Main Area
- 25 routes
- V0-1 – V8
- Bouldering
- Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct
- best months
Main Area is a bouldering area within South Mountain Preserve in Pennsylvania, managed by a non-governmental organization. It sits among a cluster of climbing and hiking routes, with Emmaus Boulders about 0.2 miles away and the Wilderness Trail (Green) and Bug Trail (Black) both about 0.1 miles off. The area holds 25 bouldering routes, all rated on the V scale from V0-1 up to V8. The easiest are The Headstone (V0-1) and The Blob (V1), while Pulp Friction is the hardest at V8. The median grade is V3. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Allentown show May highs around 73°F and September highs around 77°F, with July peaking near 86°F.
- Wilderness Trail (Green)Hiking0.1 mi
- Bug Trail (Black)Hiking0.1 mi
- Emmaus BouldersRock climbing0.2 mi
- Yellow (Mountain Top)Hiking0.3 mi
- South Mountain Gateway TrailHiking0.4 mi
- Behind BauerRock climbing2.3 mi
- Bauer Rock (South Mountain)Rock climbing2.4 mi
- Bauer Rock painted rocksRock climbing2.5 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
f. Cramped FaceRock climbing · ~36 min drivePhoto: Andrew Gnias, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Ralph Stover State Park (High Rocks)Rock climbing · ~36 min drivePhoto: Andrew Gnias, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- o. Chain Reaction ButtressRock climbing · ~36 min drivePhoto: Andrew Gnias, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Emmaus BouldersRock climbing · Next door
- Behind BauerRock climbing · ~4 min drive
- Bauer Rock (South Mountain)Rock climbing · ~4 min drive
- The BrainRock climbing · ~4 min drive
- Bauer Rock painted rocksRock climbing · ~4 min drive
- North MountainRock climbing · ~23 min drive
- Of Mice and Men AreaRock climbing · ~24 min drive
Best time to visit Main Area
Best months: April–June and August–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
38° / 22°
11 wet · 5 snow
Feb
42° / 23°
10 wet · 4 snow
Mar
51° / 31°
11 wet · 3 snow
Apr
63° / 40°
12 wet
May
73° / 51°
12 wet
Jun
82° / 60°
11 wet
Jul
86° / 65°
11 wet
Aug
84° / 63°
10 wet
Sep
77° / 55°
9 wet
Oct
65° / 44°
10 wet
Nov
54° / 34°
9 wet · 1 snow
Dec
43° / 27°
11 wet · 3 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Allentown Intl Ap, PA, 7.2 mi away at 390 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
