New York · Rock climbing · North River

Shanty Sports Arena

5 routes
5.6 – 5.9
Trad · Sport

Shanty Sports Arena is a climbing area in New York's Siamese Ponds Wilderness, managed by the State Department of Conservation. It sits in a cluster of named climbing areas, with Shanty Cliff just 0.1 mile away and Main Cliff and Nugget Knob each about 0.2 mile off. The surrounding land makes it a compact base for climbers looking to link several nearby crags in one outing. The climbing here is all trad, with one sport route, Swampoodle, at 5.8. The grade range runs from 5.6 on Orange Gladiators to 5.9 on Corktown, and the routes are described as a mix of sport and trad. Shanty 101 is a trad route at 5.8, and Bidonville is another at 5.7. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Indian Lake put July highs around 75°F with lows near 54°F, while January highs average only 25°F. Winter is cold and wet, with highs in the 20s and rain or snow on roughly half the days in January and February. For a walk, the Oregon Trail and Little Joe Pond trail are both within about a mile and a half, and paddlers can reach the Sacandaga River, about 8 miles away.

  • Best time to go

    Best time to visit Shanty Sports Arena

    No month here meets our mild-weather rule. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      25° / 6°

      17 wet

    2. Feb

      28° / 7°

      14 wet

    3. Mar

      36° / 15°

      14 wet

    4. Apr

      49° / 28°

      14 wet

    5. May

      63° / 40°

      16 wet

    6. Jun

      71° / 49°

      15 wet

    7. Jul

      75° / 54°

      15 wet

    8. Aug

      73° / 53°

      13 wet

    9. Sep

      67° / 45°

      13 wet

    10. Oct

      54° / 35°

      16 wet

    11. Nov

      41° / 25°

      16 wet

    12. Dec

      31° / 14°

      17 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Indian Lake 2sw, NY, 16.5 mi away at 1,670 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (5)

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