Rock climbing the San Francisco Bay area

259 Pages·2014·60.27 MB·English

by  Black

SPORTS & RECREATION/MOUNTAINEERING F A
The ultimate climbing resource, A
FALCON Rock Climbing W
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with color photos and detailed topos C GUIDE® E
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the San Francisco C
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Bay Area R
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A Guide to More than 1,800 Routes
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The San Francisco Bay Area abounds with superb rock climbing, including hidden
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r gems far from the crowds. From the Vaqueros honeycombed sandstone of Castle t
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o Rock State Park to the Franciscan blue schist of Dry Creek Sea Crag, and from e
r e the hard serpentine at Mount Tamalpais to the sparkling granite settled at the S
v edge of the Consumnes River, Rock Climbing the San Francisco Bay Area covers the a
e best climbing routes in the area. With detailed descriptions of routes that range n
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y from popular to obscure, this fully updated guidebook describes hundreds of new
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a routes and includes full-color maps, photos, and topos, making it an indispens- r
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able resource for local and visiting climbers alike.
v n
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tu Tresa Black is an enthusiastic rock climber who has lived in the Bay Area for is
r two decades. When she isn’t on the rock, she works as an emergency room nurse. c
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t Front cover photo by David Rietdorf y
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it Back cover photo by Tresa Black FALCON A
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in Distributed by FalconGuides© EDd TRESA BLAck
d NATIONAL BOOk NETWORk is an imprint of ITIO
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800-462-6420
ro c k c l i m b i n g t h e

s a n f r a n c i s c o b ay a r e a
Second Edition
Tresa Black
RC_SFBay_CS55_3pp.indd 1 8/14/14 11:32 AM
FFAALLCCOONNGGUUIIDDEESS®
An imprint of Rowman & Littlefield
Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Rowman &
Littlefield.
Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK
Copyright © 2014 by Rowman & Littlefield
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic
or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written
permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.
Photo bases for photo topos are by the author.
Interior photos are by the author unless otherwise noted.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Information available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Black, Tresa.
Rock climbing the San Francisco Bay area / Tresa Black. — Second edition.
pages cm
Summary: “Offers options for multiple ascents in more than 20 areas around the San
Francisco Bay. Information on coffee shops, and brewpubs, and other amenities in each area
is included,”— Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-7627-8667-1 (paperback)
1. Rock climbing—California—San Francisco—Guidebooks. 2. San Francisco (Calif—
Guidebooks. I. Title.
GV199.42.C2S353 2014
796.52’209794—dc23 2014015194
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
RC_SFBay_CS55_3pp.indd 2 8/14/14 12:40 PM
WARNING:
Climbing is a sport where you may be seriously injured or die. Read this before
you use this book.
This guidebook is a compilation of unverified information gathered from many different
sources. The author cannot assure the accuracy of any of the information in this book, includ-
ing the topos and route descriptions, the difficulty ratings, and the protection ratings. These
may be incorrect or misleading, and it is impossible for any one author to climb all the routes
to confirm the information about each route. Also, ratings of climbing difficulty and danger
are always subjective and depend on the physical characteristics (for example, height), experi-
ence, technical ability, confidence, and physical fitness of the climber who supplied the rating.
Additionally, climbers who achieve first ascents sometimes underrate the difficulty or danger
of the climbing route out of fear of being ridiculed if a climb is later downrated by subse-
quent ascents.
Therefore, be warned that you must exercise your own judgment on where a climbing
route goes, its difficulty, and your ability to safely protect yourself from the risks of rock climb-
ing. Examples of some of these risks are: falling due to technical difficulty or due to natural
hazards such as holds breaking, falling rock, climbing equipment dropped by other climbers,
hazards of weather and lightning, your own equipment failure, and failure or absence of fixed
protection.
You should not depend on any information gleaned from this book for your
personal safety; your safety depends on your own good judgment, based on expe-
rience and a realistic assessment of your climbing ability. If you have any doubt as
to your ability to safely climb a route described in this book, do not attempt it.
