Avg: 2.1 from 36
votes
Terrific exposure and several steep sections make this an exciting and fairly stout 5.7. Rope drag is ridiculously bad, owing to several horizontal sections--there doesn't seem to be any way around this--and there is a considerable amount of loose rock. Also, we weren't really sure where to go after pitch four, when you reach the top of the main column, so we rapped off of fixed rings found on the side of the formation (which was kind of sketchy).
There are three ways to descend.
1. Locate the tree with rap slings/ring just up from where you top out the buttress. Rappel from this to the west (climber's right) down to the ledge and rap rings at the top of Climbin' Punishment's 3rd pitch and from there to the anchors on Roy Gap Chimney's 1st pitch.
2. Rap to the east (climber's left) down into the gully (the wall of Craving for Pink/Hidden Gem will be on your right). Locate a square-cut block and a two-bolt anchor. If you have a 60m rope, this will require just a bit a easy scrambling to reach. From the anchor, rap down into The Great Chimney, over the Backscratcher area, to another two-bolt anchor. Rap from there down the chimney to the ground.
3. Walkoff to the south and east. You'll have to scramble up a bit and then east (climber's left) to reach a faint trail. Drop down some easy ledges on the east side, keeping an eye out for a short wall studded with old pitons. Continue moving south and down the easy ledges to reach the slope of the hill. Cut across and down the slope (careful of loose rock under the leaves and debris), going through a small gully. On the far side of the gully continue moving across at an angle and reach an old logging road. Follow this all the way back down the hill to Roy Gap Run, cross that and you're at Roy Gap Road.
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Palmyra, Pennsylvania
Some loose rock (though not terrible at all) but great exposure. Aug 5, 2010
Jersey City, NJ
The exposure is terrific. The climbing just ok. The gear is fairly solid. Did not do the last pitch. Feb 15, 2011
Campton, NH/Warmington, UK
We rapped down the west face off the block at the end of the 2nd pitch, which as of 19APR has a strand of webbing and two cords with 3 rap rings. From this rap you'll reach another set of slings with one ring that are decent. Alternatively, move to climbers right from the second rap station along the ledge and locate the two-bolt anchor atop Right Tope. Apr 20, 2015
Campton, NH/Warmington, UK
1.) Locate the anchors atop Craving for Pink/Hidden Gem on the east face of the top pillar and rap down to a two-bolt anchor on a big ledge, just north of the large pine tree (top of Window on the West and Back-scratcher). The lower station is just below the 4th pitch of G-D, but off to climber's left a bit.
2.) Rap down into Great Chimney and find a two bolt-anchor just below a large twin-forked tree.
3.) Rap to the base (60m will make it).
Both rap anchors have an extra quick-link or ring on one side in order to create a better aligned directional pull when rapping and pulling the rope. Please don't think there's any hardware missing. Aug 3, 2015
As for gear, a standard rack will do. Ball nuts were definitely helpful for me, and you could place a #4 in a few spots if you feel like bringing one up but we got away without it. Jul 22, 2023
The lower portion of p1 is largely composed of large slotted blocks with a crux coming out of the first section of p1 (5.6). The second part of p1 leads you to a spot where you can either round the east face on the left and go into a dihedral with good pro, or stay out on the spine itself. Both had chalk. The dihedral protects well and was pleasant enough for the grade (5.5ish). From above, staying on the spine looked like it had a lot of lichen, so I'm not sure if this is the more standard way or not.
The anchor for the top of P1 can be constructed a bit lower (10-15 ft?) by a hemlock tree quite comfortably rather than by the bolted anchors for Slipstream, but bear in mind this could put your belayer for P2 in the path of rockfall, whereas the bolted anchor looked more protected. P2 itself is spooky because of rock quality, but may be more solid staying a bit right, if memory serves. There's a slung block at the top of P2 to build an anchor at, but it's not the greatest spot. The position is fine, but be mindful of the minefield of loose rock that litters this position.
For P3, use the crack on the right side of the face of the ridge after clearing the gap. Bailed for P4. It looked like P4 cleaned up better than P2 or the top of P3, but we were mentally a bit fried from how much loose stuff there is on this route. Approach with caution and watch out for folks on other routes on the west face of this buttress/ridge, because the choss you rain down can definitely hit them. The anchors to the great chimney are down and to the left of P3 belay ledge in the photo, though do require an easy but slightly sketch down climb.
We didn't have any issues with rope drag while climbing and anchors on the rappel looked great. Be aware that on the final rappel pitch for the Great Chimney on the left/east face of the buttress that you do have to go through a dirty tunnel of rhododendron. We got down alright, but may be worth it to saddlebag the rope if you don't want to dirty the rope or spend the rappel picking it out of trees. Jul 22, 2023