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Elevation: 258 ft
GPS: 40.05805, -76.5314
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 87,513 total · 447/month
Shared By: Ross Purnell on Feb 14, 2008
Admins: Justin Johnsen, SCPC, SWPACC, EPAC

Description Suggest change

Chickies Rock is a traditional climbing crag on cliffs rising over the east bank of the Susquehanna River. It has single- and multi-pitch routes, ranging from 5.0 to 5.10+ or 5.11-, on Lower Cambrian Chickies Quartzite. It's popular to climb on top rope on the Main Face, with slings and trad protection to build anchors; you'll find no bolts in areas where you can walk on/walk off. On the far south end there are easy slabs to teach beginners and children the fundamentals of climbing.
There is a popular bouldering area called "The Cave" and not far away, in the Trail Valley area, there is a 3-pitch climb with bolted belayed stations that finishes on the steep face on one of the highest points of Chickies Rock. If you like topping out at a popular tourist outlook, this one is for you.
The crag is in Chickies Rock County Park with plenty of parking and a flat, well-developed paved bike trail. Access does not come easier than Chickies Rock.
Chickies Rock is the largest exposed anticline on the East Coast. According to USGS, the summit of the ridge is 587 feet (179 metres) above sea level. At its highest point the rock is about 250 feet tall. On the face where the main crowd climbs, the cliff is about 150 feet. Maybe 75-100 feet up to Riverview Ledge, and then another 50 feet up The Block if you try for a second pitch; very few people do that. The climb straight up the center of The Block is an excellent 5.8 called Ape Call that is rarely climbed.
This is a trad area. If you set up top ropes on Riverview ledge, allow ground-up leaders to climb through, and share the lines with other parties. It's generally a friendly group of people eager to share the Chickies Rock experience.

Getting There Suggest change

Park at the new Furnace Road parking area for Northwest Lancaster County River Trail (NLCRT). There are signs on Route 441 in Marietta to guide you. If you are in doubt, the county has provided this map: co.lancaster.pa.us/Document…
Follow the NLCRT east and south (downriver), use the bridge to cross Chiques Creek, and follow the paved path until you get to the cliff. The first area you encounter to the left is the Northwest Buttress. Sometimes the trees and bushes are so thick you can barely see it. Continue walking toward Columbia and you'll find the Main Wall at the south end of Chickies Rock. "Trail Valley" is the path along the base of the cliff just to the left of the Main Wall. 

Rock Type

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Lower Cambrian Chickies Quartzite : "light-gray to white, hard, massive quartzite and quartz schist with thin interbedded dark slate at top."

Guidebook

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There is a new Chickies Guidebook App that has been published on the GunksApp. when you download the Chickies Guide, all proceeds go to SCPC and protecting our local crags. The guide will be updated routinely and includes numerous routes that have been recently cleaned up, as well as routes that have been previously undocumented. The guide can be purchased Here.

Governance

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Lancaster County Department of Parks and Recreation;q=518276

Please reach out to SCPC in regards to the relationship between climbers and LCPR. SCPC has worked hard to keep a positive relationship with them and knows about the most current access/crag conditions. Thank you!

Bat Conservation | How You Can Help

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See a Bat on a Route, Give Us a Shout! 

Hey Chickies climbers, Ken Hull here from Access Fund and South Central PA Climbers. I’m working with Rob Schorr, a researcher at Colorado State University, to help him spread the word on his bat research. Here’s a message from him about this important work and how we, as climbers, can help.

“Climbers for Bat Conservation is working with climbers to understand bat ecology and why bats choose certain cracks and flakes. We’re a collaboration between climbers, bat biologists, and land managers to understand where bats roost and where large populations may reside. We are interested in finding bats because of a new disease called white-nose syndrome (whitenosesyndrome.org) which has killed millions of bats in North America. This collaboration has identified bat roosts throughout the U.S., and as far away as Norway and Bulgaria. CBC was developed by biologists who climb and they are advocates for climbing access and bat conservation.

So, if you see bats while climbing, please let us know by emailing us at climbersforbats@colostate.edu, or visiting our website to learn more. climbersforbats.colostate.edu.”

Thank You!
Rob Schorr

Zoologist, Colorado Natural Heritage Program (warnercnr.colostate.edu/rschorr/)
Director, Climbers for Bat Conservation
Robert.schorr@colostate.edu

56 Total Climbs

Route Finder - Best Climbs for YOU!

Location: Chickies Rock Change
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Classic Climbing Routes at Chickies Rock

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
V5-6 6C+
 5
The Exorcist
Boulder
5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a PG13
 64
Witches Brew
Trad 2 pitches
5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c
 35
The Library
Trad, TR
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b PG13
 41
Main Street
Trad
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 12
Hit and Run
Trad, TR
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 11
The Undercling
Trad, TR
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13
 20
Josh's Hump
Trad
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R
 17
For Madmen Only
TR
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 20
Hollywood
Trad, TR 2 pitches
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13
 12
Ape Call
Trad, TR
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 13
Patty and Lester
Trad, TR
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
 18
Chickies Direct
Trad 3 pitches
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
 19
Solution Crack
Trad, TR
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a X
 9
By Pass
TR
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c X
 8
Great Expectations
TR
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
The Exorcist Cave
 5
V5-6 6C+ Boulder
Witches Brew Main Wall
 64
5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a PG13 Trad 2 pitches
The Library Main Wall
 35
5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c Trad, TR
Main Street Main Wall
 41
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b PG13 Trad
Hit and Run Northwest Buttress
 12
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad, TR
The Undercling Main Wall
 11
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad, TR
Josh's Hump Main Wall
 20
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13 Trad
For Madmen Only Main Wall
 17
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R TR
Hollywood Main Wall
 20
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad, TR 2 pitches
Ape Call Block
 12
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13 Trad, TR
Patty and Lester Main Wall
 13
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad, TR
Chickies Direct Trail Valley
 18
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R Trad 3 pitches
Solution Crack Northwest Buttress
 19
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13 Trad, TR
By Pass Northwest Buttress
 9
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a X TR
Great Expectations Northwest Buttress
 8
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c X TR
More Classic Climbs in Chickies Rock »

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