Rock Adventures: Rock Adventures

New Jersey isn’t what you would call a destination state. The State’s longest, hardest, and proudest lines are probably found on Mt. Tammany. And given Tammany’s negative reputation for loose rock, choss, vegetation, as well as being overshadowed by the nearby Gunks’ World Class Trad Climbing, only a few hardcore locals climb here and it’s usually in lieu of a Gunks trip. The next best location, Allamuchy, does have a handful of short quality climbs on good rock but is often crowded with guided groups and stationary top-ropers. And like with any small crag, over time the intrigue dissipates with repetition. Beyond that there is a short list of documented worthwhile climbing in the Garden State. Many times while considering a day of Jersey Climbing we end up collectively shrugging our shoulders and saying, “Well, all we have to do is drive another hour and we’ll be at The Gunks”. And truth be told, driving the extra hour is usually worth it.

I’ve been blessed and cursed with a longing to do what nobody else does. I don’t consider myself extraordinarily brave. Most of the climbing I do is pretty tame. However, I do consider myself to be somewhat bold in my endeavors and certainly adventurous in my undertakings. I don’t climb to push grades as much as I climb to push myself to go higher. There are very few frontiers left in this world. Juxtaposing my climbing with exploring gives me a sense of going into a hidden realm. Going far and beyond for an epic adventure is not always realistically attainable. But seeking out the obscure in your own backyard (or in my case, within my own State) just may prove to be a satisfying outing on its own. An entry in the New Jersey Guidebook, less than a paragraph, says that a particular location has “climbing possibilities”. I pack myself an extra jacket, cliff bar, water and compass and go by myself, without any encouragement, other than a slim chance of maybe finding something. On New Year’s Day 2013 I called the bluff on that vague suggestion, and here is what I found...

At first, it was nothing but rubble…just an endless band of broken boulders. It was obvious why this area has no distinction of climbing or even bouldering, there’s nothing. But the band keeps going so I follow. The only tracks in the snow are mine and a deer. Besides the crunch of my boots, the ping of falling icicles, and the cry of a predatory bird its pure wild and winter stillness and I feel like could just as easily be a thousand miles from civilization while in this setting. I press on but keep telling myself that the next corner is the last corner until I finally come to a wall of solid rock.

These pictures are of an area roughly 200 feet long. I divided it into two sections. The “Face” is the curving slab capped by a rounded overhang. And just past that is an “Overhanging Blocky Section” with a chimney. I found what I came looking for, and I was thrilled. I decided not to go further but beyond chimney but just past it I caught a glimpse of what looked like a very long low-angle slab, and the cliff still continues on and on. Despite it being early winter and somewhat warm that day, there was a lot of ice and I have a feeling it will continue to thicken up enough in the coming weeks to afford at the very least mixed conditions. I’m sincerely hoping for an opportunity to try and put up some ice/mixed routes there this season. I also plan on brushing the slab/overhung wall in the spring and exploring more of this rock before the vegetation and insects take it back.