From my man Brian W:

The ice flow on babcock blvd is in great shape. 30-40 feet high. Steep but not vertical.

From downtown pittsburgh: route 28 north a couple of miles, take the millvale exit and turn right onto evergreen rd. follow that road as it winds its way thru millvale and go straight thru 3 stoplights. you will go a couple of miles (evergreen rd becomes babcock blvd) and the diamond wire spring company will be on your left. park on the right directly across the street. it is a single line with small variations.

if the stream isn't thick enough to cross, there is a small bridge a hundred feet back down the road...

From Ron Edwards: 

Laurel Highland Trail
First 8 miles starting at Ohiopyle – steepest/hilliest section. Also the last section of trail (near the 70 mi end) is hilly. Close enough that you can go early in the morning and still have a good chunk of the day left. Comments: excellent training on steep trail.

Rachel Carson Trail
Trail with variety of terrain: single-track, double, wide right of ways and power line cuts, and road. The first 12 miles from North Park are fairly easy.

The hilliest section is called the “Roller Coaster”. It starts in Springdale (at about the 1/2 way point) and goes North toward North Park to about the 12.5 mile mark. There are also plenty of hills as you leave Cheswick and head NE on the trail. In general between miles 12.5 and 26 are the most challenging.

This trail is probably second best training option after the beginning and end sections of the Laurel Highlands Trail.

Link to the rockclimbing.com description of The Arena in Crafton, Pittsburgh.

Sweet bouldering -- get there.

Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 13:58:00 -0500 (EST)
From: Patrick C Leger <blah+@andrew.cmu.edu>

Ok, here's the scoop:

There are 2 decent bouldering areas (that i know of) in Pittsburgh:
Crafton (aka Oakwood city park, aka "The Arena" among some climbers) and Aspinwall. Both are man-made walls composed of big sandstone blocks, though the climbing is fairly different between the two. Crafton is a much nicer setting, as it's in a park and not right along a railroad.

To get to Crafton, take 279 through the Fort Pitt tunnel. The 2nd or 3rd exit is 121 aka Greentree Road. Take the exit and bear left (the exit forks). At the stop sign, make a left and then make a right at the first light onto Poplar St. At the next light, make a left onto Noblestown Road. Go through the next light, bearing left. Go up a hill and around some curves; at the top of the hill make a VERY sharp right onto Durbin St (there's a store at the intersection). A few hundred feet down on the right you'll see a playground; pull into the driveway and park (it's easy to miss the driveway your first time in).

Pop City did a writeup on the Idea Round Up and has a section on my idea for the old bridge pier climbing wall:

While some ideas addressed ambitious issues such as the distribution of wealth and air quality, others smacked of overnight success. "Manchester Climbing Wall," developed by Bloomfield resident Sid Wiesner, would transform an obsolete North Shore bridge pier into a unique outdoor amenity. It’s the type of fresh thinking, both creative yet practical, that could become a reality.

Wiesner, who tested the pier’s climbing potential firsthand, plans to approach local businesses and organizations such as REI, Venture Outdoors and the Explorers Club of Pittsburgh. He has talked with civil engineers and feels the project requires minimal funding. "It would be a great new attraction in the city that is not indoors."