"The Gunks, or Shawangunk Mountains, are the climbing equivalent of skiing Jackson Hole: They’re the ultimate proving ground. The area, a long ridgeline only about a two-hour drive north of New York City, is also living history. Climbers first ascended the cliffs with leather boots and hemp ropes in the 1930s. Pros later set up some of the country’s hardest routes in the 1980s and 90s, which still can seem much harder than their grades. Today, every level of climber can find a challenge."