August 29, 2025 • 22 mins
This week I'm diving in to discuss one of the most anxiety-provoking stretch of trail in the Adirondack High Peaks—the Saddleback Cliffs.
I'll give you the info you need to know and dissolve the overwhelm so you can be successful climbing this notorious High Peak.
Looking for help to improve your your fitness for hiking, nutrition, discipline, and daily habits?
Apply to work with James 1-on-1 in his Seek To Do More coaching program at www.seektodomore.com
Join the next GREAT RANGE ATHLETE Team and get in mountain-hiking shape in just 6 weeks from your local gym or your house.
Learn more at www.greatrangeathlete.com
Follow on Instagram & Facebook:
@46of46podcast
@jamesappleton46
Get my books:
1.) The Adirondack 46 in 18 Hikes: The Complete Guide to Hiking the High Peaks
2.) Adirondack Campfire Stories: Tales and Folklore from Inside the Blue Line
Visit my other websites:
www.46OUTDOORS.com
www.46OF46.com
I'll give you the info you need to know and dissolve the overwhelm so you can be successful climbing this notorious High Peak.
Looking for help to improve your your fitness for hiking, nutrition, discipline, and daily habits?
Apply to work with James 1-on-1 in his Seek To Do More coaching program at www.seektodomore.com
Join the next GREAT RANGE ATHLETE Team and get in mountain-hiking shape in just 6 weeks from your local gym or your house.
Learn more at www.greatrangeathlete.com
Follow on Instagram & Facebook:
@46of46podcast
@jamesappleton46
Get my books:
1.) The Adirondack 46 in 18 Hikes: The Complete Guide to Hiking the High Peaks
2.) Adirondack Campfire Stories: Tales and Folklore from Inside the Blue Line
Visit my other websites:
www.46OUTDOORS.com
www.46OF46.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You've heard about them, You've read about them. They've kept
you up late at night as you sit there in
your bed wondering can I even handle them? They've haunted
your nightmares. In this episode, we're going to talk all
about the Saddleback Cliffs, Marcy Skylight, Gray Cliff, and Redfield.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Done. Now the long.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Walk back to the lodge. Three fifty five am. Just
signed in Santoney Range.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Let's go. The wind is whipping.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Here in the Seward range to just finish the Macomb slide,
and my legs are on fire.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Well I fell victim to the floating logs again. Made
it to the top of East Dix Peak number three
of five for today.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Here in the Dicking Range, Avalanche Pass on top of
Rocky Peak Bridge.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
It's like a hurricane up here.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Rain and wind here on tabletop, Whiteface number six, Muddy
Day here on street and I for number seven and eight,
Sonny in blue on Haystack, al Gongquin up in the
clouds number eighteen, Gothics number twenty two, Panther number thirty eight,
Allen number forty five, seven to twelve am, Big Slide
Adirondack forty six er. You're listening to the forty six
(01:08):
of forty six podcast. So you've planned a big day
hiking the Upper Great Range. You're going to hike a stack,
then you're going to go to Basin, but throughout your
day you know something is waiting for you on that
(01:29):
final mountain. As you climb to the summit of Saddleback,
You're going to have to climb up the Saddleback cliffs
before you get there.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
And it has you nervous.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
So in this episode, I'm going to dive into all
things Saddleback clips to help you understand what you're getting
yourself into, what.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
You need to be aware of so that you could.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Be successful when you get out there, and also try
to ease that stress that you have about them so
that you have a plan of attack when you do arrive.
So what are the saddle Back Cliffs? They are exactly
as their stated. They are a bunch of cliffs right
underneath the summit of Saddleback. When you're coming from Basin
(02:11):
in the Upper Great Range, which is Haystack, Basin and
Saddleback probably you know, arguably the best views on every
single mountain in the high peaks. You know, definitely could
make the argument the Upper Great Ranges as good as
it gets a fantastic hike, it's a big day. But
these cliffs, these saddle Back Cliffs, they cause people a
lot of stress because you're wondering, am I going to
(02:33):
have to be actually rock climbing? Am I going to
need a rope? I don't like being exposed on these slabs.
All sorts of things go through people's head. So that's
why this episode we're going to talk all about the cliffs.
So the saddle Back Cliffs sit on the west face
of Saddleback along the Great Range trail between Basin and Saddleback.