The following are some ways to make your use of this book safer:
1. Consultation: You should consult with other climbers about the difficulty and danger of
a particular climb prior to attempting it. Most local climbers are glad to give advice on routes
in their area and we suggest that you contact locals to confirm ratings and safety of particular
routes and to obtain firsthand information about a route chosen from this book.
2. Instruction: Most climbing areas have local climbing instructors and guides available. We
recommend that you engage an instructor or guide to learn safety techniques and to become
familiar with the routes and hazards of the areas described in this book. Even after you are
proficient in climbing safely, occasional use of a guide is a safe way to raise your climbing
standard and learn advanced techniques.
3. Fixed Protection: Because of variances in the manner of placement and weathering
of fixed protection, all fixed protection should be considered suspect and should always be
backed up by equipment that you place yourself. Never depend for your safety on a single
piece of fixed protection because you never can tell whether it will hold weight, and in some
cases fixed protection may have been removed or is now absent.
RC_SFBay_CS55_3pp.indd 3 8/14/14 11:32 AM
Be aware of the following specific potential hazards that could arise in using this
book:
1. Misdescriptions of routes: If you climb a route and you have a doubt as to where the
route may go, you should not go on unless you are sure that you can go that way safely.
Route descriptions and topos in this book may be inaccurate or misleading.
2. Incorrect difficulty rating: A route may, in fact, be more difficult than the rating indi-
cates. Do not be lulled into a false sense of security by the difficulty rating.
3. Incorrect protection rating: If you climb a route and you are unable to arrange ade-
quate protection from the risk of falling through the use of fixed pitons or bolts and by
placing your own protection devices, do not assume that there is adequate protection avail-
able higher just because the route protection rating indicates the route is not an X or an R
rating. Every route is potentially an X (a fall may be deadly), due to the inherent hazards
of climbing—including, for example, failure or absence of fixed protection, your own equip-
ment’s failure, or improper use of climbing equipment.
There are no warranties, whether express or implied, that this guidebook is
accurate or that the information contained in it is reliable. There are no warranties
of fitness for a particular purpose or that this guide is merchantable. Your use of
this book indicates your assumption of the risk that it may contain errors and is
an acknowledgment of your own sole responsibility for your climbing safety.
iv
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contents
Preface .......................................................................................................................viii
Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................ix
Introduction ..................................................................................................................x
A Brief Climbing History ........................................................................................x
How to Use This Book ........................................................................................xiii
Rating Systems for Technical Climbs ....................................................................xiii
Rating Systems for Bouldering .............................................................................xiv
Map Legend/Topo Legend ..........................................................................................xv
Topo Sketch Legend ...................................................................................................xvi
noRTH BAy AReAS .................................................................................................1
1. Fort Ross Boulders .................................................................................................1
2. Dry Creek Sea Crag ................................................................................................6
3. Super Slab .............................................................................................................14
4. Pomo Indian Boulders ...........................................................................................17
5. Goat Rock / Sunset Boulders .................................................................................20
6. Mount St. Helena ..................................................................................................26
7. Lucas Valley / Marinwood Rock .............................................................................48
8. Ring Mountain .....................................................................................................51
9. Mount Tamalpais ...................................................................................................57
10. Mickey’s Beach ......................................................................................................65
11. Genocide Rock .....................................................................................................81
SAn FRAnCISCo AnD eAST BAy AReAS ..........................................................83
12. Beaver Street Wall ..................................................................................................83
13. Glen Canyon .........................................................................................................87
14. Berkeley Areas .......................................................................................................92
