Green Pond, NJ

Yes!!!!!!
Thank you
Great Pics
Fisheye lens
That shows the steep, nice!!
Take care have fun

check out the approach via october hill road. you will arrive on top of the main cliff on top of "bowling alley". requires a 2 pitch rapell descent. or head west along cliff top. look for the small cairn. climbing trail cuts in to the left. expect some heavy bushwaking to reach the cliff. i can send along a map. AF well the local political guy is expressing interest. that should be leverged. jia

if enough people approach morris county and the state then i think access can be enhanced. anyway up for pushing the issue. john anderson

Looks very gunks like... thnx for posting all the images. I don't know why you NJ climbing folks even need to leave the state now!

jia wrote:check out the approach via october hill road. you will arrive on top of the main cliff on top of "bowling alley". requires a 2 pitch rapell descent. or head west along cliff top. look for the small cairn. climbing trail cuts in to the left. expect some heavy bushwaking to reach the cliff. i can send along a map. AF well the local political guy is expressing interest. that should be leverged. jia

@jia - John, I'm Michael. Andrew S's friend. Haven't spoke to him in a while but I was the one who contacted you guys last year when I saw the article in Climberism.

@Ryan L - awesome job scouting and providing the info on where NOT to go.

Like many places in Jersey where climbing is questionable, going in ninja style and keeping a low profile, far from the eyes and ears of the authortities who would shut us down, is the way to proceed.

@Norm - message me about the Access Fund. I can put you in the loop with Andrew S. who did most of the behind-the-scenes work with Morris County to get the climbing survery accomplished.

=

This climb could be called Center Stage, it looks out at the old ski area,
Stress Test and the corner to the right , the Low Stress start are good intros to the climbing here.
A second ascent independent of members of the FA is needed for a grade opinion.

Past the better looking big right facing corner,-caped by the roof with the hand cracks running through it - Members only, Is the LEFT FACING corner that is the STRESS TEST.
The base is clear for a good belay.
The start is the easy step up to the thin seam/crack in the low angle grayish, face. When the seam ends step left, and back right. . . .

.thirty five feet right of this is the right facing corner crack LOW STRESS, It sows up the short corner and can be easily led with good nut placements.
Pretty much arriving at;
The first fifty feet lead to a 'scruffy' (loose stuff on edges) ledge with bunk trees that I stepped around for my third point, the bugs have arrived, so I was already wearing Deet which seemed good as I pushed up left through this mank but a ledge, to the first crux.
Several dance moves left and up found me on a hollow sounding shield or band of rock that led to a ledge with a large loose block on the left.
The best pro was just behind the tip of the block.
There is other gear possible and I went with that.
The path is clear to the corner (darn bushes, sling 'em )and short 'flying buttress' that one reaches by heading right then stem the corner till the top, move right and up,
say hello to the springy branch,
& do not have any brave ideas,
Sling that branch !!
move right off the cleaned on lead, so dirty, bucket to the top.

Love it. I did some climb scouting where I am in Taiwan. Bald Sandstone. Lead to nothing unfortunately. You can see it here: ajwisz.wordpress.com/2015/0…

I am coming home to NJ/NY this summer from living in Asia for a few years and I'll be coming with a full trad rack and an itch to climb anything close to me (live in Bergen County). I was setting my eyes mainly on the Gunks and possibly the DWG but I'm up to ninja this if anyone is game.

Cheers,
Alex

this looks like a nice little surprise! just moved back from Utah and would love to try this place out to scratch that climbing itch. thanks for all the beta all, and the lil guidebook.

How does the top of the cliff band look for setting up a TR? any good trees or will i be exposing myself to much? My climbing partner will be intermittently around and I would love to just hang and rope solo a few routes.

GP is not a place for easy TR set-ups. bring extra webbing/runners/ maintain no bolt moratorium. rap inspecting routes is prudent. watch for loose rocks and choose. best time to climb is fall. foliage in summer is thick.

With a stretch of great weather; freezing temps at night,
clouds and breezes, most of the day, the bugs were nill.
.

This was an old target that is the third stack in, from the western hatch

Normally, this corner holds the midges and 'skeeters, as it is protected from the wind.