(02:54):
So once you come off of Basin, which is a
beast in and of itself, you're going to get to
the call, and then you're going to start hiking up
and then you're eventually going to come to the wall,
and you're going to know when you get there, you're
also going to see these cliffs from Basin, and it's
probably going to make you go, oh my god. You're
saying that I'm going up those. The answer is yes,
(03:17):
but it's not to the extent that it looks like
when you are over on Basin, So do not let
it scare you. But also be aware that yes, you
are coming up those up those cliffs, and the word
cliffs can somewhat be deceiving. You know, they are technically
cliffs of some sort, but they're very similar to the
slab climbs that you do throughout the high peaks. But
(03:39):
this definitely has its own character to it. You know,
it's steep. You know, there's like these big blocky slabs
of rock and you are exposed and you will be
doing moves that have your legs on the ground and
your hands pulling yourself up. You know, when you're rock climbing,
you always want three points of content act either two
(04:00):
feet in one hand or two hands and one foot,
like you're going to be doing things like that. But
it's not like you're going to be climbing for you know,
twenty thirty forty fifty feet at a time. It's just
these little moves that you're going to do to get
from one section to the next, and then between sections
you can walk through it. So in this in this episode,
(04:21):
I'm going to give you the rundown of what these
are and also a root up them and kind of
what to look for because I was just there a
couple days ago guiding a man and his daughter who
are almost to forty six, and it's very fresh in
my mind. So what a perfect time to go through
how to help you get up the saddle back cliffs.
(04:42):
So this stretch of trail can ease the pressure that
you have on yourself and it won't be so so
anxiety provoking as it is for so many people. Now,
I want to start out by saying that I highly
recommend tackling this range on a dry day. Yes, so
these slabs are wet, It's going to be such a
different experience going up them, down them. The whole Upper
(05:05):
Great Range in general on a wet day is going
to be way different than it is on a dry
day because of all the slabs. And with that in mind,
first off, on the Upper Great Range, in my opinion,
Basin is actually more of the challenge than the saddleback cliffs.
Not to add more to the mix for what you
have to expect, but I want you to have a
(05:28):
little bit of confidence when you do finally get down
to the saddle back cliffs. If you made it up
and over Basin, Okay, I personally think you've done the
harder work for the day because Basin is is this
you know, it's the true middle child. You know, it's
it's overshadowed by the saddle back cliffs and overshadowed by Haystack,
(05:48):
which is just like one of the ultimate. So I
feel like people never really talk about Basin, but there's
so many slabs and steep sections on Basin that you
are climbing up or you're you know, butt sliding down
because there's no good way down, and you get to
the bottom of the little slab and you turn around
and you say, how did I get down that? Or
you stand at the bottom you say, how am I
getting up this? You know, Basin is definitely just as difficult,
(06:11):
if not more challenging, than as the saddle back cliff.
So once again, once you get to once you get
to the saddle back cliffs, rest as shirt and give
yourself that little boost of confidence, knowing well, if James said,
uf I got over Basin and got down Basin, okay,
I'd be okay over here. And I do stand by that.
I think that is really more of the stressor during
the upper greade range. Now, when it comes to directions, yes,
(06:34):
I do recommend going Haystack, then Base and then saddle back,
so that you go up the saddle back cliffs as
opposed to down. However, because the rocks are so grippy
on a dry day, yes, you can get down the
cliffs pretty okay. So you know that is it always
is an option, but I would definitely say that going
(06:55):
up it is going to be more of a more
of a preference for me, And I also think it's
the better option in general for that whole range, because
again Basin is a beast so coming there's some definitely
sections of that that going down will be quite challenging.
Now with that in mind as well, once you do
(07:16):
go up and over Basin and you get to the
saddle back cliffs, you're either going up the cliffs or
you're turning around and going back up and over Basin.
If you decide, you know what, I can't tackle these
cliffs right now, I have to turn around.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
You kind of.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Are in no man's land, like there is no going
back now, because again you're either going to go back
up and over Basin, over the entire mountain, or you're
going to conquer your fear a bit and climb up
the saddle back cliffs. There's no easy escape route, So
all the more reason to tackle the fear you have
(07:55):
and just take it one step at a time, one
move at a time, one little section of the climb
at a time, and just focus on the next five
feet in front of you, the next ten feet in
front of you, and before you know it, you'll get
to the top and you'll say wow, I did that,
And I'm willing to bet you'll probably also say, wow,
that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
(08:20):
But just remember that once you go over the backside
of Basin towards saddleback, you are committing to it. You're
going down there and it's happening at that point. Otherwise
you're coming back up and over the entire mountain, which, again,
as I said before, Basin is a bast So you're
going to tackle some stretches of trail that are just
as challenging going down or back up if you decide
(08:43):
the cliffs aren't for you. Now, if you do want
to avoid the saddle back cliffs all together, you can
go up the or bed trail up saddle back, pretty
much where you'll go down saddle back going from the
direction that I'm talking about now, So you can go
from Johnsbrook Lodge, go to the Gothics and and saddle
back trail, split, come up saddle back and then go
(09:04):
back down to the Johnsburg Lodge area, and you can
avoid the saddleback cliffs altogether that direction if you want.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Obviously, look at the map.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
So if you do find that there is just no
way that you're tackling these crazy cliffs that you've heard
people talk all about, there is a way to do it. However,
I would encourage you to conquer your fear a little
bit because throughout your journey in the high Peaks, in
my opinion, there are so many stretches of trail that
(09:35):
I find to be more challenging going up or down
them than the saddleback cliffs. Challenging sections on Basin, there's
challenging stretches of slab on cliff on Allen especially. There's
lots of places throughout the high peaks that are very
challenging that there are no alternate routes that you have
(09:55):
to get yourself to go up. So you do have
an alternate route here, but I also recommend you conquer
your fear. But again, if you do want to go
up a different route, The Orban Trail is your way.
