Apparent Solo Hiker found dead at Breakneck Ridge

Not a lot of detail yet, but this hike is very dangerous, and way too many people attempt it w/o proper gear, from the one time I was there.

http://hudsonvalleycountry.com/man-dies-hiking-at-breakneck-ridge/

Some more details, but no indication of location

http://highlandscurrent.com/2017/07/20/body-recovered-breakneck/

It's not hard to find a lot of exposure on that trail

Tom Rankin said:

Not a lot of detail yet, but this hike is very dangerous, and way too many people attempt it w/o proper gear, from the one time I was there.

http://hudsonvalleycountry.com/man-dies-hiking-at-breakneck-ridge/

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Never done this trail. Would be interested in what would be considered proper/necessary gear for this route.

Zorba Ball

skiguy said:

Never done this trail. Would be interested in what would be considered proper/necessary gear for this route.

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skiguy said:

Never done this trail. Would be interested in what would be considered proper/necessary gear for this route.

Click to expand...

Nothing more than what you would normally wear on a hike. This hike is inundated with hikers on the weekends (many from NYC - this hike is directly accessible from a special train stop on Metro North) and has exploded in popularity in the past 5 years or so. With the huge number of people hiking there, there has also been an increase in people showing up in flip flops or not understanding what the hike is. To help cut down on rescue calls, they've done a better job signing the hike in the past few years and on weekends Scenic Hudson has trail stewards there to answer questions and give info. It's still a mess though. The environmental impact to the area (and other mountains) has been bad and it's only a matter of time before a pedestrian is killed on the road (the parking situation is insane, tons of hikers on the road, and cars driving by at high speeds).

skiguy said:

Never done this trail. Would be interested in what would be considered proper/necessary gear for this route.

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I've climbed it for twenty years, in everything from topsiders to crampons. The trail itself is fine, tricky when icy, rock doesn't always hold the way you'd expect.

The problem is with the alternate routes. You can veer off the marked trail to sections which drop off a couple hundred feet. For one alternate you have to step over a gap that is also a sheer drop to the right. A misstep would be fatal. I think there are three other sections like that, but it's also possible to slip a shorter distance and die on any rocky trail. And then some hikers deliberately seek out more difficult stretches.

Breakneck is a test of stamina and problem solving, but it shouldn't be dangerous. I still hike in that area once or twice a month, but now I generally go to less crowded trails.