Advance registration is accepted starting around April-May 2012; wrestlers who were at Hillside in 2011 will receive a registration form when registration begins, or drop me an e-mail to get one e-mailed to you.
 
Hillside Wrestling Weekend XVIX will be held in July 2012 (actual date to be announced around October 2011) at Hillside Campground in Gibson, Pennsylvania. Registration information will be mailed in May 2012 to those who went to the Wrestling Weekend in 2011. Bob sends out the postally mailed registration forms and Nick sends out the e-mailed ones.
 
Wrestlers who weren't at Hillside last year or would rather get the registration information e-mailed to them can also e-mail me at nickz@eskimo.com for an e-mailable copy of the registration form. See the general information below and the links for further information. Check this page from time to time for any updated information.
 
If you have not been to Hillside before or don't have e-mail, you can contact Bob for details and to receive the information and registration packet by postal mail. His address is: Box 59, Fleetville, PA 18420   USA.
 
Please register as soon as possible after receiving the registration form, as there will be a limit of 150 wrestlers for 2012, and it is a very popular weekend. Registering early also makes for easier planning for how much food, etc. to order.

Check out the Hillside Campgrounds Website (please note the "s" in "campgrounds") for general information on Hillside, not just Wrestling Weekend. Note: registration for Wrestling Weekend should be done directly through Bob at the noted e-mail or postal mail address. For other Hillside events, contact the campground directly through the camp's website. If you plan to camp on your own campsite away from site #60, you can reserve directly through the campground, but in this event, please let Bob know in advance that you plan to wrestle.

Updated information for 2012 to be posted soon; the following is based on last year's information. The 2011 Wrestling Weekend was a blast, lots of action in all the mat areas and a great bunch of guys, both Hillside veterans and newbies.
 
To accomodate wrestlers traveling a long distance and to permit more wrestling time, wrestlers are invited to arrive as early as Wednesday. The basic registration fee as noted below covers Friday evening through Sunday, as in past years. For those arriving on Wednesday or Thursday there will be a small additional camping ($10/night) and meal (about $9-19/day prorated; see below for details) fee, and all those arriving early must confirm this with Bob and order the extra meals on or before a date in early July 2012 (to be determined).
 
Hillside is a 235+ acre campground for men located in the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania, just off PA Route 848 in Gibson near I-81 at Exit 219 (prior to 2001 it was Exit 66). This is between Scranton, PA and Binghamton, NY.
 
For those traveling by air, the nearest airport is the Wilkes-Barre-Scranton International Airport served by U.S. Airways, Continental, United Express and Delta Commair. Click here for the airport website with further information, directions, etc. Binghamton, NY also has a domestic airport which some wrestlers used in 2002; their website is www.binghamtonairport.com. There's also the Lehigh Valley international airport in Allentown, PA whose website is www.lvia.org.
 
Other major airports within 3 hours travel time are Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia, Newark and Philadelphia International Airports. Rental cars are available at all airports. Bus lines such as Greyhound and Short Line also serve Scranton and Binghamton. Rail travel is also possible, but the nearest Amtrak stop is 60 miles away, in Syracuse, NY, so this would require another means of getting to Hillside from there.
 
Wrestling takes place on group campsite #60 on regulation mats. Wrestlers can camp in their own tent on site #60. For those without a tent, limited space is available to sleep on the main mats under the big tent after wrestling is concluded. There may be a few tents left behind in previous years, available on a first-come-first-served basis. You should bring your own air mattress, sleeping bag and pillow. Dogs and other pets are not allowed on site #60.
 
Wrestlers staying on site #60 will also receive the catered meal package Friday evening through Sunday Brunch ending at 1PM. Wrestlers who arrive early will be charged extra for meals through Friday lunch (see details below). Other private campsites, RV and cabin rentals are available to those wrestlers who prefer to camp in private and do their own cooking. If you camp on a private site, you may still elect to participate in the catered meal package if space is available.
 
The total cost of camping on site #60 for the weekend is $188.00* which includes the camp fee, membership fee, meal package (Friday evening through Sunday Brunch), healthy snacks, keg of beer and birch beer, use of the big tent, mats, first aid supplies and a wrestling t-shirt. Each year's shirt has a new design, and some previous years' shirts are also available. Please note that the camp increased their fees in 2011: for early arrivals, the camp will charge $15 per night for Wednesday and Thursday, upon your arrival at the camp office. The extra cost (per day) for meals* is as follows: $4 for each breakfast and $5 for each lunch (Wednesday through Friday); $12 for each dinner (Wednesday and Thursday). There is no extra charge if your arrival is on or after Friday evening. This information will also be included on the registration form. Extra meals may be paid for with your registration or upon your arrival at camp.
 
*This is the figure for last year; it is expected to be the same or similar for this year.
 
Based on previous years' experience, it is strongly recommended that all wrestlers camp on site #60, the group campsite. The wrestling group camaraderie and interaction is great. Wrestlers from all over the USA, Canada and Europe will be there. While there are some delis and motels within 15 miles of the campsite, such as the Holiday Inn Express, I don't recommend that, as you lose out on the unique experience of being at Hillside; the camaraderie and wrestling, the other campers, the special events, and so on. The food at camp is cooked specially for us wrestlers and is all-you-can-eat). Please note any special dietary (medical) needs on the registration form).
 
In addition to wrestling, activities available include swimming, volleyball, hiking, and evening campfire and disco. Cyclists and runners can get a great workout on the on- and off-site triple-chainring mountainous terrain. The camp is in a valley around 1350-1500 feet and most nearby roads lead to the passes at 1800-2000 feet.
 
The climate is mountainous, more so than one would think from the relatively low altitude. Days are usually warm, with much cooler nights, sometimes with significant variations from mountain to mountain. However, the nights were very warm during the 2006 and 2007 wrestling weekends, and mild since. 2011 had especially warm nights, sometimes not dropping below 70. But take a jacket or sweatshirt just in case.
 
For more information and to reserve a space on campsite #60 please contact Nick or Bob as soon as possible to receive a registration form (again, if you attended last year, you should get one in the mail, otherwise e-mail Nick to get one e-mailed to you). It is strongly recommended that you register as soon as possible.
 
No liquor or beer is sold at Hillside. BYOB. Wrestlers must be 21 years of age or older to enter camp. See you on the mats!
 
The author of this web page has been to Hillside Wrestling Weekends in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. It just gets better every year. More wrestling information (clubs, resources, pictures, etc.) can be found on my Wrestling Page and on the Palaestra. Any other cyclists who might want to coordinate travel plans between the Greater New York City/New Jersey/Eastern Pennsylvania area and Hillside are welcome to e-mail me.
 

Last perlscript update, August 9, 2011