Now let's get into the actual climb. So once you
do finally arrive at the Saddleback Cliffs, you're gonna know
(10:17):
you're there as you're coming down from basin. As I
said before, they're going to seem very intimidating. And then
once you get up close and you see what it
looks like, you're probably gonna say, maybe this looks challenging,
but you also might be saying, this kind of looks
a little fun because it's very unique in what it
looks like, and you start to see when you're up
close it really is just a bunch of little sections,
(10:41):
you know, one after the other after the other. So
it's not just this big giant rock climb. It's climbing
up this little section, then walking over here, then climbing
up this little section and walking over there, and you're, yes,
you are exposed the whole time.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
But how about those views? Am I right?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
It's a it's a pretty interesting, interesting route, So let's
talk about it. There is a route going up it
marked with blazes, you know, paint on the rocks to
show you kind of where to go. Remember to expect
that three points of contact that I talked about before.
Either two feet on the ground at once with one
(11:16):
hand or both hands with one foot at all times.
Three points of contact should be made. So let's dive
right in. This is how you climb the saddle back cliffs,
all right.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
So how do they work?
Speaker 1 (11:32):
There are three main sections of climbing, with little scramble
walks in between. So let's start with challenge one right
at the beginning off to the right. You'll see the
painted blazes on the rocks. Follow this path throughout the
entire trip up. But this first step, this is the
first real test. So the key here once again is
(11:54):
three points of contact at all times, which again means
either two hands and one foot onto the outer rocket
or two feet in one hand.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
So here is the move.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Look for the little foothold on the left side of
the rock. That's where you're going to place your left foot.
On the right side, there's a wedge in the rock,
and you're gonna use that wedge with your right foot
pressing against it and kind of hoisting yourself up with
your arms. This is this wedge is giving your body leverage.
(12:25):
You're going to need to be able to be strong
enough to push yourself up and hold yourself by your
hands even for a moment while you get your left
foot up on that little step that's going to exist there.
It's probably two two and a half feet up, maybe
three feet up on the rock.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
You'll see it.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
So with both hands on the rock, you know you're
gonna wedge yourself upward like you're pushing against both sides
at once. So you have your left foot on the
little step, you have your right foot weedged against the rock.
So from here, keep that left foot but in that
little step, and you're going to step through with your
right foot along the rock to the other side of
(13:08):
the crevice, while keeping your right hands on the rock
in front of you and keeping your body leaned towards
the rock.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
As you step through and step over.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
You're going to see another little foothold right above your
left foot. You may end up wanting to use that
as well, but ultimately the main move is wedging yourself.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Up, putting your left foot on the.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Little step, having your right foot wedged against the rock
on the side that you hoisted yourself up with, and
then stepping through over the crack over to the next rock,
and ultimately bringing yourself over that first challenge. The big
part here is being able to be strong enough to
hoist yourself up your own body weight with your pack on,
(13:52):
so you can get above that first step. It's really
just two or three little movements, but it does require.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
To hold yourself up.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
So if you follow this sequence and you look for
what I'm talking about, look for the little step, look
for how you'd wed your foot against the right side,
you'll find yourself very quickly standing on the slab above
with challenge number one in the books. So from here
you're going to follow the blazes, and the trail continues
up a very grippy slab that does feel more like
(14:23):
just walking than climbing. Trust the grip on your shoes.
