Bouldering in Pennsylvania

We have added tons of new info here, make sure to check out the whole page as there is new stuff at the bottom, as well. Although we have only included information on a few areas, there is quite a bit of bouldering in the state of Pennsylvania. We are very interested in obtaining more information on bouldering here so, if you have any information, please e-mail us.

Chickies Rock

Jonathan Smith e-mailed us some information on Chickies Rock, which is located just west of Lancaster off of Route 30. If coming from Lancaster, you want to take the Route 441 exit before crossing the Susquehanna River. Follow 441 north. The road goes up a large hill. On the left is parking and the trailhead that leads back to the top of Chicky's Rock and a beautiful view of the Susuehanna. The rock is large, many people have been hurt and killed at this rock. When you take 441 north, if you take it to the bottom of the hill there is parking on the left side of the road. When you take the trail in, there will be a cave half way through that has the majority of the bouldering. There are a couple nice lines there, but mostly eliminates. Two classics are the lip traverse which is 5.10, and the Excorcist which is V5. Problems here range from 5.9-V6.

Pole Steeple and Tumbling Run

Jonathan also sent us some information on Pole's Steeple and Tumbling Run near Carlisle. Pole's Steeple is located in Pine Grove Furnace State Park which is southwest of Carlisle. From Route 81 take exit 11 which is 233. Follow 233 south into the State Park. The trailhead is located just off the road that wraps behind Laurel Lake. It's about a 3/4 mile hike to the top of the mountain where the rocks are. Very nice climbing.

Tumbling Run is located just about 2 or 3 miles down the road from Laurel Lake. The trail follows a stream and waterfalls to the top of the mountain where there are some more nice rock formations similar to that of Pole's Steeple. I prefer this spot since it is less known than Pole's Steeple.

Haycock Mountain

Haycock Mountain, in Nockamixon State Park, is a ridge of diabase boulders in Northeastern Pennsylvania, about 16 miles north of Doylestown and about 15 minutes from High Rocks. From Route 611 (Old Easton Road) in Kitnersville, get on 412 North (Durham Road). After about 1/4 mile, at your first light, make a left onto 563 South (Mountain View Drive). Go 1 mile then make a right onto Top Rock Trail Road. The main parking area will be 1 mile down and on your left. A 10 minute hike up the red trail will get you to the start of the boulders. Haycock holds an enormous amount of potential, though there are already over 300 established problems from V0-V9. The bouldering here is very tricky and technical, often making the most obvious way to do a problem much harder than grade.

Rich Shoemaker on Ninja Squirrel, V7. Photograph by Char Fetterolf.

The rock is varied, from slabs to overhangs, and offers incredible friction. Some of the classics include Teddy Bear's Picnic, V1, The Flaming Moe, V4, Catching Flies, V5, Jesus Calls for War (AKA-Nightmare Arete), V7, Bokow, V8, and Hobo, V9. New lines are being added all the time and loads of classic lines are still waiting to be done.

The trails, which were struggling due to logging and bad weather, are in the process of being rebuilt and remarked. Also, Haycock is a huge and often confusing place, so it will take some searching to find the nicer boulders. The landings are varied, as with most areas, and range from flat grass to talus pits. There is also small guide available from the Doylestown Rock Gym and Rudolph's ATO. This is also state game lands so beware of hunters in season (wear orange!).

Livezey Rock

John Sherman's Stone Crusade describes Livezey Rock as "a schist outcrop tucked away in the woods of Philadelphia's Fairmont Park." This area contains many moderate boulder problems, and, according to Sherman, there are many other boulders scattered about Fairmont Park. Matt Snyder provided us with the following information on Livezey:

"99% of the problems there are beta intensive. They are all specific as to which hand holds and foots holds are in. On the lower boulder, there is a 40+ move V4 traverse and a variation that goes on the lower set of holds under the roof that goes at V6. There's a classic, unnamed three-move power problem that was put up around 1982 that goes at V6, which has recently seen a bunch of ascents. These problems also require beta, but are much more obvious lines than the others.

On the upper rock, the main area, there's another classic, called The Backbreaker. It goes at around V6/7 and is probably the most pure line at livezey (it's named for an obvious reason... if you fall and don't control the fall, you hit the "block"). Further down the trail, about 100 yards, away from the road, is a cool boulder with two lines, both pure. One is an unnamed V0+ and the other is a V7 called Mayday. It's a highball, but definitely a great problem.

