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'''Rat Rock''', also known as '''Umpire Rock''', is an [[outcrop]] of [[Manhattan schist]] which protrudes from the [[Central Park]] [[bedrock]] in [[Manhattan]]. It is named after the [[rat]]s that used to swarm there at night.<ref name=nyt1>{{citation|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/nyregion/thecity/07boul.html?partner=USERLAND&pagewanted=all|title=The Zen of the Rock|date=October 7, 2007|author=Jennifer Bleyer|publisher=New York Times}}</ref> It is located near the southwest corner of the park, south of the [[Heckscher Ballfields]] on the lines of 62nd Street and of [[Seventh Avenue (Manhattan)|7th Avenue]]. The outcrop is roughly circular, about {{convert|55|ft|m}} wide and {{convert|15|ft|m}} tall with east, west and north faces that each present different climbing problems.<ref name=SC>{{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-jZL9k4OICsC&pg=RA3-PA226 |title=Stone crusade: a historical guide to bouldering in America |author=John Sherman |pages=226–228 |publisher=The Mountaineers Books |isbn=978-0-930410-62-9 |year=1994}}</ref> The rock has [[Glacial striation|striation]]s caused by [[glaciation]].<ref>{{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HfozbQ4QXv4C&pg=PA22 |title=The Creation of Glaciers |author=Carol Hand |publisher=Rosen |year=2009 |isbn=9781435852983}}</ref> |
'''Rat Rock''', also known as '''Umpire Rock''', is an [[outcrop]] of [[Manhattan schist]] which protrudes from the [[Central Park]] [[bedrock]] in [[Manhattan]]. It is named after the [[rat]]s that used to swarm there at night.<ref name=nyt1>{{citation|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/nyregion/thecity/07boul.html?partner=USERLAND&pagewanted=all|title=The Zen of the Rock|date=October 7, 2007|author=Jennifer Bleyer|publisher=New York Times}}</ref> It is located near the southwest corner of the park, south of the [[Heckscher Ballfields]] on the lines of 62nd Street and of [[Seventh Avenue (Manhattan)|7th Avenue]]. The outcrop is roughly circular, about {{convert|55|ft|m}} wide and {{convert|15|ft|m}} tall with east, west and north faces that each present different climbing problems.<ref name=SC>{{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-jZL9k4OICsC&pg=RA3-PA226 |title=Stone crusade: a historical guide to bouldering in America |author=John Sherman |pages=226–228 |publisher=The Mountaineers Books |isbn=978-0-930410-62-9 |year=1994}}</ref> The rock has [[Glacial striation|striation]]s caused by [[glaciation]].<ref>{{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HfozbQ4QXv4C&pg=PA22 |title=The Creation of Glaciers |author=Carol Hand |publisher=Rosen |year=2009 |isbn=9781435852983}}</ref> |
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Boulderers congregate there - as many as fifty per day. [[Bouldering]] is the sport of [[climbing]] such large rocks.<ref>{{citation|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02E3D61230F932A25750C0A96E958260 |
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|title=The Thrill of Bouldering: It Doesn't Have to Be High to Be Hairy|author=Joe Glickman|date=March 11, 1998|journal=[[New York Times]]}}</ref> Some are regulars such as Yukihiko Ikumori, a gardener from the [[West Village]] who is known as the ''spiritual godfather'' of the rock.<ref name=nyt1/> Others are just passing through, such as [[Tourism in New York City|tourists]] and visitors who learn about the climbing spot from the Internet and [[word of mouth]]. Experienced climbers such as Mr. Ikumori often show neophytes good routes and techniques. More experienced outsiders may be disappointed as the quality of the stone is poor, the setting is gloomy and the climbs present so little challenge that it has been called "one of America's most pathetic boulders".<ref name=SC/> |
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The park police formerly ticketed climbers who climbed more than a few feet up the rock. The City Climbers Club approached the park authorities and, by working to provide safety features such as wood chips around the base, they were able to legalize climbing there.<ref name=SC/> |
The park police formerly ticketed climbers who climbed more than a few feet up the rock. The City Climbers Club approached the park authorities and, by working to provide safety features such as wood chips around the base, they were able to legalize climbing there.<ref name=SC/> |
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Revision as of 15:07, 28 May 2019
| Rat Rock | |
|---|---|
| Umpire Rock | |
 East side of the rock | |
  Location of Rat Rock in Manhattan | |
| Location | Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York |
| Coordinates | 40°46′10″N 73°58′40″W / 40.769361°N 73.977655°W |
Rat Rock, also known as Umpire Rock, is an outcrop of Manhattan schist which protrudes from the Central Park bedrock in Manhattan. It is named after the rats that used to swarm there at night.[1] It is located near the southwest corner of the park, south of the Heckscher Ballfields on the lines of 62nd Street and of 7th Avenue. The outcrop is roughly circular, about 55 feet (17 m) wide and 15 feet (4.6 m) tall with east, west and north faces that each present different climbing problems.[2] The rock has striations caused by glaciation.[3]
The park police formerly ticketed climbers who climbed more than a few feet up the rock. The City Climbers Club approached the park authorities and, by working to provide safety features such as wood chips around the base, they were able to legalize climbing there.[2]
Gallery
References
- ^ Jennifer Bleyer (October 7, 2007), The Zen of the Rock, New York Times
- ^ a b John Sherman (1994), Stone crusade: a historical guide to bouldering in America, The Mountaineers Books, pp. 226–228, ISBN 978-0-930410-62-9
- ^ Carol Hand (2009), The Creation of Glaciers, Rosen, ISBN 9781435852983
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rat Rock (Central Park).
