Coll's Cove was first climbed in the 70's by local ECP (Explorers Club of Pittsburgh) member Ed Coll (among others), who apparently named the area after himself. Their efforts were spent at the cliffline, which is quite mediocre. At heights around 40 feet and rock of varying quality, i'm sure they top roped or trad lead everything worth doing. Since then the cliffline has seen a steady stream of old schoolers, and by steady stream I mean 2 or 3 climbers every few months.. Bob Rentka and Carl Samples seemed to be the first to explore the boulders below the cliffline. They were bad asses for their time, and they did alot of the obvious lines up to about V5. Then Coll's laid quiet for a few decades. Local legend Tim Anderson passed through a few times, though he reported not many trips were made and few climbs were done.
In 2008 Mike Steighner and I stumbled upon Colls by chance. You can actually vaguely see the cliffline from the road, and as far as we knew we found it first! Of course, we were ignorant newbs with very little knowledge of the area, much less anything climbing related. After top roping at the cliffline at a frequency of a few times per week over a few months without seeing another living soul, we decided it was time to bolt some routes. Still at this time we probably weren't qualified to be doing such things, BUT the lines we bolted were absolutely not trad climbs, there was little to top rope from at the top, and the bolts were placed correctly. As expected, this is when the old farts came out of the woodwork - "This place has a 30 year history of no bolting! You should know people have been climbing here for years from the extensive trails! I'm old and I don't know how bolts even work!".. Needless to say the bolts were removed, even though it was technically legal to bolt in this area. Whatever, I wasn't going to argue. For all I knew, they knew better than me.
I can't believe the old schoolers weren't scared off by the massive amount of rattle snakes at the top of the cliff... Personally, I ain't 'fraid a no snakes!
It turned out to be a blessing in disguise After we were shunned from the cliffline, we turned our attention to the boulders below. Now, looking at them from the cliffline doesn't inspire much awe - they are covered in dense mountain laurel and they don't look all that impressive. However once you hack your way down there they reveal themselves as perfect sandstone monoliths, with pure hard lines around every corner, and are in fact much larger then they appear. We had a field day putting up new lines (or what we thought were new lines), making trails, and clearing thick brush.. Actually - scratch that - we didn't cut down any live plants because that is strictly illegal on PA State Game Lands and we would never even dream about breaking the law! Honestly it doesn't even matter, that shit grows back over the trail and boulders every year, and it is a constant maintenance job to keep it clean.
Some of the very first "epic" sends were the "first ascents" of lines like White Lightning V2, Thumb Wrestling V4, and Reallreally good arete V4. Later it was found out that these lines have probably been done, but since no name was given back then, we kept the new names. Developing an area from scratch can be one of the best things you can do for your climbing. Within just 2 years, Mike and I were climbing V7 and our "vision" for lines was ever improving. Some of the lines done in 2010 were actually legit first ascents, and include the likes of Slopey Seconds V7, Like the Dickens V7, and Croc Hunter V6. The true classics of Colls Cove lie at this grade range, and you can not fully appreciate the area until you are strong enough to do them. Since then the conception of Coll's has grown, with new boulders still being found hidden in plain sight right in the main area. Not to mention the 4-5 satellite sectors that host another 2 dozen classics in each.
Me on probably the day of the First Ascent of Thumb Wrestling. It's worth noting we originally graded it V3, and it was a hardest thing I've ever done at the time. Look at them skinny little arms!
It has been our duty and honor to spread the word about this area. Some may say it's showing off, but I promise you our motivation is more pure then you can comprehend. All we've ever wanted is for local Pittsburgh climbers to appreciate the areas that are so close to home, instead of making unnecessary trips to Coopers Rock or The New. Finally - 5 years later - It is starting to catch on, mostly because of the massive amount of pictures and video we've been pumping into the internet. Just last spring we had our first bad ass show up - Nathaniel Walker. He was an instant member of the group, and he was an integral part in developing the harder problems and enhancing our vision. Here he is doing everything I got him on during just his first week.
Nathaniel Walker at Coll's Cove from Crazy Ape Productions on Vimeo.
In the last six months, Coll's Cove has been visited by the likes of Rob D'anastasio and Joel Brady. Rob put up a new V10 called McJagger and commented that the area is similar to LRC, and Joel is about to do a V11 FA dubbed Bhante Pema (the Little Black project). I've been hyping it up to everyone I meet and it's only a matter of time before there are no open projects left! Better come get some while the gettin is good. Here's a little vid of them, along with my girlfriend Aubree doing one of the most classic V5s in the forest.
Pros 'n Hoes from Crazy Ape Productions on Vimeo.
If this little write up has inspired you to come check out Colls, here is a link to the Mountain Project page where you will find a quaint little PDF guide of the area. (http://mountainproject.com/v/colls-cove-bouldering/107680491) There is much much more to do and be done than what you see in this guide, so keep that in mind. I am always willing to give psyched climbers a complete tour, so just hit me up!
Give a shit about Coll's Cove.
-pete
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