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likethegoddess
Jul 5, 2002, 4:17 AM
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Hey all,
I'm looking for bouldering in and around San Francisco, about v0-v2. Any ideas?
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apollodorus
Jul 5, 2002, 4:35 AM
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Spiderman that pyramid thing, and you'll be famous. Or slackline the Golden Gate Bridge cables (no tan alowed). The Marina Towers have some good cracks. And check out Exposition Park for some classic architecture.
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fiend
Jul 5, 2002, 4:41 AM
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I think I actually remember a magazine article about Bay Area Bouldering or something, but couldn't for the life of me tell you which mag (climbing or R&I) or which issue.
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minjin
Jul 5, 2002, 5:19 AM
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The best options for bouldering in the Bay Area would probably be Castle Rock State Park, on Skyline, or Mickey's Beach up in Marin. check the routes directory or talk to someone in a gym/shop for directions. as far as i know, the best concentration of easy bouldering is at the Magoos at Castle Rock. just watch for mosquitos.
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floof
Jul 5, 2002, 6:45 AM
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Castle Rock is probably the best place. Close by is Indian Rock in Berkeley.
To get more info, go to Mission Cliffs gym in the Mission district and check out the guide books. You can also talk to the employees or the peeps bouldering.
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barc
Jul 5, 2002, 6:56 AM
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I'm new to the area but there's a lot of good bouldering. Castle Rock is south off of CA-35. Very good problems. Also Mickey's beach just north of San Fransico is awesome. There's supposed to be good stuff in Berkeley but I've never climbed there. Go to Drtopo.com for info on Castle rock area. for Mickey's beach you probably want a guide book. Go to the library. Anyway, see you.
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likethegoddess
Jul 5, 2002, 5:21 PM
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Thanks for your input, y'all. I guess I'm going pretty well. I've been working out at Mission Cliffs, but I'm hankering for some real rock. I was actually hoping there was some decent bouldering somewhere in SF. (OK, you can stop laughing now.) I've already been to Castle Rock and dug it. I checked out the Berkeley stuff you speak of, Indian Rock at least. Frankly, it didn't seem like a destination climb to me. If I live in the East Bay I'd go there, but I don't think it's worth crossing the Bay Bridge. Well, maybe if I'm going there already. Anyway, I'm psyched about Mickey's cuz it seems to be in Bolinas, which I love anyway.
Thanks!
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dhamma
Sep 10, 2002, 10:58 PM
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It depends what you are looking for:
Castle Rock is probably the closest "destination spot", but it is still a haul from SF considering traffic -- over an hour for sure.
Mickeys is also at least as far as east bay. Plus, you're only company will be nude gay male sunbathers and no other climbers. By all means go if you don't mind climbing by yourself.
Stinson beach is further north from Mickeys and are even more desolate -- you might bump into Russ Bobzien if your lucky (a true-blue bay area boulderer). But don't even think about going for a swim -- the sharks are notorious.
Then there's turtle rock, also in Marin. A nice boulder over-looking the bay, but not even as plentiful as east bay. Definately worth a visit for the view.
There are some other spots as well: Vacaville, Grizzly peak, etc.
But the heart and soul of Bay area bouldering is at Indian Rock and Mortar Rock (the east bay for that matter). You are right -- it isn't a destination area (it's akin to Morrison Colorado). But at least you'll have lots of climbers on any given day to hang out with and that place will get you strong. Sure, the rock is greasy and technical, but that is the cost you pay for improvement. I guarantee you if you put time in at Indian Rock, you'll be able to climb anywhere. Some of the most classic old school problems in the U.S. are located there. Nat's Traverse, Watercourse, The Bubble, and Jungle Fever.
It's funny that for such a "dump" IR and MR have been the stomping grounds for some of the best boulderers out there: Nat Smale, Harrison Dekker, Dave Altman, TM herbert, Scott Fry, Chris Bloch, Chris Sharma, Randy Puro, John Sherman, Tom Richardson, Tyson Atwell, Greg Loh, Marea Palmer and even Lynn Hill.
My point to you -- it's worth the 45 min commute from SF if you want to be a better boulderer.
