Credibility Gap  5.6

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Type:  Trad, 2 pitches, 160 feet Consensus:  5.6 [details] FA:  Jim McCarthy, Joe Kelsey, Dick Williams 1968 Submitted By:  Jeff Welch on Apr 23, 2007 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (40) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Andy Bennett on the beginning of Credibility Gap -...

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Area closures MORE INFO >>> 2013 Peregrine Closure: Bloody Bush (5.7) to Overhanging Layback (5.7). This includes Arch, Ribs, Strictly, Shockley's and the Mac Wall. Best wishes to the nestlings. This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Description 

ACCESS ALERT (3/20/12): ATTENTION CLIMBERS - ROUTE CLOSURE! Due to nesting Peregrine Falcons, the section of the Trapps Cliff between and including the routes Credibility Gap (5.6) and Bitchy Virgin (5.6) is temporarily closed to rock climbing. Do not use ascent trails or rappel routes that access this area. Do not use the section of the cliff base climber's trail between these routes. Please refrain from excessive noise making while in the vicinity of the this closure. Thanks to the climbing community for your help in protecting the Peregrines! -- Mohonk Preserve.

Credibility Gap is a fun 5.6 just the the left of Asphodel's huge right-facing corner. The route begins right at the base of the corner.

Pitch 1 is a good introduction to 5.6 for a solid 5.5 leader. The crux moves are exciting and exposed, but the holds are all big, and the moves well protected. The route is better than it looks from the ground.

P1: Climb the crack in the slick but slabby left face of the corner. From the top, diagonal up and left on easy rock to an obvious, low-angle right facing corner. You can belay here, but I found no need to. Climb the corner to the roof, then make an airy exit left onto the face. Go straight up the steep face to the ledge with a couple pine trees (this is also the belay for Welcome to the Gunks. 5.6 G/PG, ~90 feet.

P2: Straight up to the largest overhang about 30 feet up, step left and climb up the face to a small flaky left-facing corner, step back right and go up to a pine tree on the GT ledge. 5.5 PG, 60 feet.

Descent: it is possible to rappel the route with one rope; however, two ropes are recommended. From the GT ledge, one rappel gets you back to the first belay at the top of Welcome to the Gunks. The best bet is to rap on two ropes to the ground from here, or a second rappel on one rope takes you too a fairly sketchy anchor under a roof, where you can make a third rap to the ground.

Location 

About an 8-min walk down the carriage road from the Uberfall; after the Mac Wall, but before Beginner's Delight. The trail for Welcome to the Gunks provides the quickest access.

Protection 

The Williams guide gives P1 a PG rating; however, I felt the pitch was G. The crux protects well with a larger cam (3.5 Friend). There are some short runouts, but only on very easy rock. Other than the large cam, a standard Gunks rack is fine.

Photos of Credibility Gap Slideshow

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The start of Credibility Gap. I got off route by c...

BETA PHOTO: Just before the crux move. I got three cams - a go...