Tammany Girdle (Incomplete)

When climbing at the Delaware Water Gap is mentioned, most people describe the style of climbing as "Adventure Climbing" due to the moss covered and vegetated nature of the rock, and the limited climbing traffic the majority of the cliff receives. With that being said, if you are looking for some long adventure climbing, the Tammany Girdle will absolutely fit the bill.

I'll point out here we did our best to follow the guidebook description, which is laughably vague for such a long route, so if we did not follow the "true" girdle route line, it was because we honestly had no idea where we were going.

Per the Falcon Guide "Rock Climbing New Jersey" "Tammany Girdle (5.7) Traverse the middle of the cliff from I-80 to Easy Lieback in many pitches. At the Colorado route, temporarily descend enough to bypass the bleak, dark wall."

So I'll try to further clarify the above description with our chosen route:

Pitch 1: Start on Dead Man's Curve and climb the entire pitch. At the fixed anchor, continue climbing right under a low roof until a “V” notch is reached. Climb to the top of the notch and belay at a stance. 5.8+ 150ft.

Pitch 2: Climb right from the belay and follow the grassy ledges which angle up and right at approximately 1/3 cliff height. Belay on a grassy ledge with a fixed sling after approximately 150ft. 5.1

Pitch 3: Climb right on easy ~5.6 terrain up a slabby ramp and continue climbing right. Near the end of the pitch, climb across a chimney and belay at a stance with some old fixed slings. 5.7 150 ft

Pitch 4: Climb right off the belay to the inside corner, and down climb the corner approximately 6 feet, then move right and around the outside corner and continue climbing right and slightly up. Belay at the outside corner near the Class Four Ramp Area. 5.8 PG 13 150ft.

Pitch 5: Climb right across the Class Four Ramp to the steeper wall with diagonaling cracks, utilizing the cracks pull around onto the slabby ramp and continue up and right to the belay at the end of Black Wall pitch 1. 5.8 100ft.

Pitch 6: Climb the inside corner pitch of Black Wall, and continue right past the tree below the ceiling and across the easy face ending at the top of Triumvirate. 5.7 100ft.

Pitch 7: Traverse right off the belay and follow the wide crack to The Rib, follow the corner to the top of the wall and the P2 bolts. 5.3 50ft.

Rappel The Rib until you reach the slabby ramp below Friends in High Places at about 50ft off the ground.

Pitch 8: We fought thru some trees under "spanning the gap", and then started diagonaling up the wall, eventually joining the first pitch of Double Overhang, ending on a steeply angled ledge at the outside corner about 15 feet above the Mid-wall juniper on Double Overhang. (Very awkward belay, but the best spot for the traverse - 15 feet left of and 6 feet above the Corkscrew Belay)

Pitch 9: From the P8 belay, it is only about 15 feet to the Corkscrew first station belay. Passing the corkscrew belay and continuing around the arete, we continued across, passing Martin's Fall with very thin gear (Brassies / Ballnuts), and continuing just past Tree Toad Fracture on the slabs (RT#67 in the Falcon Guide). This section is dangerous for the second. The last 20 feet to the inside corner tenuous and unprotected at about 5.8 if you find the holds.

Pitch 10: From P9 it was easy traversing up slabs with occasional fights with trees. Belayed on the slabs about 120 feet at a spot about 20' below a large tree with slings and rings.

The angle after of the cliff is dramatically reduced, I think the remaining traversing pitches would be relatively easy.

Pitch 11: Here, we topped out - was good climbing till the last 20 feet, which were loose with a loose and steep topout. I don't recommend repeating the top out.

Start on Dead Man’s Curve.

Rack with doubles in small cams up to 4” Double Ropes highly recommended.