These rocks are going to hold you, just find. So
after you finish that first section, you'll walk up the
slab following the blazes, and eventually you'll come around to
the right, still following the blazes, and that is where
you're going to meet challenge number two. Now, this one
(14:45):
is similar to the first. It's another short climb maybe
seven eight feet above you.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
But the difference here is the hand holds.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
They're everywhere, and it almost feels like the mountain placed
them for you exactly where you would want them.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
You know, wherever you think you you might want a handhold.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
I'm telling you there's going to be one in the
rocks waiting for you that you can just grab right onto,
as if they were perfectly placed for hikers like yourself.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So here's the move.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Follow the blazes, continuing the climb, and as you start,
trust the rock, grab the handholds as you see them,
look for them, and just put your hand where you
think you need to go. There will be a hold
there ready for you. Use them steady yourself. And on
top of that, they are also going to be very
natural footholds for you to walk yourself up the slab
(15:34):
and to climb up. You'll pull yourself up very smoothly,
and before you know it, challenge to filled with handholds
is behind you, with one challenge still to come. Now
continue following the blazes up the slab towards the third
and final challenge of the Saddleback Cliffs. Challenge three is
(15:57):
where I like to call the crack climb. All the
blazes along until you come to a crack that runs
up the rock face on a nice dry day. This
section is actually very fun. It's not really intimidating. It's
fun because your shoes are very grippy and the rock
is very grippy, and you know the angle here it's
not vertical, so it's not a climb like before.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
It's more of just like a steep ramp. You know.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
The rock grips your boots kind of like sandpaper on
this part of them, this part of the trail, and
this type of slab, and you'd be very surprised at
how much of this climb you can just do by
just walking and occasionally using your hands for balance.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
So here's what to do.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Step up to the crack, lean slightly forward and let
your feet do the work, trust the grip on your shoes,
and then use your hands lightly on the rock for
balance and that little extra pole when you do need it.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Lean forward and just walk your way up the slab climb.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
If you need to get down on your knees for
just a second as you're climbing up, you can do that,
but just be aware that you're going to really use
your shoes and the grip on your shoes to walk
yourself up this crack. And it maybe runs for ten
or twelve feet or so, but just follow the blazes,
follow the crack, and once you're above the crack, it's
(17:10):
just a couple more steps up to the summit. You're
going to swing right, follow the trail, and maybe fifteen,
maybe thirty seconds later, you will be standing on the
summit of Saddleback Mountain. And that is the moment that
you're going to turn around and look back at Basin,
at Haystack, at Marsi in the distance, and all the
other high peaks, and you'll feel that sense of.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Accomplishment because you've done it.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
You've not only conquered your fear, but you've successfully climbed
the Saddleback Cliffs. And it's a right of passage for
every aspiring Adirondack forty six er. And you'll carry that
confidence with you for the rest of your hikes because
you know you did it, and you should be proud
of yourself for doing it, because most people you run
(17:55):
into in your everyday life, they're not going to go
climb the saddle Back Cliffs. So I hope this gives
you an understanding as to what to expect when it
comes to climbing the Saddleback cliffs. There are three main movements,
little challenges you're going to get yourself through, and I
hope this podcast helps ease your mind a little bit
(18:17):
and also gives you the information you need so you
know what to look for during each of these little
climbing moments so that you can climb up the saddle
back cliffs and enjoy that beautiful scenery that awaits you
up there, and also make it through this rite of
passage moment on your Adirondak forty six er journey. Now,
(18:37):
can you go down the saddleback cliffs? Yes, you absolutely
can go down it, but it's going to require an
entirely different approach and there's going to be a lot
of sections where you're jumping down hoisting yourself down, so
you hopefully you got good knees to do that. But
on a dry day, sure, it's definitely possible. On a
wet day, I would say it's going to be quite
(18:58):
problematic for you. So once again, in general, try to
hike this mountain on a nice, clean, clear day.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
You'll be really happy you did.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Because also these views are a plus plus plus, So
enjoy that summit sandwich because it was well earned. And
also enjoy the descent down the backside of Saddleback along
the Orbed trail because it's one of the most enjoyable
descents on any high peak in my opinion, because it's
not hard on the body and it has a lot
(19:27):
of different fun stretches of trail. Yes, there's some slab
walking down, so on a dry day it's pretty quick,
but on a wet day it could be a little
bit slick, and a little ways after the Gothics trail junction,
you'll go out on the slide where you'll have a
nice like two hundred step wooden staircase waiting for you,
(19:47):
which presents a very nice fun vibe and fun views
in the Adirondack back country. But that's gonna do it.
For this episode of the forty six of forty six podcast.
Head over to the BrandNew forty six outdoors dot Com
website to see how I can help you have better, stronger,
more fulfilling mountain adventures here in the Adirondacks and beyond.
