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Pennsylvania cracks

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Doug, I had never heard of minister creek. I found a pic on rockclimbing.com of that offwidth and it looks sweet! Nothing on mountain proj. Maybe because of mnt projs awesome app someone who knows minister could add it?

There's no useful beta I've found for minister besides the closest town. Anyone have beta? I haven't been but want to go (I love obscure places! For me its obscure) just for that offwidth. Any concensus on the difficulty? The name of it? Awesome doug!

P.s. nothing comes up in google maps for a trueman, pa. What is the (or another) close town or city so I can get an idea. Thanks.

Seth Derr · · harrisburg, pa · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 2,260
The Stoned Master wrote:Planning climbing trips in Virginia on a PA thread...that's classic PA climbers right there. Spontaneity is healthy: let's have an unofficial old rag climb fest then. Share beta, ropes, food, music, stories possibly even around a camp fire? Some world class routes and new, just as motivated as myself, people sounds good to me. Everyones welcome to come celebrate crack climbing at one of our nations best quality (not quantit) spots with us.
This will be fun. Color me psyched.
Brian.P · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 0

Minister Creek isn't hard to find. If you go into google maps and search for Miniter Creek Recreation Area it'll pop up. It's on Rt. 666 that runs east/west from over by Sheffield, PA to over by East Hickory, PA. There's a small parking lot along the road (rt. 666) and a pretty nice loop trail that takes you to the overlook. The North Country Trail hooks up with the Minister Creek Trail out past the overlook somewhere so if you walk the whole loop I guess you could pick up the wrong trail, but I've never walked out that far to know from personal experience whether that could be an issue. I don't spend much time out there, it's pretty dirty. But hey, it's February and the plants are sleeping so maybe it'll be ok. Have fun.

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Thanks brian. Much appreciated.

Doug S · · W Pa · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 55
The Stoned Master wrote:There's no useful beta I've found for minister besides the closest town. Anyone have beta? I haven't been but want to go (I love obscure places! For me its obscure) just for that offwidth. Any concensus on the difficulty? The name of it?
The FA belongs to some guy in the 80's. I can't remember his name or the name of the climb. I saw it in an online version of an older PA guidebook. It looks .11 or greater. The OW goes about 40+ feet slightly overhanging onto some crimpy face climbing, all potentially damp. Your last piece better be bomber because you're getting nothing else in above. There's lots of good climbing on both sides of the valley, but all dirty, with a 20 minute approach. Only fit for an adventure weekend, if that's your thing.
William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Adventure weekends are my thing. I already showed my wife and told her I'm going to climb that offwidth this season on one of our many adventures this summer seeking PA`s cracks. My level right now is within the 5.10 trad range. Maybe that'll be my first trad 5.11?

If you have a picture, or pictures, of PA cracks (with or without a climber) that YOU or a friend took and don't mind it being in this database (guidebookish, i like pictures of climbs) will you send it to me? With the beta like the climb, climber, area, etc.
My e-mail is thorspedigree@gmail.com
I'm starting with boulder cracks (bouldering areas) and moving from there but would like pictures of any crack in PA.

Thank you.

Rogerlarock Mix · · Nedsterdam, Colorado · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 5

The big OW at Minister Creek is "Jonah" and was originally graded 5.12+. Put up early 80's by Eric Guerrien.(sp?) Possibly un-repeated.

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

My old rag trip was cancelled on me...

Ill be at pond bank Sunday. Planning on most of the day. Scouting southern comfort and north face left and taking advantage of the snow and seeking new rock south of brown rocks. Then I'm going to put up a new route past the craggy pines area then I'm hoping to see what I can do on the new boulder. Anyones welcome to join.

Saturday I'm building a vertical, to overhanging to vertical offwidth at my home! It'll be my 7th crack I've added to PA, they're just all at my home. Excited.

Pond bank Sunday anyone?

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Well I'm building an offwidth crack machine and I'm going to climb that 12 offwidth at minister this season. That's my offwidth goal. Thanks for posting that rick, hearing it may be unrepeated motivates me!

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

I discovered pond banks 2 nicest, (soon to be) cleanest, splitter cracks. 1 hands, 1 fingers. I also discovered a new to climbers 60ft high by 100ft wide wall with a few fine looking cracks (splitters but you'd have to continue into corners or face climbing to top out). This new wall also has a few overhanging sections (one has a thin crack through the clean overhanging section lasting about 12ft then you've topped out so the overhanging sections are up higher!) Also about 10, most are overhanging, boulders that will most likely be in the v grades. Some with shit landings some with nice ones. Some 3-5 moves all the way to 7, 8, 9 who knows moves. some out of caves created by other boulders.

Pictures to come when I download from camera to phone. I will not be leaving pa as much this year because some of this. I'm developing at pond bank! Join me.

I'm here now. Taking a break. About to put up a new route past craggy pines. Nice looking corner reached via hand and finger crack. If it goes ill post all the new stuff tomorrow.

Doug S · · W Pa · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 55

Hey, I'll surely meet up for climbing at Pond Bank or Minister. This thread has me wanting to do some other investigating too. Nice work, man!

