Delaware Water Gap

Despite threats of scattered thunderstorms, Agnes and I went out to climb with some friends at the PA side (Mount Minsi) of the Delaware Water Gap. This was out first experience there, and I was a little hesitant given the persistent bashing it gets for loose rock and vegetation on climbs. We met at the visitor center and tailed them to a pull off by a trail. While it was hot and humid elsewhere, the entrance to the trail was felt air conditioned thanks to the Cold Air Cave.

We hiked up a loose talus trail. It was tiring and, with the humidity, even Agnes sweated. Sharon and Aric planned to climb Pussytoes, which looked dirty and wet, and Agnes and I planned to tackle Surprise (5.4). It was described as the most popular route on Mount Minsi, so the traffic should keep it clean and the vegetation in check. Aric walked us to the base and pointed out the climb.

The first pitch was enjoyable and loved small gear. I was glad to have 3 pink tricams as I used them all, including two in the anchor at the top to pitch 1. There was a nice belay ledge with a good view of the river and the New Jersey side (Mount Tammany). The second pitch wasn't much to speak of, an easy scramble through somewhat overgrown terrain. We were down in two rappels and headed towards the High Wall area.

Sharon and Aric were already there, having soured on the wet Pussytoes. They were joined by Sharon's brother and friend, who had a top rope set up over the 3 routes on the left side of High Wall. According to the guide there were 2 easy climbs (a 5.5- and a 5.6) on clean rock in this area. Sharon was most of the way up the first pitch of the easier one, Heroine Hypnosis, so Agnes and went for Osprey (5.6).

The climb starts with a scramble, then easy climbing to the first belay ledge in a large indentation in the rock (not deep enough to be considered a cave). There were some old pitons there, but I opted to build my own anchor. From there I was supposed to exit left from the indentation and follow a flaring crack to a sloping belay ledge. We left the book at the bottom, but I had Agnes re-read me the descriptions of the next two pitches over the walkie talkies before she joined me. My mind latched onto the theme of exiting left at overhangs but promptly forgot the part about the crack.

Consequently I wandered about looking for the easiest way up after passing the first overhang. I wished I had my camera along the way - I could have had some nice shots of the top roping on one side, and Sharon and Aric on the other - but I left it because it might rain. There were two sections that stumped me. One was near where Sharon was belaying Aric on their second pitch. There was a bulging section that I expected good hands on (this is a 5.6...) but found none. I eventually decided I needed to be on the left of the crack and that worked much better. Next was an overhang which I assumed was below the next belay ledge. I was there a long time. A very long time. I had no watch, but I am pretty sure I spent as much time there as I did on the entire rest of the climb. There was a crack running through the roof and I put in an OK red tricam. I started moving through the roof, but ran out of handholds on the sloping section above and couldn't find good feet. While it seemed possible, it felt harder than I expected. I was going to back up the tricam, but then remembered the part about exiting left at overhangs and started looking that way. There was a shelf of rock, maybe an inch thick, running under the left side of the roof and it looked like a pretty easy ascent on that side. I traversed over, popping in another tricam along the way. A big chunk was loose where it petered out, and I wasn't feeling all that confident any of it was going to hold the force of a fall. I started up to check things out and decided it wasn't as easy as I thought. Hanging on, grasping around for the great hold that I must be missing (this is 5.6, right? I hope I am not off route...) I was getting tired. I thought I might fall, and for an irrational moment my mind said "Just let go, it is the easiest thing to do. Plus, you'll have that first gear fall out of the way." The rest of me disagreed vehemently so I climbed back down to a good resting position. I could keep going left, there was an anchor somebody had built to rappel off the climb there. As gear was left behind, they probably gave it their all before bailing. Maybe I should go over there...

While resting and thinking and getting bit by flies, I added a cam to the sketchy shelf and equalized it with the tricam. Hopefully distributing the load would help, or at least one would hold if some of the rock was strong enough. After what must have been an eternity for Agnes, I decided I was going up. I gave myself a pep talk about how far this climb was below my ability and that I was just sketched out on gear. Even if both pieces ripped through or out of the rock, there was that other tricam only a few feet away. We are getting closer to storm time and hanging out here could be bad later on.

Then I went for it.

I was up farther than I had been previously, passing a point where I felt down climbing would be harder than continuing up. I switched hand positions an inordinate amount of times trying to find the magical hold that I would haul myself up on. I just needed to get my feet a little higher, but my right leg was in full Elvis mode and shaking away. I looked around, determined where I wanted that right foot to go, adjusted my left foot and body, took some deep breaths to try and exhale away thoughts that missing the foot meant falling, lifted my leg, and... my foot stuck. I pulled up onto the sloping ledge so relieved. I felt so much better, even though I hadn't put any new protection in. There was a crack and I was determined to set up belay here no matter what. There was a small flare in the crack that allowed me to drop in and secure a perfect nut. God that felt good. I tied myself off to it and felt even better. I ended up making an all nut anchor, with oppositional nuts to make it multidirectional. My first all nut anchor actually - I am glad I was carrying two sets of nuts.

The last pitch was cake after that. I shook off the jitters and exited the roof over the belay ledge on the left, then eventually exited left on another roof to meet Sharon and Aric. I used their anchor to bring Agnes up and felt a little bad for making them wait. Especially when the rain started. Agnes came up but had trouble removing one of the nuts. I had slotted one that looked too small but couldn't figure out how to get it back out. Apparently she couldn't either. When I realized what was taking so long I told her to leave it. She joined us shortly after and the light rain stopped. We combined ropes to reach the ground in one rappel. Aric removed that bail anchor I saw on the way down (it was a single nut and some slings with knots jammed in a crack) as well as the top rope he had set. I went last and worked on the stuck nut. It was a bastard, but I eventually managed to coax it out with fingers and a nut tool.

The hike out seemed longer and I was drenched in sweat again. The Cold Air Cave was very appreciated. The air was actually steaming as it came out and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

All considered, I'd go again. Hopefully on a less humid day. While it was dirtier than the Gunks, the popular climbs seemed alright and I don't think I will run out of things to do. Getting any trad practice in at all will help and it is certainly more convenient (half the distance to the Gunks) when I can only get in a day of climbing.