(20:11):
If you want to join a great range athlete group
so you can get strong and fit and in shape
for climbing mountains and do it alongside like minded people,
head over to Great Range Athlete dot com, or if
you want to work with me one on one in
my Seek to Do More coaching program so that we
get you strong and fit for the mountains and strong
and fit for everyday life. Head over to seek to
Do More dot com. Book a call with me and
(20:33):
I'll talk to you then.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
But that'll do it. You know the drill.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Remember to always leave no trace, do the rock walk
and if you carry it in, carry it out.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
See you on the trails. Everybody.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
Hi, everyone, My name is Karina. I'm from Geneva, New York,
and I just finished the Cascade team for the Great
Range Athlete program. So I found James's podcast. I've been
listening for a few years. I had been toying with
the idea of joining Great Range Athlete since he announced it,
and finally decided to pull the trigger this spring. I
had an amazing time. I was really looking to build
(21:11):
my confidence in my ability to go out and do
hard hikes. I wanted to make sure I could go
out and do them. I wanted to make sure I
go out and do them and have fun and not
come back feeling like I was going to be dead
for the next week and I feel like the program
here really did that. I was able to talk to
James beforehand. He answered a few of my questions and
concerns about the program and how it would fit me
(21:32):
specifically as an athlete and as a human. And I
loved working with the Cascade team. I loved the Marco Polos,
I loved the workouts, and I really feel like I
have a nice pattern and stepping stones to build off
of from here and to keep doing great things and
to keep becoming a better hiker. So if you're on
(21:53):
the fence about it, talk to James. Look at the
other testimonials. I had an amazing time, and I hope
you do too.
You've heard about them, You've read about them. They've kept
you up late at night as you sit there in
your bed wondering can I even handle them? They've haunted
your nightmares. In this episode, we're going to talk all
about the Saddleback Cliffs, Marcy Skylight, Gray Cliff, and Redfield.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Done. Now the long.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Walk back to the lodge. Three fifty five am. Just
signed in Santoney Range.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Let's go. The wind is whipping.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Here in the Seward range to just finish the Macomb slide,
and my legs are on fire.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Well I fell victim to the floating logs again. Made
it to the top of East Dix Peak number three
of five for today.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Here in the Dicking Range, Avalanche Pass on top of
Rocky Peak Bridge.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
It's like a hurricane up here.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Rain and wind here on tabletop, Whiteface number six, Muddy
Day here on street and I for number seven and eight,
Sonny in blue on Haystack, al Gongquin up in the
clouds number eighteen, Gothics number twenty two, Panther number thirty eight,
Allen number forty five, seven to twelve am, Big Slide
Adirondack forty six er. You're listening to the forty six
(01:08):
of forty six podcast. So you've planned a big day
hiking the Upper Great Range. You're going to hike a stack,
then you're going to go to Basin, but throughout your
day you know something is waiting for you on that
(01:29):
final mountain. As you climb to the summit of Saddleback,
You're going to have to climb up the Saddleback cliffs
before you get there.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
And it has you nervous.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
So in this episode, I'm going to dive into all
things Saddleback clips to help you understand what you're getting
yourself into, what.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
You need to be aware of so that you could.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Be successful when you get out there, and also try
to ease that stress that you have about them so
that you have a plan of attack when you do arrive.
So what are the saddle Back Cliffs? They are exactly
as their stated. They are a bunch of cliffs right
underneath the summit of Saddleback. When you're coming from Basin
(02:11):
in the Upper Great Range, which is Haystack, Basin and
Saddleback probably you know, arguably the best views on every
single mountain in the high peaks. You know, definitely could
make the argument the Upper Great Ranges as good as
it gets a fantastic hike, it's a big day. But
these cliffs, these saddle Back Cliffs, they cause people a
lot of stress because you're wondering, am I going to
(02:33):
have to be actually rock climbing? Am I going to
need a rope? I don't like being exposed on these slabs.
All sorts of things go through people's head. So that's
why this episode we're going to talk all about the cliffs.
So the saddle Back Cliffs sit on the west face
of Saddleback along the Great Range trail between Basin and Saddleback.
(02:54):
So once you come off of Basin, which is a
beast in and of itself, you're going to get to
the call, and then you're going to start hiking up
and then you're eventually going to come to the wall,
and you're going to know when you get there, you're
also going to see these cliffs from Basin, and it's
probably going to make you go, oh my god. You're
saying that I'm going up those. The answer is yes,
(03:17):
but it's not to the extent that it looks like
when you are over on Basin, So do not let
it scare you. But also be aware that yes, you
are coming up those up those cliffs, and the word
cliffs can somewhat be deceiving. You know, they are technically
cliffs of some sort, but they're very similar to the
slab climbs that you do throughout the high peaks. But
(03:39):
this definitely has its own character to it. You know,
it's steep. You know, there's like these big blocky slabs
of rock and you are exposed and you will be
doing moves that have your legs on the ground and
your hands pulling yourself up. You know, when you're rock climbing,
you always want three points of content act either two
(04:00):
feet in one hand or two hands and one foot,
like you're going to be doing things like that. But
it's not like you're going to be climbing for you know,
twenty thirty forty fifty feet at a time. It's just
these little moves that you're going to do to get
from one section to the next, and then between sections
you can walk through it. So in this in this episode,
(04:21):
I'm going to give you the rundown of what these
are and also a root up them and kind of
what to look for because I was just there a
couple days ago guiding a man and his daughter who
are almost to forty six, and it's very fresh in
my mind. So what a perfect time to go through
how to help you get up the saddle back cliffs.