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likethegoddess
Sep 24, 2002, 5:50 AM
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You know, dhamma, one thing the last couple months has showed me is that I shouldn't be a snob to local bouldering. The important thing is to get the heck out of the gym. Thanks for all the info. You know I'm checking it out.
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freakontr
Sep 24, 2002, 6:21 AM
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alright, there's a place called Beaver Street Wall on the corner of Castro St. and 15th St. (45ft). There's also some bouldering in Glen Canyon Park off the 280. Never actually been to these places but I saw them on the "Bay Area Rock" climbing guide. check it out.
Mickey
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likethegoddess
Sep 25, 2002, 10:10 PM
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I went to Beaver Street the other day. The rock itself is pretty cool. All slick on the surface and striated underneath like the rock at the Marin Headlands. There's a lot of choss, but there's also three cracks that make fairly good problems. But I basically put them away in the hour or so I was there. Not that I'm all that. It was fun, but it's a one time kind of place.
Glen Park and Indian Rock are next on my list. Thanks for the info.
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dsafanda
Sep 25, 2002, 10:44 PM
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No one has mentioned "TurtleRock". It's across the bay in the hills above Tiburon. It's got a great V5 traverse and you could invent all kinds of shorter V0-V# problems.
Oops..someone did mention TurtleRock. My bad.
Glen Canyon has a few interesting boulders with bad landings but you're going to get bored pretty fast. It's worth 2-3 visits though. TurtleRock is a more pleasant place to be.
[ This Message was edited by: dsafanda on 2002-09-25 15:50 ]
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tradclmbr
Sep 25, 2002, 11:00 PM
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glen park is fine for a workout on real rock in the V0 - V2 range. Some really fun dynamic moves, traverses .......... its all there if your creative and it is in SF!!!! Beats the gym any day (okay most days or at least some days!)
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barc
Sep 25, 2002, 11:18 PM
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If you live in SF I think Mickey's beach is great for bouldering. I never really cared about the gay naked guys. Except a couple of them were kind of rude to us on our way out. But I thought the climbing was great. I used to live in Palo Alto adn thus managed to make it out to Castle Rock at least once a week. Its a really good time. Not a huge quantity but great quality.
anyway that's my input.
Elliott
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dsafanda
Sep 25, 2002, 11:27 PM
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Micky's is cool for hard sport climbing. If you're really looking for just bouldering I prefer the boulders at South end of Stinson. Sand landings.
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sligoblues
Sep 25, 2002, 11:50 PM
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I was at Castle Rock on a road trip a couple months back. It was my first time there and I didn't even work down to the magoos. Is it just me, or is there just a ton of potential around there? I saw an awful lot of boulders that looked climbable and uncleaned. Any one have similar thoughts?
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crazyfingers
Sep 26, 2002, 12:01 AM
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The canyon can be fun and its in the city. Walk up the main trail from OShanassy, past the bathrooms on the left, cross a short foot bridge and you'll see the chalk on the three boulders infront of you. Lots of traverses, routes to the left are the hardest. You can also high ball a number of routes to top out. There is a decent top rope problem behind the three main boulders, but its pretty short. PM me if you want some company.
KT
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roughster
Sep 26, 2002, 12:10 AM
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If your heading east, the Nut Tree Boulders in Vacaville are really good. The season is slowly come into good temps for cranking on the basalt around here. Almost 300 established problems, and more out there waiting to be cleaned up.
Drop me a PM for more details.
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curt
Sep 26, 2002, 9:55 PM
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I went to a great bouldering setting a few years back. I think it is called Goat Rock. Good bouldering in a spectacular setting. The rocks sit in a field overlooking the Pacific Ocean. As I recall, Goat rock is near Jenner, CA., just a little north of Stimson. There were things there from V0 to V9 or so. Also there was a great V5 or V6 traverse that must be 60 feet long. You can do sections of this that are easier. Good luck.
Curt
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billp
Sep 30, 2002, 7:10 PM
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goat rock is cool - but i'd give indian rock another try. If you can, find a local to show you all the eliminates and funk problems - there are also a few other boulders located up hill from there. Maybe not a true destination - but a pretty darn nice place to be around sunset.
-bill
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