Lou Lutz climbing at Livezey
We all know January well…It kicks off with an apple dropping from the sky in Times Square, the start of the winter doldrums; the first month of the year (in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars); one of seven months with 31 days; and in the Northern Hemisphere, the coldest month of the year. One thing, however, that January isn’t known for is outdoor climbing in PA. That is, until, this past Saturday. With temperatures soaring into the 50s, there was little that would have deterred us from heading out to jump on some real rock. With short days and soft fingers, we opted for a trip to the closest climbable rock outcropping to Center City- Livezey Rock.
Livezey Rock is a staple for many local Philadelphia climbers providing quick access to an afternoon climb and an escape from pulling plastic at GoVertical. The main rock, a schist outcropping in the middle of Fairmont park, is around 30 feet high and 60 feet wide. A plaque positioned in the center of the rock, in memory of native Philadelphia climber Lou Lutz, reminds you that this rock has a long and humbling history. Legend has it that Lou was sending the classic Livezey lines at the ripe age of 80. According to Stone Crusades, another local climber, “Bullet Bob” Antonio, joked that he used to go to the Gunks to train for Livezey.
For such a well-climbed and history rich crag, little beta is available on the routes outside of the locals who visit it. I think this adds to some of the charm of the area. Dick Williams, in his Gunks guide book, describes his dilema with writing climbing guides.
Dick writes, “Guidebook writers are caught in a catch 22: the more information they offer, the more they condition their readers to be less adventurous. So my wish is that readers will, from time to time, leave this book in the trunk of their car and walk to some unfamiliar part of the cliff, read the rock, pick out a line, and try climbing it.”
Now, Livezey is surely no Gunks, but for a first time visit with little beta, adventures are to be had. For this reason, I will leave out the route descriptions from this post. There are, however, a good mix of climbs ranging from 5.5 flake climbs to a fun 5.10 overhang. The lack of diversity can be made up by experimenting with the lines, skipping holds, and coming up with your own unique, fun variations. The anchors are easy to access and positioned well for quick top rope setups. While protection options are limited, there are a couple short lines that can be lead climbed (be careful with placements and soft rock). I spent countless afternoons at Livezey practicing anchor building, placing pro, and messing around with ropes.
Anyway- here you have it- the first post of 2010. Dominic and I are on a quest to climb outside every month of the year.Thanks to the warm weather and and a free weekend, we’re off to a good start. I’m also glad that we were able to start this season off at our local crag: Livezey Rock.
Direcrtions to Livezey:
Coordinates: 40.04800, -75.21144
From Highway 76, take Lincoln drive away from the city. At the first stop light make a right. At the next light make a left. This will put you on Wisahickon Ave. Cross back over Lincoln Drive at a light and continue till Wisahickon deadends. The dead end will be at a right hand turn that turns into Allens lane. Make the right and then an immediate left onto Livezey Lane. Do not park on this road! Park at the top of Livezey on Wayne Ave. Walk down Livezey lane past a Frank Lloyd Wright house until a fairly large pulloff on the left hand side with an upraised sewer access manhole cover. Walk left along the sewer pipe for about 150 yards to the main Rock. The lower rock (just down hill from the main rock) has some great power bouldering moves!
Please email me the GPS coords. for this spot it looks GOOD. fieldadventure@gmail.com