Day Tripper

Birdsboro Clean and Climb

by Dominic Mercier

It's slim pickings for rock climbers in the greater Philadelphia area. Sure, there are a few decent small spots scattered around Fairmount Park, but for the really good stuff, climbers have to be ready to hop in their cars for a multi-hour road trip north or south. And for a state that's so mountainous in the middle, it seems even Mother Nature thinks of our burg as a whistle-stop town.

Luckily, a group of dedicated climbers has transformed an old quarry in the small town of Birdsboro southeast of Reading — about a 45-minute drive from the city when 76 is cooperating — and blazed about 80 routes from very beginner to oh-my-god hard. To make sure their efforts are around for the next generation of climbers, the gang is holding its second annual Clean and Climb this Saturday. In addition to hauling debris from the climbing areas and doing some trail maintenance, they'll be teaching the inexperienced how to climb and use the required gear properly. (Newbies don't need to bring any equipment, unless they already own some.) Stick around, too, for an evening $10-a-head barbecue and talk, raffle and gear swap.

For the more hardcore outdoors enthusiast, the quarry will be open for camping Friday night so the urban climber can, you know, see some stars for a change. Oh, and some of the money raised from the raffle and dinner will be used to fund a portable toilet for next year's climbing season, so don't forget the TP.