Bill Shockley changed the world when he invented the transistor. During a party at GE to celebrate the awarding of the patent he slipped out to go climbing in the Shawangunks.

Nylon was invented and first used for climbing rope for the 10th Mountain Division.

Polyester has been used for many things but from a climbers perspective the top three have been Rope, Climbing Holds and Leisure Suits.

Some very notable climbers from the 1960’s and 70’s include Steve Wunsch who designed software that allowed institutional trading of the NY Stock Exchange 24 hours a day, Hans Kraus who is the father of modern day sports medicine. Helmut Microy who pioneered the brain surgery which splits the two hemisphere of the brain to stop seizures in epileptic patients, Jim McCarthy who as an attorney was lead counsel in the largest lawsuit of all time, the Coal Gasification suit. All of these climbers were part of the Vulgarians in the Gunks.

Salon Climbing as practiced in the Alps in the 1800’s was a system of ladders up some of the great walls of the Alps with bars and restaurants on wide ledges for your dining pleasure

The ‘Alps’ are not mountains but are in fact the valleys and pastureland in between the mountains.

Higher Ground won the peoples choice award for ‘Best Reuse of a Building’ in 2006