15. Pine Canyon........................................................................................................106
16. Mount Diablo / Boy Scout Rocks ........................................................................117
17. Indian Joe Caves ..................................................................................................132
SoUTH BAy AReAS ..............................................................................................140
18. Handley Rock .....................................................................................................140
19. Skyline Boulevard Slabs ........................................................................................143
20. Castle Rock State Park ........................................................................................147
21. Indian Rock ........................................................................................................163
22. Guadalupe Rocks .................................................................................................171
23. Summit Rock ......................................................................................................174
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36 36
0 Kilometers 100
San Francisco Bay Area
0 Miles 100
AA
99
89 II Pyramid
E NNAA Lake
el River CChhiiccoo RROOFFDDAAVV RReennoo
49 IIEE
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101 AA
5 Sacra 99 80 CC
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128Ukiah CLalekaer ento River LakSTLeoa auhTkoateehhoe CCaaCCrriissttooyynn
80
27 50
1 1 32 6 Calistoga25505 SSaacc2rr6aa2mm8eenn50ttoo Placerville88
4
SSaannttaa RRoossaa
5 4
101 128 24 80 99
49
NNoovvaattoo 5
9 7 15
10 8 14 16 SSttoocckkttoonn 4 29 Sonora
11 BBeerrkkeelleeyy Jamestown
San Francisco Oakdale
12-13 580
Modesto
P 101 680 17
A
C 280 San Jose
IFI 191823 2221 99 41
C 20
1
O 101
C Santa Cruz
E
A
N 5 Fresno
Monterey
41
1 Fort Ross Boulders 11 Genocide Rock 21 Indian Rock
2 Dry Creek Sea Crag 12 Beaver Street Wall 22 Guadalupe Rocks
3 Super Slab 13 Glen Canyon 23 Summit Rock
1 41
4 Pomo Indian Boulders 14 Berkeley Areas 24 Vacaville Boulders 5
5 Goat Rock/Sunset Boulders 15 Pine Canyon 25 Putah Creek Boulders46
6 Mount St. Helena 16 Mount Diablo/Boy Scout Rocks 26 Auburn Quarry
7 Lucas Valley/Marinwood Rock 17 Indian Joe Caves 27 Mammoth Bar 58
San Luis Obispo
8 Ring Mountain 18 Handley Rock 28 Consumnes River Gorge
9 Mount Tamalpais 19 Skyline Boulevard Slabs 29 The1 0G1rotto 168
10 Mickey’s Beach 20 Castle Rock State Park 1
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EAST OF THE BAY .................................................................................................178
24. Vacaville Boulders ................................................................................................178
25. Putah Creek Boulders .........................................................................................184
26. Auburn Quarry ...................................................................................................189
27. Mammoth Bar .....................................................................................................205
28. Consumnes River Gorge .....................................................................................206
29. The Grotto ..........................................................................................................217
Climbing Gyms .........................................................................................................228
Rated Route Index ...................................................................................................230
Route Name Index ...................................................................................................234
About the Author ......................................................................................................240
Gabriella Mirabel loving the sun-soaked dry December, in November, Pine Canyon
CONTENTS vii
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preface
This is the second edition of Rock Climbing the San Francisco Bay Area, and with it comes color
as well as new routes and new crags. The climbing community has grown exponentially in
the past decade, and with it comes a whole new breed of young, strong, and psyched climb-
ers. Development of climbing gyms in and around the Bay Area has fueled the flames and the
sport has exploded. This population increase definitely shows at certain crags on weekends
when the sun is out, but surprisingly, most of the Bay Area climbing spots are sparsely occu-
pied most weekdays, and certain crags rarely see traffic, even on weekends.
Although France, Spain, Switzerland, Colorado, Utah, and multiple other states and coun-
tries claim to have the best climbing in the world, the fact is that California still has the number-
one climbing destination on the planet, Yosemite. Part of the reason for the popularity of YNP
is due to California’s temperate climate. Compared to other corners of the world, California has
fairly mild winters and summers. Earthquakes rarely get in the way of climbing, and hurricanes
and tornadoes are extremely rare. Although Bay Area climbing is on quite a different wavelength
than Yosemite, the Bay Area has an amazing variety of rock and types of climbing with difficulty
ratings all over the board. From the slopey sandstone of Castle Rock to the countless pockets in
the volcanic tuff of St. Helena, the variance is amazing and challenging to say the least. Climbers
of all abilities can sharpen their skills and excel as climbers if visiting the crags in the Bay Area.