(04:42):
So this stretch of trail can ease the pressure that
you have on yourself and it won't be so so
anxiety provoking as it is for so many people. Now,
I want to start out by saying that I highly
recommend tackling this range on a dry day. Yes, so
these slabs are wet, It's going to be such a
different experience going up them, down them. The whole Upper
(05:05):
Great Range in general on a wet day is going
to be way different than it is on a dry
day because of all the slabs. And with that in mind,
first off, on the Upper Great Range, in my opinion,
Basin is actually more of the challenge than the saddleback cliffs.
Not to add more to the mix for what you
have to expect, but I want you to have a
(05:28):
little bit of confidence when you do finally get down
to the saddle back cliffs. If you made it up
and over Basin, Okay, I personally think you've done the
harder work for the day because Basin is is this
you know, it's the true middle child. You know, it's
it's overshadowed by the saddle back cliffs and overshadowed by Haystack,
(05:48):
which is just like one of the ultimate. So I
feel like people never really talk about Basin, but there's
so many slabs and steep sections on Basin that you
are climbing up or you're you know, butt sliding down
because there's no good way down, and you get to
the bottom of the little slab and you turn around
and you say, how did I get down that? Or
you stand at the bottom you say, how am I
getting up this? You know, Basin is definitely just as difficult,
(06:11):
if not more challenging, than as the saddle back cliff.
So once again, once you get to once you get
to the saddle back cliffs, rest as shirt and give
yourself that little boost of confidence, knowing well, if James said,
uf I got over Basin and got down Basin, okay,
I'd be okay over here. And I do stand by that.
I think that is really more of the stressor during
the upper greade range. Now, when it comes to directions, yes,
(06:34):
I do recommend going Haystack, then Base and then saddle back,
so that you go up the saddle back cliffs as
opposed to down. However, because the rocks are so grippy
on a dry day, yes, you can get down the
cliffs pretty okay. So you know that is it always
is an option, but I would definitely say that going
(06:55):
up it is going to be more of a more
of a preference for me, And I also think it's
the better option in general for that whole range, because
again Basin is a beast so coming there's some definitely
sections of that that going down will be quite challenging.
Now with that in mind as well, once you do
(07:16):
go up and over Basin and you get to the
saddle back cliffs, you're either going up the cliffs or
you're turning around and going back up and over Basin.
If you decide, you know what, I can't tackle these
cliffs right now, I have to turn around.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
You kind of.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Are in no man's land, like there is no going
back now, because again you're either going to go back
up and over Basin, over the entire mountain, or you're
going to conquer your fear a bit and climb up
the saddle back cliffs. There's no easy escape route, So
all the more reason to tackle the fear you have
(07:55):
and just take it one step at a time, one
move at a time, one little section of the climb
at a time, and just focus on the next five
feet in front of you, the next ten feet in
front of you, and before you know it, you'll get
to the top and you'll say wow, I did that,
And I'm willing to bet you'll probably also say, wow,
that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
(08:20):
But just remember that once you go over the backside
of Basin towards saddleback, you are committing to it. You're
going down there and it's happening at that point. Otherwise
you're coming back up and over the entire mountain, which, again,
as I said before, Basin is a bast So you're
going to tackle some stretches of trail that are just
as challenging going down or back up if you decide
(08:43):
the cliffs aren't for you. Now, if you do want
to avoid the saddle back cliffs all together, you can
go up the or bed trail up saddle back, pretty
much where you'll go down saddle back going from the
direction that I'm talking about now, So you can go
from Johnsbrook Lodge, go to the Gothics and and saddle
back trail, split, come up saddle back and then go
(09:04):
back down to the Johnsburg Lodge area, and you can
avoid the saddleback cliffs altogether that direction if you want.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Obviously, look at the map.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
So if you do find that there is just no
way that you're tackling these crazy cliffs that you've heard
people talk all about, there is a way to do it. However,
I would encourage you to conquer your fear a little
bit because throughout your journey in the high Peaks, in
my opinion, there are so many stretches of trail that
(09:35):
I find to be more challenging going up or down
them than the saddleback cliffs. Challenging sections on Basin, there's
challenging stretches of slab on cliff on Allen especially. There's
lots of places throughout the high peaks that are very
challenging that there are no alternate routes that you have
(09:55):
to get yourself to go up. So you do have
an alternate route here, but I also recommend you conquer
your fear. But again, if you do want to go
up a different route, The Orban Trail is your way.
