The Narrows - PA Ice - CrisBrady.Net

A disclaimer: Ice climbing is a dangerous activity, only practiced by mentally defective humans who's idea of a fun time is to stand around in sub-zero weather on sheets of ice, while pouring cupfuls of ice water down their back while simultaneously poking numerous holes in their expensive gore-tex garments and/or body with sharp instruments. Stubs where their frostbitten appendages have been amputated are objects of amusement to this type of deviant being. Normal humans can be found drinking beer and eating hot wings while watching the SuperBowl in a environment designed to nurture human life and society. Ice climbers don't have girlfriends, or really any normal social relationships. There's an extremely high percentage of Information Technology types (i.e. computer geeks) in the ice climbing world. Draw your own conclusion.

Still here? Sorry but got a little sidetracked there. Time for

Disclaimer #2 (for the lawyers among us): Ice Climbing is a dangerous activity! You can get dead or even really dead. This is a bad thing. There is no Ice Climbing Rescue Society hanging around to get your sorry boneheaded ass out of trouble. You are personally responsible for yourself. This is a fundamental change from today's American society. If you decide to climb ice, you WILL get hurt. If you can't deal with this, go back to the rock gym where you can sign a waiver. The best you can expect is, if you get hurt we might name a climb or feature after you, ie. the Dead Newbie Belay Ledge. Don't even think about suing me or my dog (who's the real author of this) if you do something stupid, like go ice climbing in Pennsylvania. Like your mom said: If Billy next door went Ice Climbing, would you?

Ice Climbing BAD! Don't Do It!

What is the Narrows? The Narrows are a band of cliffs approximately 300-400 feet high ( I always forget to bring the tape measure in the pack) The faces are bisected by narrow gullies. Several ice flows of up to 300+ feet form on the main cliff faces and in the gullies and on the gully headwalls. Climbs range from NEI 2 to NEI 5. Probably the most consistent ice climbing area in Eastern PA. In the last 20 years I only recall one year (2001) when I didn't get a least one weekend in.

Location (How to get there): The Narrows is located on PA Rt 32 (aka River Road), along the Delaware River, just outside of the town of Kintnersville, PA in Bucks Count. Here's a map link: http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?ed=M7tNO.p_0TqT&csz=Kintnersville%2C+PA

Access Issues: From what I can tell, the cliffs and gullies are part of the Delaware Canal State Park. Regulation is currently non-existent and we want to keep it that way. Remember Disclaimers #1 & #2. Ice climbing is bad! stay away and go home! If you ignore this advice, make sure you follow the #1 rule: Don't Be An Asshole Don't walk in the middle of the highway causing the locals to swerve around you, walk on the shoulder in the snow, you got ice boots on buddy. If the parking turnoff is not plowed, don't park on shoulder halfway in the road. Get the shovel out and go to work. We don't want to piss off the local police and come back to find our cars towed. Be Low Key. Patronize local stores, pizza joints. What we want is for the locals to genially shake their heads, mutter "Crazy Bastards", and be on their way, forgetting all about us. Once local /state/federal government start noticing us, it's all downhill. Think "Stealth Thoughts"

Condition Reports: This is easy, tune your browser to NEICE.com and check the PA area conditions report. After you come back, drop a note in the forums and let others know how things are. And if you want really good karma, give them a donation (they take Paypal). Even $10 will help. It takes money to run a website and they do a kick ass job.

Alias: The Narrows have been known by various names in the years I've been climbing there: Rieglesville, Kintnersville, K'Ville, and most recently, The Narrows.

From the South: PA Rt 611 North to the town of Kintnersville. Take a right onto River Road (Rt 32) at the split in town. Follow River Road along the River for about a mile. There will be a pulloff on the right with room for 10 or more cars - usually plowed (bring your shovel in case it's not). Across the river at this point is a power plant. You know you're at the right place when you come across a groups of neon colored creatures wandering around aimlessly on the highway staring up at the sky like they're looking for the mothership. Geez, these guys need to get out more often.

Geology: The cliffs are composed of some nasty, crumbly red material with some vague "rock-like" attributes, not to be confused with real rock. As you're bashing up the gullies, be thankful for all the water freezing the "rock" together in somewhat of a stable form. In the summer time, poison ivy performs the same function as ice.

Ethics: Hey this is Ice Climbing, we're Manly Men™ doing Manly Things. We don't need ethics lessons from you gym climbing metrosexual.

But for you newbies: Ice is a "precious" thing in Eastern PA. The season is short and a ill-timed warm snap can bring everything tumbling to the ground. So that way radical column that's almost touching the ground? Don't throw a top rope over it and proceed to bash the hell out of it. Can't climb delicate stuff yet? Then head off to the Daks where you can stomp around to your hearts delight on Roaring Brook Falls. Use the rap rings on the belay/rap stations, they're there for a reason. Above all, be courteous, let faster parties through, don't hog climbs with top ropes, etc.

Resources:

NEICE.com - conditions / photos / forums
Tim's Climbing Page - Southwestern PA climbing info
Central PA Ice - conditions / photos / links

Climbs: This isn't going to be real detailed. One of the joys of this sport is figuring this stuff out for yourself. This will get you pointed in the right direction. If you don't know how to climb, don't bother sending me email asking for tips/pointers/help. Get yourself up to the Daks or North Conway and take lessons from IME or EMS. Remember this shit can get you killed.

From the main parking area, walk left (facing cliff) about 100 yards. You'll see a gully leading up into the cliff face. This is the Main Gully, 4 or 5 pitches of NEI 2 leading to a headwall up high. Lots of folks solo this, but lots also run ropes too. Good bolt anchors - also used for rapping stations. (thanks to Griz and the folks who contributied to the belay bolting project). The Pencil NEI 5, is up on the left side of the gully. The headwall of the gully has couple of nice 1 pitch routes (NEI 3) Go right up the gully to the bottom of the right side of the headwall. There's a nice big ledge up there where people belay from. Couple of bolts to anchor off of. You can set up a top rope by going up and right from the belay ledge and around to the top of the climbs. Most of the routes have nice bolts at the top.

From the foot of the Main Gully, walk left another 100 yards and there's a huge flow covering the full cliff. 3 pitches of NEI 3/4 climbing, called Main Flow. Some people go up Main Gully, do a pitch on the headwall, walk left and above the Main Flow and drop a top rope and do the last pitch.

From the main parking area, walk right about 150 yards and there's another gully, called Dead Deer Gully (from the dead deer we had to step over one winter to get to the gully) Steep, but short 1st pitch to get into the gully, and then it eases and becomes a snow slog. Some small but interesting stuff in this gully. The headwall isn't as nice as Main Gully's, but sometime you can do some wild mixed overhangs and stuff on toprope.

There's more in the area, but that's enough to get you started. Say hi if you see a blue WRX with Alpine Motorsports stickers on the windows. Climb safe and have fun!