Climbing Near Sewickley, Pennsylvania

The crown jewel of Pittsburgh’s urban climbing is known as “the arena” located in Oakwood Park in the Crafton area of the city.  Once a reservoir, this 18’ vertical wall now encircles two tennis courts and provides for over 540’ of continual traversing along immaculately clean and well textured, sandstone blocks. The blocks are tremendously featured with edges, crimps, sidepulls, slopers and an abundance of foot holds in a manner that replicates outdoor climbing to a remarkable degree.  Stay on the lower part of the wall to keep it safe.  The challenge of course is to send the entire traverse without coming off! If you choose your path well, you can keep 90% of the traverse at V1 or under with only a handful of short V2 sequences.  Once you flash, try an around and back, or go for a timed PR!Please be mindful that this wall is in the middle of a quiet park in a quiet neighborhood and always comport yourself in a manner to best reflect back on the climbing community.  It is our vision to further develop and promote many other climbing sites around the city and any negative situations involving climbers will threaten that goal.  Also please consider becoming a member of SWPACC in order to help us realize our dream to Climb Pittsburgh!!  Park on the street by Oakwood Park. There is usually ample street parking.The former reservoir is in the middle of the park, with tennis courts in the middle. Climb the inside

A small, overhung wall off of the Rachel Carson Trail in North Park is the main wall. Climbable as a boulder or short top rope. Lots of solid trees for top rope anchors. Boulders are short 5-10 feet up or traverses, top rope is probably 15-18 feet in total. There's also a wall further down the trail, about .4 miles in from the main wall.  Park on pull offs for the Rachel Carson trail right off of Hemlock Drive/Bucktail drive. Look for the runoff/stream where the RCT enters the woods. There are a few chairs set up at the top of the cliff/trees overlooking the stream for setting up top rope anchors. Can easily walk around to the bottom for the wall by the drainage ditch to boulder or access rope routes.

Numerous structures (bridges pillars, retaining walls, etc.) are climbable, whether for bouldering or equipped for roped climbing, within Pittsburgh and surrounding neighborhoods. Because these structures are made from quarried stone that has been weathered over the years, the routes often climb like real rock, with the features being a combination of "real" rock features, seams between quarried blocks, and the distinctive rounded pockets created by the construction methods used to quarry the blocks. While formal talks are in place with the City of Pittsburgh and other land managers to secure formal permission for climbing in many of these areas, you should not assume that just because people are climbing anywhere in the city that it is legal.  As of winter 2022, there are 27 sport routes at Seldom Seen, 16 sport routes at Frank Curto Park (this is counting a Left and Right variation for each of 8 sets of anchors) and another 9 distinct routes on the abandoned pillar in Schenley Park.  A guide for the routes at Seldom Seen can be purchased at Ascend, and there is good information on the routes at Schenley Park and Frank Curto here on Mountain Project.  Please be on the lookout for a new guide to Frank Curto Park all proceeds which will help support our efforts to Climb Pittsburgh!