Dave Rowland provided a bit of history on Mayday: "The route was originally top-roped (probably dozens of times) back in the early 80s; it was, at the time, considered possibly the Wissahickon's first .13 by the locals (though, it was later admitted, the grade is closer to .12 or .12+). No one at that time had the balls to solo the thing as crash pads--called "mattresses" at that time--were eschewed as being, in the words of one local who has soloed most of the harder lines at the main area, "...for pussies." In any event, the route was re-discovered and cleaned by Colby Barth in the spring of '99. Colby proceeded to get the first ascent later that spring after a few days of work grading the route V7. Later ascents, however, unhindered by gobs of lichen and pad slickening dirt, confirmed the grade at closer to V5+/V6- with a PG13 thrown in for good measure. As far as I know, Colby was the first to send the problem unroped." Dave grabbed the second ascent.

The best you could hope for is going there and seeing a local who can point out the problems because everything is strict as to right and left hands or if the standard right heel hook is in or not, or if the "block" is in for your feet, which it rarely is.... it's like a mini gym outside, but only better cause it's not plastic."

Josh Ewing, a former Philly local, provided the following beta for Livezey: Directions: Take Lincoln Drive away from the city. At the first stop light, take a right onto Wisahikon Drive. Then make your first left onto Wisahikon Ave. Cross back over Lincoln drive (you can't make a left off of Lincoln onto Wisahikon Ave.) and continue through several stoplights. After 3 or 4 lights Wisahikon Ave. will dead end at a T. Make a right and park on the first street to the right after that as you cannot park on Livezy Lane. Livezy lane is the first left after you make the right at Wisahikon's dead end T. Walk down Livezy lane past a Franklin Loyd Wright looking house on your right. Continue down the lane until you see a pullout on the left with a cement tube sticking up. Make a left and walk along the huge cement sewer pipe a couple of hundred yards to the rocks.

Livezy Rock main: This is the first rock you come to on your left. It has a great wall with tons of jugs and smaller holds for eliminate fun. On the far left of the wall is a crazy dyno (V6/7?) that goes from a ledge to a chicken head way up high. Past the far right side of the overhanging main wall and up is another vertical wall with crimpy holds. If you start at the crack on the left and traverse right and up around the corner, it goes at V1.

Middle rock: This is the rock visible directly below the main rock towards the river. As you head down the trail, there's a (V2/3 ish) heel hook problem that traverses up the right side of the boulder.

Lower rock: This is the real gem. Pass the middle rock and make a right to see this hidden boulder with a nice overhang facing the river. If you start around the corner to the left then traverse down and across the lip of the overhang, it goes at V2. A harder lower traverse clocks in around V3/4.

Ralph Stover State Park (High Rocks)

High Rocks is a scenic gorge located in Ralph Stover State Park, Bucks County, PA (not far from the NJ border). Although mostly known for its toproping opportunities, there is also some good trad climbing, sport climbing, and bouldering. The smooth shale rock makes for a different kind of climbing experience (love it or hate it). The best bouldering is in the Ripper Traverse area which offers a compelling array of well-chalked flakes on overhanging rock. The classics include the dynamic lunge Up (V1), the long and pumpy Ripper Traverse (V2/V3), the powerful Low Traverse (V5), the ballock-shriveling Battle Of The Bulge (aka Down) (V2 X), and the area's test-piece Marty Broke It (V7). A comprehensive guidebook to all forms of climbing there (Classic Rock Climbs #12: Ralph Stover State Park) is available from Falcon Publishing. The guidebook has a supporting web site .

Paul Nick on the Low Traverse at Ralph Stover State Park. Photograph by Vicki Schwartz.

McConnell's Mill State Park

McConnell's Mill State Park is a classic gritty sandstone bouldering area less than an hour north of the Pittsburgh metro area. Located 1/2 mile west of Interstate 79, just off of Route 422. Maps of McConnell's Mill are available at the Park office on McConnell's Mill Road. Ease of access has made the Mill the most popular bouldering destination in western PA.

