RICK’S ROCKS

A Climber’s Guide
By Christopher Eskow
 Table of Contents • 1

Table of Contents

Introduction
About This Guide ...................................... 2
About Rick’s Rocks ................................... 3

Climbing Routes
Blairstown Crack ....................................... 4
One Bowl Gully ......................................... 8
The Pessimist ........................................... 14
Proboscis .................................................. 20
One Damn Thing After Another ................. 26
2 • Introduction
About This Guide
The Climber’s Guide series of climbing
guide books are short, yet detailed booklets
that explain in depth how to climb and lead
various climbing routes around the world.
Each guide book is tailored to a specific
climbing area, and is designed to be clipped
into the climber’s harness for easy reference.
Each climbing route includes the follow-
ing details:
• Name
• Short description
• Route difficulty grade, using the
Yosemite system with a,b,c,d extensions for
5.10 and harder and +,- extensions for routes
easier than 5.10
• Route quality based on the author’s
experience, from one to five stars
• Protection rating based on the difficulty
of lead, using the American movie ratings of
G, PG, R, X, plus TR for routes that are not
leadable at all and must be toproped
• Instructions on how to climb and lead,
complete with pictures of where to place
protection
• A list of variations of the route and their
grades
Introduction • 3
About Rick’s Rocks
Rick’s Rocks is a cliffband on a large
ridge in the New Jersey side of the Delaware
Water Gap National Recreational Area, about
nine miles from the Water Gap itself. The
cliffs, 45 to 80 feet tall, are similar to those
at Mount Tammany and Mount Minsi. It is a
good beginner’s area, since it is relatively
easy to set up topropes.
The cliffs are hundreds of feet long, but
except for a few cleaned faces and but-
tresses, they are composed mostly of loose,
mediocre-quality rock. The best climbing is
at the right end, where the trail approaches
the base. There are several nice moderate
lines there on a clean, 35-foot-tall face. Mixed
rock-and-ice lines sometimes materialize
when the conditions are right.
To reach Rick’s Rocks, take I-80 to exit
4A and head north and east on NJ 94. Once
you reach Blairstown, turn left onto Warren
County 602 (Bridge St.). After travelling 5.7
miles, park in the semi-circular pullout on the
left. Follow the obvious, well-maintained path
that leads up to the base of the cliffs.
20 • Proboscis Proboscis • 21

Proboscis Use the jutting boulder on your right to ad-

vance, then place another nut in the smooth
vertical crack shown below.
A good intermediate route for leading. Begins
below an arete and conspicious nose 30 feet
left of The Pessimist.

Grade: 5.6
Quality: ****
Protection: PG

Begin by climbing directly up the arete. The

first piece of protection can be placed about
15 feet from the bottom. Place a nut inside
the crack underneight the small overhang.
At the next flat surface, place a nut in the
small crack on the left, and a cam in the wide
mount on the right. Attach both to a couple of
slings and the rope.
22 • Proboscis
About 6 feet above the previous dual place-
ments, place a nut in the vertical crack to the
left of the small ledge.
Climb up the smooth, low-angled slope and
place a cam in the narrowest part of the
vertical crack to your left. Use a long sling,
because the rope will run well to the right of
the placement.
Proboscis • 23
Your next two pieces of protection are
over the small lip and underneith the large
overhang. The first one is a cam in the large
horizontal mouth on the right side of the jut-
ting 90° edge. The second one is a nut in the
small pyramid-shaped hole 3 feet directly un-
der the overhang. Use large slings for both.
Those with good strength can climb di-
rectly over the overhang. A good handhold
is located just out of sight on the right (see
picture). Otherwise, bypass the overhang on
its right side.
24 • Proboscis

Once over the overhang, rest your arms for

a moment and climb up to the clean ledge
about 3 feet up. Place a cam in the wide
crack to your right at about chest level.

Head diagonally up and to the right until you

reach a grassy ledge. Stretch to grab the thin
ledge just out of reach. Walk your feet up the
smooth wall until you can use your right hand
to grab onto higher hold to advance yourself
further. Place a nut in the obvious crack
directly in front of you, then pull yourself over
the top of the cliff.