3.4 S. L. Area Guidebooks

FEATURED: Safe Harbor Routes

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Safe Harbor is 25 minutes southwest of Lancaster, PA and has 324 routes (and counting). They are mostly bolted sport climbs, with some trad and top ropes. Route development is ongoing, and this guidebook will continue to provide updates. Most of the cliff gets a lot of sun, which makes it a great destination during cooler temperatures.

Safe Harbor South Mini-Guide (free PDF)

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A free downloadable PDF mini-guide by Eric Hörst, a decades-long developer of the crag with many first ascents there.

South Mountain Bouldering Guide

Seth Derr wrote:

"New South Mountain Bouldering guide is finished and available for purchase at Climbnasium in Mechanicsburg for $15.00. Includes Whiskey Springs, Tumbling Run, Purgatory, and Walnut Bottom. Full color photos, route descriptions, etc etc. Stop in and check it out."

CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT

PA Guidebook Apps (digital)

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http://paclimbing.com/

PA Climbing (Holzman 2018 print version)

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"Rock Climbing and Bouldering Pennsylvania “the Secrets of the Keystone State”.
The Pennsylvania Rock Climbing and bouldering guidebook is a 500 page comprehensive guidebook for all of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Rock Climbing GuidebookThe first comprehensive guidebook for the state of Pennsylvania. This book has detailed descriptions, history, precise topo maps, and grades for over 50 areas throughout Pennsylvania. The PA climbing guidebook is the first book to document statewide climbing history for a state that has little documented information until now. The book is nearly 500 pages, making it the one of the largest statewide guidebooks in print.

About This Guidebook
This guide is full of topos, history, and route descriptions for areas like Haycock Mountain, a massive bouldering area just north of Philadelphia, dozens of trad and sport climbing areas like Boxcar Rocks and areas in Central and Eastern PA. The Hunter Rocks bouldering destination area near State College. All the bouldering areas and sport crags in Mocanaqua just outside the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area and a short drive from Philly. This guide is the only statewide guidebook for Pennsylvania and the only book that includes bouldering and climbing areas for PA."

Ice Climbing Pennsylvania

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Griz Guides has some free sample downloads from this book on their website. Covers the Narrows and many other areas.

"This is the first and only ice climbing guidebook for Pennsylvania. Rob Ginieczki and Griz Guides has created a detailed and thorough comprehensive book to highlight Pennsylvania’s steep and fun ice routes. This book covers over 180 ice and mixed routes throughout the state. Whether you live in Pittsburgh or the Poconos, this book has some excellent climbing in your neighborhood. This 280-page book features the Lehigh Valley, Pocono Plateau, North Central Mountain, and Laurel Highland regions. You can find detailed maps, action photos, accurate descriptions and grades for ice routes in Pennsylvania."

Rock 'n' Road: An Atlas of North American Rock Climbing Areas

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Rock 'n' Road: An Atlas of North American Rock Climbing Areas includes a chapter on Pennsylvania. It only gives the broadest notes on climbing areas - many of which have closed since it was published - but it gives curious climbers ideas about where to look - or avoid looking - for new routes.

Climb Pennsylvania (2007)

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Climb Pennsylvania, second edition, 2007. Looks like an overview of climbing areas in PA.

Rock Climbing New Jersey (2000)

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Not a Pennsylvania guidebook, but it covers some crags near the state line, including Ralph Stover State Park and Mount Minsi.