Now let's get into the actual climb. So once you
do finally arrive at the Saddleback Cliffs, you're gonna know
(10:17):
you're there as you're coming down from basin. As I
said before, they're going to seem very intimidating. And then
once you get up close and you see what it
looks like, you're probably gonna say, maybe this looks challenging,
but you also might be saying, this kind of looks
a little fun because it's very unique in what it
looks like, and you start to see when you're up
close it really is just a bunch of little sections,
(10:41):
you know, one after the other after the other. So
it's not just this big giant rock climb. It's climbing
up this little section, then walking over here, then climbing
up this little section and walking over there, and you're, yes,
you are exposed the whole time.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
But how about those views? Am I right?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
It's a it's a pretty interesting, interesting route, So let's
talk about it. There is a route going up it
marked with blazes, you know, paint on the rocks to
show you kind of where to go. Remember to expect
that three points of contact that I talked about before.
Either two feet on the ground at once with one
(11:16):
hand or both hands with one foot at all times.
Three points of contact should be made. So let's dive
right in. This is how you climb the saddle back cliffs,
all right.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
So how do they work?
Speaker 1 (11:32):
There are three main sections of climbing, with little scramble
walks in between. So let's start with challenge one right
at the beginning off to the right. You'll see the
painted blazes on the rocks. Follow this path throughout the
entire trip up. But this first step, this is the
first real test. So the key here once again is
(11:54):
three points of contact at all times, which again means
either two hands and one foot onto the outer rocket
or two feet in one hand.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
So here is the move.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Look for the little foothold on the left side of
the rock. That's where you're going to place your left foot.
On the right side, there's a wedge in the rock,
and you're gonna use that wedge with your right foot
pressing against it and kind of hoisting yourself up with
your arms. This is this wedge is giving your body leverage.
(12:25):
You're going to need to be able to be strong
enough to push yourself up and hold yourself by your
hands even for a moment while you get your left
foot up on that little step that's going to exist there.
It's probably two two and a half feet up, maybe
three feet up on the rock.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
You'll see it.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
So with both hands on the rock, you know you're
gonna wedge yourself upward like you're pushing against both sides
at once. So you have your left foot on the
little step, you have your right foot weedged against the rock.
So from here, keep that left foot but in that
little step, and you're going to step through with your
right foot along the rock to the other side of
(13:08):
the crevice, while keeping your right hands on the rock
in front of you and keeping your body leaned towards
the rock.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
As you step through and step over.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
You're going to see another little foothold right above your
left foot. You may end up wanting to use that
as well, but ultimately the main move is wedging yourself.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Up, putting your left foot on the.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Little step, having your right foot wedged against the rock
on the side that you hoisted yourself up with, and
then stepping through over the crack over to the next rock,
and ultimately bringing yourself over that first challenge. The big
part here is being able to be strong enough to
hoist yourself up your own body weight with your pack on,
(13:52):
so you can get above that first step. It's really
just two or three little movements, but it does require.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
To hold yourself up.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
So if you follow this sequence and you look for
what I'm talking about, look for the little step, look
for how you'd wed your foot against the right side,
you'll find yourself very quickly standing on the slab above
with challenge number one in the books. So from here
you're going to follow the blazes, and the trail continues
up a very grippy slab that does feel more like
(14:23):
just walking than climbing. Trust the grip on your shoes.
These rocks are going to hold you, just find. So
after you finish that first section, you'll walk up the
slab following the blazes, and eventually you'll come around to
the right, still following the blazes, and that is where
you're going to meet challenge number two. Now, this one
(14:45):
is similar to the first. It's another short climb maybe
seven eight feet above you.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
But the difference here is the hand holds.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
They're everywhere, and it almost feels like the mountain placed
them for you exactly where you would want them.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
You know, wherever you think you you might want a handhold.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
I'm telling you there's going to be one in the
rocks waiting for you that you can just grab right onto,
as if they were perfectly placed for hikers like yourself.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So here's the move.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Follow the blazes, continuing the climb, and as you start,
trust the rock, grab the handholds as you see them,
look for them, and just put your hand where you
think you need to go. There will be a hold
there ready for you. Use them steady yourself. And on
top of that, they are also going to be very
natural footholds for you to walk yourself up the slab
(15:34):
and to climb up. You'll pull yourself up very smoothly,
and before you know it, challenge to filled with handholds
is behind you, with one challenge still to come. Now
continue following the blazes up the slab towards the third
and final challenge of the Saddleback Cliffs. Challenge three is
(15:57):
where I like to call the crack climb. All the
blazes along until you come to a crack that runs
up the rock face on a nice dry day. This