Don’t get discouraged if some of the areas have the majority of the ratings in the 5.12–5.13
range. There are either toproping possibilities or easier routes nearby.
Although abundant with easy-to-moderate climbs, the Bay Area has several areas that even
world-class climbers frequent. Chris Sharma (seemingly always bouldering some V13 in Europe
or other faraway land) is known for climbing at Mickey’s Beach and the Endless Bummer area,
as well as bouldering at Castle Rock, which is close to his hometown of Santa Cruz. The stun-
ning soloist Alex Honnold is from nearby Sacramento, and the explosively powerful climber/
boulderer Kevin Jorgeson is from the Santa Rosa area up north. The 5.13s, 5.14s, and V12s may
be out of your range, but easier climbs are close by and offer many of the same inspiring views.
You can go to the gorgeous Dry Creek area and either climb 5.10 and 5.11 sport climbs or go
all out and jump on the twelves and thirteens. Maybe your pal only likes crack climbing. There
are several cracks there as well.
Are you just breaking into climbing and still mastering toproping skills? Plenty of toprope pos-
sibilities will find you at Mount Diablo State Park, Sunset Boulders, Handley Rock, Consumnes,
Mount Tamalpais, and Castle Rock State Park. Have you graduated to sport lead climbing? Several
areas offer great leads, with Mickey’s Beach, Mount St. Helena, Auburn Quarry, and The Grotto
topping the list of having a wide variety of climbs with ratings spanning 5.6 to 5.14. Are you a pur-
ist, with your bouldering pad, shoes, and chalk? The amount of bouldering available will keep you
busy for a long time. There’s Indian Rock in Berkeley as well as Indian Rock in the South Bay;
Super Slab in Jenner and the nearby Fort Ross Boulders if you are in the North Bay. City folk can
escape for a bit at Glen Canyon for bouldering, and if you are just north of the Golden Gate, the
extensive bouldering at Mickey’s and Red Rock Beach will quench any boulderer’s appetite.
The Bay Area does not have the towering granite that Yosemite or Lake Tahoe have, but it
does have an abundant amount of first-class climbing that will make you a better climber, whether
that is your intention or not. And on a nice day along the coast, the landscapes can’t be beat.
viii
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acknowledgments
I think there is one thing that we can all agree on, and that is that people in California are
busy. Whether it is work, school, family obligations, or climbing trips, people who live in the
Bay Area are hard-pressed for time. This is why having people who could climb at certain
crags on my days off from work was often challenging and a job in itself.
First, you may notice quite a few photos of John Ricco in this book. John patiently jour-
neyed to several climbing areas with me when he clearly had other things to do. A true friend.
Brit Alvarez is the other climber seen on many routes and boulder problems. Brit devoted
many weekends, time, and sweat—climbing in the heat, the cold, and (unintentionally) even
in the dark, with a bum knee. An amazing young photographer, David Rietdorf added count-
less photos he snapped from Castle Rock, Pine Canyon, Dry Creek, and Mickey’s Beach. Jerry
Dodrill, by far the expert on climbing at and around St. Helena in the North Bay, was instru-
mental in checking my info for the area. Gracias to Brennen Tallman for the help at Auburn
Quarry. Once again, Larry Guenther and Jonathon Stock (USGS) assisted with the geology of
various rocks in the bay. I also appreciate ultra-busy nurse and friend Asheley Sullivan for being
available to climb. Thanks to Matt Ulery and his sweetheart Darlene Pascua for road-tripping
with me. A thank-you to Stacey Collver for help with Handley Rock. Stacey continues to
inspire with her amazing recycled lungs. I also have to acknowledge the always positive and
helpful staff members at the Oakland climbing gym, Great Western Power Company. Thanks
for the support! And thanks to Sterling Ropes, makers of some of the best climbing ropes on
the planet, for their support.
Andy Metzger torques his way up at Mickey’s Beach.
ix
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