impressive cirque. Steep slabs lead out of the streambed via a few ropelengths of easy friction climbing, then roped scrambling up overlaps for over a thousand feet. The finger slide emerges on the trail just downhill from the summit. Descent is via hiking trail. Expansive views of the Great Range make this a scenic summer mountaineering outing in the eastern High Peaks.

Gothics Mountain’s North Face (II 5.2 WI2, 1000') is the region’s best winter wilderness experience, with a remote approach to an imposing cirque and a uniquely alpine feel. Route options typically range from scrappy mixed scrambling on slabs to technical ice smears and hardened neve. Descent is via hiking trail or by traversing the summit ridge and down-climbing the True North slide. The basin presents many options for skills training, and in often favorable conditions, the North Face cirque is fantastic backcountry ski terrain. While the North Face can be climbed in a long day from Keene Valley, a two-day itinerary with a camp in the cirque makes for a great wilderness experience and good alpine expedition training.

Gothics Mountain’s South Face (II 5.5, 1000') provides the region’s best steep friction and face climbing in an impressive south facing cirque deep in the High Peaks wilderness. The moderate friction of the thousand foot Finger Slide climbs steep slabs of exposed anorthosite reminiscent of fine alpine granite. Our unique approach hikes up trails to the summit before rappelling into the base of the cirque and climbing back up and out again. Routes on the South Face of Gothics are perhaps the High Peaks most aesthetic backcountry rock climbs and are a uniquely Adirondack wilderness experience.