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Thanks I named the new wall exploration wall and its on mtn proj so you all can add to it also. The left most of the two pillars (pics tomorrow) has a nice splitter, thin, but it appears to allow protection and at least finger tips. There is one left leaning crack in the center that isn't bad looking at all. Could be classics I'm sure, BUT don't know yet. Also I discovered a beautiful finger splitter that goes for like 20ft or so maybe higher but is SUPER dirty. Ill be cleaning it out as it seems to be worth it.

I found possibly the hardest crack at pond bank: a over hanging boulder finger, hand, flaring sometimes crack. I found some really beautiful boulder lines. Question is is there anything there that is reasonable (v8 or under) for most? Some will be harder for sure, some v0 v1 range. I really found lots of potential. Let's explore what's there one boulder at a time.

Pictures tomorrow.

Also new hand/finger crack into the corner went. I top rope soloed it and it will accecpt pro. I think it goes at about 5.7/5.8. Vertical with some jamming, lybacking and stemming. Good feet. Fun route on north wall of craggy pines. Its solid. Route to be added shortly.

GonnaBe · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 135

So how about an update on the condition of the crag. Would you say that the Jim's Throne area and Angulation wall are the most impacted with trash and graffiti or are some of the other areas worse off?

Nice FA by the way. It definitely looks like it needs more traffic from the photo though.

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

The overhanging boulder crack (2 pics below. My pole is 3ft 6in high) looks sick, Ididnt wrap my head around the top out yet. Check out "brown rock boulders" an area i added to mtn proj. Also exploration wall which has the overhanging pillar (2 actually but 1 only has potential for protection) pictured below. 120ft wide wall by avg of 50ft high. Most likely will have some (many probably) 5.3s to moderates giving some more difficult routes but not nearly as many compared to moderates and below). I added 2 pics of overhanging roof Structures above craggy pines north face that look as though v graded bouldering lines exist. Check out pics on mtn proj under the names I've mentioned here. Let's start developing the new area, new eyes, different capabilities (we climb overhanging more these days)

Overhanging boulder crack

Overhanging boulder crack.

overhanging pillar on exploration wall.

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Also I found my project: this crack is parallel often and deep enough for pro. However it is filled and overflowing with dirt and moss. You see 20ft of splitter that may continue, it was hard to tell. I'm going to clean it. I think it could be pond bs premier true splitter. Solid rock its on. Also note: the rock on the north face crack is the same/very similar to the amazingly condusive rock the surf the boogie and angulation wall. Solid.

Zoom in. You'll see its got a lot of POTENTIAL. Who knows til its climbed though.

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Wannabe: the new wall has a tree stand on the southern end but is clean (I saw no trash). Even past craggy pines where climbers rarely go there is broken glass and trash. The locals and hunters go/had gone where most climbers didn't. Trail maintainence (chain saw(s)) and trash pick up would do wonders.

Also! Building cairns across the boulder field at brown rocks to direct people to exploration wall and the various boulders. Trail creating and maintainence and trash pick up would be awesome. DCNR never wrote me back. Also C3PA hasn't emailed me back either about my bellefonte inquiry...

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

I'm blown away this crack right in brown rocks hasn't created a reputation (named, beta passed down or publicly known). Well ill climb it and name it if no one knows its beta (has it even been climbed before, etc?).

overlooked crack?

Here's the vertical section. Short route maybe 25ft but solid looking.

Could this crack have been overlooked? Its short but sweet looking. Maybe can link it to a potential finger splitter on the adjacent wall (this potential splitter is at the top of the west facing wall and has potential. If the belayer stands at the corner the link up could actually be straight forward, that is rope management will be simple and smooth).

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

If we really want to maximize pond banks potential (I'm uncomfortable saying this but its not my rock to control) there are at least 4 solid routes (one is 5.11+ and solid means rock and route/line) that would take bolts very well. Possibly/probable classics.

Me personally: boldy bolt (least amount to be safe) and only bolt the few, quality lines that are stereotypically sport route material/energy (sport route material = forced to use certain holds to ascend, not many hold options but what's there is 5.9, 5.10, 5.11 plus holds. Also no potential for pro on lead at all, no cracks just one solid piece of rock).

Thoughts?

Keep in mind the energy of the place is trad moderates. The 3 existing bolted routes are 2 5.10s and a 5.7/8. Let's keep with the tradition that if pond b is to get bolts they will be on harder, unprotectable lines with solid rock (let's keep the area quality).

When you see the overhanging pillar or the boulders remeber this is pond bank, pa not yosemite or gretna or gov stables, etc. If we appreciate what's there and maximize its potential (few bolts, record and share all route beta well on mtn proj at least for the guide app) we will have an amazing climbing area with amazing energy.

Please share what you do at pond b here on mtn proj for the future climbers and the guidebook app. Pond b = potential.

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Calling for snow this weekend. I'm going to check with my wife but I plan on being at pond b this weekend scouting the pillar and boulder crack and starting to clean out the project crack. regardless of the weather (rains the only deterrent) I'm there. If its nice enough (no wind and coldest being 30deg) some climbing (lead solo, top rope solo or if a balayers there just traditionally lead). Belayer or not I'll be there so anyones welcome.

Good things can come of cancelled old rag trips!

Michael C · · New Jersey · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 340

Really awesome stuff, Stoned Master. Definitely want to hit this up on my "PA Road Trip".

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northeastern States
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