The Mill has captured the attention of several generations of local climbers since the 1940's. Bouldering as a sport in the Park can be traced back to the early 1970's. Starting with Ross Boulder, V0, established around 1970, through the rarely repeated Birthday Boulder, V5, in 1981, to one of the latest additions a thin traverse named The Big Gundown, V6/7 in 1999.

The Rim Road area, a rock city of sorts, is the most accessible and thus the most popular bouldering area. This area also offers many toproping opportunities. The guide book, "Classic Rock Climbs No. 26 McConnell's Mill State Park, Pennsylvania" by Bob Value (1999) covers 78 boulder problems throughout the park. Thanks to Dean Morgan for this information. For more check out the Mills Bouldering webpage.

Dan Servetas, a New York climber, recently visited McConnell's Mill and said that "if your in the area, a visit to the Mill is definitely worth the time; otherwise, I would not make the Mill a destination of its own." Dan camped at Bear Run Campground in Portersville (about 5 miles away from the Mill), a nice family campground. They cater mainly to RV campers, but they have plenty of tent sites away from the big rigs. Dan also said, "that it would be worthwhile taking a rope and toprope anchors to get a little more out of the Mill."

Bob Value celebrates another happy birthday on Birthday Boulder, V5. Bob's first ascent of Birthday Boulder was on his birthday in 1981. Photograph by Carl Samples.

Other Philly Areas

Lincoln Drive Boulders Directions: From I76 take Lincoln drive (north). At the first stop light take a right onto Wisahikon Drive. and do a U-turn. Go back down Lincoln Drive past the pull out to the parking lot on the right. This lot is only accessible from the southbound side of Lincoln drive (ie heading back down to the city).

Plaque wall: This is the wall at the back of the parking lot with four basic problems (lots of variations possible).
1. Plaque wall traverse (V1): Start on the far right side of the wall where the plaque is and traverse left to the far side using any available holds.
2. Low traverse (V3): Start the same as #1 except stay low out of the beginning line of jugs.
3. Snake's Head Dyno (V4): On the far left side of the wall match on a small ledge and throw for the snake's head up and out on the lip of a small overhang.
4. Dyno Bypass (V0): Start low and climb to the snake head using the seam to the right of the Dyno line.
5. Linkage (V4+): Link #2 and #3.

Bicycle squashage boulders: Walk up the asphalt path along side Lincoln drive a couple of 100 feet to two boulders overhanging the path. Both have cool roof problems and hand traverses. A bit dirty as I've never seen evidence of anyone else climbing on them. A spotter and crashpad is highly recommended for these two boulders.

The wave boulder: Follow the dirt road out of the back of the parking lot for about 5 minutes. After crossing the first bridge, you'll come to a second. After crossing the bridge make a left onto a trail that follows the river. Follow the trail for about a minute then start bushwhacking down to a large boulder sitting on the side of the river. It has really funky wave-like patterns on its riverside and presents cool challenges.

Ridge Top boulder: Follow the trail from the bridge on up to the top of the ridge. On your left will be a rocky outcrop. It has a little potential but it's a little grimy.

Kelley Drive Directions. From the Art Museum take Kelley Drive North until you see a tunnel carved through the rock. Park in the lot just before the tunnel. Coming from I76 you would take the Spring Garden exit, go east across the bridge, follow the circle around in front of the Museum to go North on Kelley drive.

Description: Right next to the parking lot is a bridge support made of huge blocks of rock. Traverse this all the way across for a solid V3 (not using the top block).

Just a stone's throw up the path from the bridge support is the back side of the Rock through which the tunnel runs. This wall has some nice holds for eliminates and has the advantage of being at least partially lighted at night time. A sample of problems follows:

Rainbow Circuit (V0+): Start on a huge jug flake at the right side of the wall and climb up and left around the rainbow and back down the left side's large crack. Then traverse back to the starting hold via the head height line of jugs. Repeat until your arms fall off.

Right side dyno (V0): Throw from the big flake previously mentioned to the jug up high.

Around the Corner (V1/2) Start at the crack on the left side of the wall traverse left to a horn and heel hook. Then lunge up and around the corner to a jug.

Disclaimer

Bouldering is dangerous. You could be seriously injured or killed. Do not attempt any of the problems described in this web page unless you have the expertise to do so. NewEnglandBouldering.com does not assume any liability for your safety or well being.