peakamoose from peakamoose road has the most gain, not the steepest though

katterskill high peak from 23a is a huge gain that looks steep on the map, sugerloaf, plateau, and twin in one day would do the job as well, their devils path peaks and are defently are in the ballpark of being the steepest, and are considered harder then some high peaks in the dacks

Without a doubt, Kaaterskill High Peak from Palenville... 2950 feet of gain

Steepest, Probably the East side of the Devils Path, you know Indian Head, Twin, Sugarloaf, & Plateau

rasgoat wrote:Without a doubt, Kaaterskill High Peak from Palenville... 2950 feet of gain

I did that hike last summer and it was a lot of fun, but the gain is spread over like 6.5 miles each way for a 13-mile RT. Basically anything that starts at the BOTTOM of the Wall of Manitou (look it up ) on the east side is going to have a bunch of gain. Blackhead starting at the Dutcher Notch trailhead also has like 3K gain and a bunch of mileage - might do that one this summer. I remember doing a winter hike of Wittenberg from Woodland Valley that also had around 2,500 to 3K total (EDIT - oops, already mentioned in the OP).

As for steepness, it's all over the place in the Catskills but is seldom sustained for more than 1,500 - 2,000 feet.

Cheers.

Sneaky, but still less gain from the top of Storks Nest Road, unless of course the road is part of the trail. I see no other trails from the bottom of the Wall of Manitou other than the opposite side of the street in Palenville where one could argue a hike to Blackhead from here would trump both of our suggestions.

Yes there is alot of scrambly stuff scattered throughout the range but can you think of a more concentrated section other than the above mentioned.

TOTAL gain on W/C/S yes but thats total gain

You're welcome, have fun out there! all of these options will be spectacular.




Dutcher Notch a gray area, the trail is shared with the road but there is limited parking at the top of Storks Nest Rd.

You probably nailed it with Wittenberg and Hunter being the most gain in the shortest distance. You want Gain, go to the Adirondacks. Giant mountain would be a good start.

rasgoat wrote:Dutcher Notch a gray area, the trail is shared with the road but there is limited parking at the top of Storks Nest Rd.

That's the route I meant. Also, the options expand exponentially if you're willing to go trailless. Back in my 3500 Club days, Friday from Moon Haw Road was a real ball buster. Looking at the topo map, it's about 2,700 gain in under 3 miles. I was just getting over a pretty bad cold when I did it and remember being flat on my back gasping for breath at one point.

Friday? realy, looks like a pup hill from slide though

Catskillhiker wrote:Friday? realy, looks like a pup hill from slide though

I speak the truth. It's all about the east side. I remember a dude probably about 8 or 10 years ago that took a head-first 50 foot fall on one of Friday's cliffs while doing the 'whack from Moon Haw Road. He didn't live to tell about it.

I aint never been to the east but to virginia - but 2200 feet in 2 miles - yea, and?
We got some hills 'round here you can go 9,000 feet in 9 miles - Im just saying - I gotta get out more I guess

So what's your point? This is a thread about the Catskills, not the Sierra.

dam, makes me rethink how i want to approach friday now, but i could see falling to your death, on the slide Cornell whittenberg trail you got that ledgey stuff with the 50 footer on slide,

defently a decent training ground for the bigger stuff, depending on the side, with all the half dome stuff in the cats

Catamount wrote:
That's the route I meant. Also, the options expand exponentially if you're willing to go trailless. Back in my 3500 Club days, Friday from Moon Haw Road was a real ball buster. Looking at the topo map, it's about 2,700 gain in under 3 miles. I was just getting over a pretty bad cold when I did it and remember being flat on my back gasping for breath at one point.

Looks cool, gotta circumvent the private land it looks like now though. I love how in the Catskills the topo just cannot show those random exposed cliffs.