Once Michael C posted this, there should have been a climbing hoard at the cliffs every weekend.
@CEN-Michael C
May 29, 2013
Mt Minsi, PA
quote " I found an AMGA Bulletin that contains the same info as the article in Climberism, along with contact info for the people involved with getting this area opened for climbing. So, I'm going to go ahead and send them my questions."

Green Pond – The Crown Jewel of NJ Climbing

Green Pond Mountain, 1,289 feet in elevation, is located
in Rockaway and Jefferson Township, NJ, its broad
expanse edged by the elbow of the Pequannock River.
Green Pond Mountain is a good example of Highlands
geography. The Green Pond Outlier is a complex
northeast-trending belt of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks
that bisects the Precambrian crystalline rocks of Reading
Prong and extends for 65 miles into New York.
Green Pond climbing was highlighted by a Matt Carlardo
cover shot and associated article in the AMC’s Outdoors
magazine in 2006.

The Cliffs Proper

Green Pond Mountain features 2 notable bands of cliffs,
which are located in the Craigmeur Recreation Area. The
eastern end of the precipice is known as “Green Pond
Cliffs”, while the western cliff-band has historically been
labeled “Hawks Cliff ”. This section of cliff ranges from
180’ to 220’ in height and 2,000’ feet wide. At the base
of these cliffs is a large and complex talus field presenting
many potential bouldering opportunities. The cliff angles
outward and upward with some of the most committing
multi-pitch routes in New Jersey. Horizontal holds, thin
faces, vertical cracks and overhangs abound. Hawks Cliff
offers a rare opportunity for true adventure climbing and
first ascents of traditional routes and highball boulder
problems. There is historic evidence of climbing here,
ranging from rusty pins and bolts, to the old Goldline
rope found on what is now called Goldline Ledge. The
site has some of the most beautiful vistas anywhere in the
state, and most climbers that have visited, agree that the
area could be a major regional rock-climbing destination.

Access to Green Pond ??

Green Pond climbing was ramped up a few notches in
2010, after 20+ years of dormancy.? Andrew Sinclair ? a local climber,?
and John Anderson, an AMGA member
since 1987, along with a small group of AMGA Certified
Guides, ? have completed a series of first known ascents
at Green Pond, with the purpose of assess the quality ?
of climbing as a public resource for the Morris County
Park System.? Their proposal is currently awaiting
finalization ? by Morris County that would allow for access ?
to AMGA Certified Guides and their clients. ?For liability ?
reasons, ?and considering the adventurous nature of the
climbing,? the area will not yet be open to non-guided
climbing.? It is important to note that this article does
not guarantee climbing access.? Access at Green Pond will
be under specific stipulations? set by the Morris County
Parks Commission.? Climbing on this unique and fragile
resource is a privilege,? as well as a unique experience in
this part of the country.?-CEN@

thanks Michael C,

I think there is a three mile ridge line,
If you go be careful, wear a helmet, carry out everything you carry in.
The 1 rule no one can argue with
do not mess this place up.
The climbing is; the way it should be ,Raw and adventurous,
Place your own gear no bolts, and almost no fixed gear.
But in this day and age do your best! Whatever that means to you.
If the old adage "youth knows no bounds" holds true here,
and the kids i see in the NJ gyms start to climb outside,
NJ is about to have a Destination climbing area,
that has been a climbing zone for more than a hundred years.
get out there and get some.

Margo Heads West on the Erie Canal

paddle4blue.wordpress.com

climb on, sweetness of green pond...

outdoors.org/publications/a…

Alexander Wisz wrote:Love it. I did some climb scouting where I am in Taiwan. Bald Sandstone. Lead to nothing unfortunately. You can see it here: ajwisz.wordpress.com/2015/0… I am coming home to NJ/NY this summer from living in Asia for a few years and I'll be coming with a full trad rack and an itch to climb anything close to me (live in Bergen County). I was setting my eyes mainly on the Gunks and possibly the DWG but I'm up to ninja this if anyone is game. Cheers, Alex

Alex, If youre looking for some really local rock take a look at Powerlinez over in suffern. If you've been away thats a fairly recent development probably pretty close to you.

Ryan L and Jia, thanks for the pics. After another season of some low key exploration hopefully we'll all have some nice clean routes and well established beta by fall.

STRESS TEST,
was a test, we were not overly 'stealthy' and sent some rocks down.
No one noticed? and the band was packed and gone.
We have been climbing at Green Pond almost every week since March.
so when the heat and bugs hit I took a break.

