Guided Climbing in Keene Valley, Early Morning on Tillman's

The best way to start a day is on a rock face, and our trip to Tillman’s Arete was exactly that! Starting early, we arrived to the Chapel Pond parking lot, and were treated to the brief but beautiful hike through the stream and cliff-lined patch of forest on the south shore of Chapel Pond.

Looking up at Tillman’s, the top of the route pushed out above the tree line and was sparkling in the early morning sun. We knew we were in for a treat.

This route offers a phenomenal blend of fun, easier scrambling up the first pitch on generous holds and a more technical, more delicate second pitch. Noah, Cody, and I grouped together at the anchor in the middle of the route on a luxurious ledge that’s closer in size to a home porch than it is your average cliff side. This was a special trip as our friend Cody was looking to take some photos of the climb. We got to do a little extra climbing than we normally might, setting up an extra rope system to get Cody to a great vantage point in the middle of the tall face. Noah took the lead and worked his way up through super fun slab, climbing back and forth on each side of the arete. As I followed him up, I was directly in the spotlight of the sun peaking out around Giant Mountain behind us and glittering off the pond below us. Truly one of the most beautiful mornings I’ve had in Keene.

After a brief clinic, teaching Cody to rappel, we made our way back down the nearly 150 foot cliff face and headed straight to breakfast and coffee at Old Mtn Coffee, possibly the only treat better than the climbing itself.

If this sounds like your kind of morning, reach out. We can always work with people on price, activity, and scheduling to build the perfect outing for you and your group. Book a guided climb today.