Rat Rock

North side

East side

Rat 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 but it is also known as Umpire Rock.^[1] It is 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]

Boulderers congregate there - as many as fifty per day. Bouldering is the sport of climbing such large rocks.^[4] Some are regulars such as Yukihiko Ikumori, a gardener from the West Village who is known as the spiritual godfather of the rock.^[1] Others are just passing through, such as 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".^[2]

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

1 2 Jennifer Bleyer (October 7, 2007), The Zen of the Rock, New York Times
1 2 3 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
↑ Joe Glickman (March 11, 1998), "The Thrill of Bouldering: It Doesn't Have to Be High to Be Hairy", New York Times

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rat Rock (Central Park).

Central Park

Features

Geographical features	Cedar Hill Cherry Hill Conservatory Garden Conservatory Water Great Lawn / Turtle Pond Harlem Meer Onassis Reservoir The Pond and Hallett Nature Sanctuary The Ramble and Lake Seneca Village Sheep Meadow

Sculptures	107th Infantry Memorial Balto Christopher Columbus Cleopatra's Needle Daniel Webster Eagles and Prey The Falconer Fitz-Greene Halleck Giuseppe Mazzini Indian Hunter King Jagiello Monument Robert Burns Romeo and Juliet Samuel Finley Breese Morse Seventh Regiment Memorial Sir Walter Scott The Gates (former) Untermyer Fountain USS Maine National Monument Victor Herbert William Shakespeare

Other features	Arsenal Belvedere Castle Bethesda Terrace and Fountain Blockhouse Bridges Burnett Memorial Fountain Carousel Delacorte Theater Diana Ross Playground Fort Clinton Lasker Rink Mall Marionette Theatre McGowan's Pass McGown's Pass Tavern Richard Morris Hunt Memorial Rumsey Playfield Strawberry Fields Tavern on the Green Victorian Gardens Wollman Rink Zoo Escape hoax Zoo York Wall Zoo York

Events

Neighboring features

Streets	Border Streets Fifth (East) North South West Transverses 66th 79th 85th 97th

Subway stations	Fifth Avenue – 59th Street 59th Street – Columbus Circle 72nd Street 81st Street 86th Street 96th Street 103rd Street Cathedral Parkway – 110th Street Central Park North – 110th Street

People and animals

Miscellaneous

Coordinates: 40°46′10″N 73°58′40″W / 40.769361°N 73.977655°W / 40.769361; -73.977655

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, April 27, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.