Alex, If youre looking for some really local rock take a look at Powerlinez over in suffern. If you've been away thats a fairly recent development probably pretty close to you. Ryan L and Jia, thanks for the pics,
After another season of some low key exploration hopefully we'll all have some nice clean routes and well established beta by fall.,/quote>

This is hard to understand. Read JIA's last link.

Green Pond Is a well developed and established climbing zone.

There are hundreds of clean, safe & fun routes.

there is plenty of Beta , I have been climbing there for Decades!

I am still putting up lines, with JIA and MRS, Brett M

Or with any one else who wants to join in.

I am a mouse click away.

I live in Bergen County and do plan on visiting Powerlinez--joined the group and plan on purchasing the new Rakkup guidebook (the place must have a serious following).

Michael, I'd love to go out there with you sometime. I return to the US next week and don't want to have too long a break from climbing. I trad lead up to 5.9, have some multipitch experience and give a soft catch. We should keep in touch.

I won't have a car for a little while though. Working on that.

Cheers,
Alex

...

Michael, good to know. Thanks for the correction. As I understood, Gp was still in some need of revamping and lacked the cleaning that more traveled destinations typically undergo every season.

Hope to see you out there one of these days.

 Yes, a detective lives on the dead end and yes we are very observant of the cars coming and going on Deerhaven. We know what every person on the street drives so if a car is left sitting on the road or near the road on Greenpond it is going to be checked out. We have had a few break in's over the years so people on the street are weary. The closest access point without going through anyone's yard is probably.. - At the head of the jeep trail just past Deerhaven lane. It will be on your right going towards Rt. 80 from Rt. 23. There is really only parking for one car and sometimes they put wire across the trail head so be careful pulling in. It is not a normal place to see cars parked outside of hunting time so it may draw some attention. You will need to follow the jeep trail that runs along Deerhaven and then head through the woods towards the cliff. If you see the houses at the end of Deerhaven please divert away, cross the stream and then continue on to the cliff. If your on the house side of the stream in front of the cliffs your on private property. My dogs are pretty protective of the land around our house and they often go into the woods to go to the bathroom so please just keep a distance if your going to the cliffs through the woods. - Right before Deerhaven coming from Rt. 23 to Rt. 80 is a bridge with a full view of the cliffs. There is enough parking there for 2 cars and you could walk along the marshy area back to the cliffs (probably pretty boggy). That is the most direct route (besides cutting through private property). A lot of this land is owned by watershed and I see them patrolling often, especially around the ball field area as they are trying to catch dirtbikes heading across the street to the reservoir. The best option for not drawing attention is the ballfield by the RR tracks but watch for watershed patrol. They drive pickups usually and plan to encounter some pretty thick woods. It is a mess back there after the hurricane - OR - driving on green pond from Rt. 23 towards Rt. 80 there is a trail head on the right side of the road a bit after Deerhaven Ln right before the big hill up to Craigmere. That trail will connect you to the jeep trails. There is enough parking for a few cars and people often hike in that way to get to the top of the mountain ranges. Regarding the end of Bigelow rd. they are just now erecting a huge parking garage next to the apartments in what used to be open area to park. The paved turn around is specifically there for the school bus as they cannot make the turn anywhere else on that road so do not block it. If you go in this way you need to follow the trail to the top of the cliff and come down from the top. I would not plan on trying to cut behind the houses on the right side of Vassar as the smaller part of the cliff is basically in their back yard. There is no way you can sneak in that way. I have always known there to be a chain link type fence at the end of Vassar blocking access into the woods. PLEASE NOTE - copperheads are abundant here, especially near the cliff. Watch where you step and place your hands when going up the loose boulders at the base. AND, some of the boulders are not stuck in place so use caution when scrambling over them. Here is a map of what I am referring to above. This is what you may see if you sneak through the property unannounced. The other one will be shortly behind. Hint, they run fast! Please don't sneak up on us.

access to green pond is predicated on climbers assuming risk for access. crossing folks backyards is stupid considering legal sites to park and yes your not going to get some huge number of parking areas. obtain a copy of the NY/NJ walk book. follow directions for parking for the red dot trail. access in and access out. otherwise one is tresspassing. course green pond is for "soul climbers of the highlands".