section is actually very fun. It's not really intimidating. It's
fun because your shoes are very grippy and the rock
is very grippy, and you know the angle here it's
not vertical, so it's not a climb like before.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
It's more of just like a steep ramp. You know.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
The rock grips your boots kind of like sandpaper on
this part of them, this part of the trail, and
this type of slab, and you'd be very surprised at
how much of this climb you can just do by
just walking and occasionally using your hands for balance.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
So here's what to do.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Step up to the crack, lean slightly forward and let
your feet do the work, trust the grip on your shoes,
and then use your hands lightly on the rock for
balance and that little extra pole when you do need it.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Lean forward and just walk your way up the slab climb.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
If you need to get down on your knees for
just a second as you're climbing up, you can do that,
but just be aware that you're going to really use
your shoes and the grip on your shoes to walk
yourself up this crack. And it maybe runs for ten
or twelve feet or so, but just follow the blazes,
follow the crack, and once you're above the crack, it's
(17:10):
just a couple more steps up to the summit. You're
going to swing right, follow the trail, and maybe fifteen,
maybe thirty seconds later, you will be standing on the
summit of Saddleback Mountain. And that is the moment that
you're going to turn around and look back at Basin,
at Haystack, at Marsi in the distance, and all the
other high peaks, and you'll feel that sense of.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Accomplishment because you've done it.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
You've not only conquered your fear, but you've successfully climbed
the Saddleback Cliffs. And it's a right of passage for
every aspiring Adirondack forty six er. And you'll carry that
confidence with you for the rest of your hikes because
you know you did it, and you should be proud
of yourself for doing it, because most people you run
(17:55):
into in your everyday life, they're not going to go
climb the saddle Back Cliffs. So I hope this gives
you an understanding as to what to expect when it
comes to climbing the Saddleback cliffs. There are three main movements,
little challenges you're going to get yourself through, and I
hope this podcast helps ease your mind a little bit
(18:17):
and also gives you the information you need so you
know what to look for during each of these little
climbing moments so that you can climb up the saddle
back cliffs and enjoy that beautiful scenery that awaits you
up there, and also make it through this rite of
passage moment on your Adirondak forty six er journey. Now,
(18:37):
can you go down the saddleback cliffs? Yes, you absolutely
can go down it, but it's going to require an
entirely different approach and there's going to be a lot
of sections where you're jumping down hoisting yourself down, so
you hopefully you got good knees to do that. But
on a dry day, sure, it's definitely possible. On a
wet day, I would say it's going to be quite
(18:58):
problematic for you. So once again, in general, try to
hike this mountain on a nice, clean, clear day.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
You'll be really happy you did.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Because also these views are a plus plus plus, So
enjoy that summit sandwich because it was well earned. And
also enjoy the descent down the backside of Saddleback along
the Orbed trail because it's one of the most enjoyable
descents on any high peak in my opinion, because it's
not hard on the body and it has a lot
(19:27):
of different fun stretches of trail. Yes, there's some slab
walking down, so on a dry day it's pretty quick,
but on a wet day it could be a little
bit slick, and a little ways after the Gothics trail junction,
you'll go out on the slide where you'll have a
nice like two hundred step wooden staircase waiting for you,
(19:47):
which presents a very nice fun vibe and fun views
in the Adirondack back country. But that's gonna do it.
For this episode of the forty six of forty six podcast.
Head over to the BrandNew forty six outdoors dot Com
website to see how I can help you have better, stronger,
more fulfilling mountain adventures here in the Adirondacks and beyond.
(20:11):
If you want to join a great range athlete group
so you can get strong and fit and in shape
for climbing mountains and do it alongside like minded people,
head over to Great Range Athlete dot com, or if
you want to work with me one on one in
my Seek to Do More coaching program so that we
get you strong and fit for the mountains and strong
and fit for everyday life. Head over to seek to
Do More dot com. Book a call with me and
(20:33):
I'll talk to you then.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
But that'll do it. You know the drill.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Remember to always leave no trace, do the rock walk
and if you carry it in, carry it out.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
See you on the trails. Everybody.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
Hi, everyone, My name is Karina. I'm from Geneva, New York,
and I just finished the Cascade team for the Great
Range Athlete program. So I found James's podcast. I've been
listening for a few years. I had been toying with
the idea of joining Great Range Athlete since he announced it,
and finally decided to pull the trigger this spring. I
had an amazing time. I was really looking to build
(21:11):
my confidence in my ability to go out and do
hard hikes. I wanted to make sure I could go
out and do them. I wanted to make sure I
go out and do them and have fun and not
come back feeling like I was going to be dead
for the next week and I feel like the program
here really did that. I was able to talk to
James beforehand. He answered a few of my questions and
concerns about the program and how it would fit me
(21:32):
specifically as an athlete and as a human. And I
loved working with the Cascade team. I loved the Marco Polos,
I loved the workouts, and I really feel like I
have a nice pattern and stepping stones to build off
of from here and to keep doing great things and
to keep becoming a better hiker. So if you're on
(21:53):
the fence about it, talk to James. Look at the
other testimonials. I had an amazing time, and I hope
you do too.
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