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chico2442
Aug 19, 2003, 7:12 PM
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Driving up and down I-5 i see Castle Crags State Park (south of Mt. Shasta) and it looks awsome, but i havnt heard a lot about it especially when it comes to climbing.
So if anyone could give me some info that'd be great...
-approach? i thought i may have heard it was a long hike in, i dunno
-type of climbing? I'm into toproppin and sport (5.8-5.11 range)
any other useful info would be great,
thank you
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baldguy
Aug 19, 2003, 7:24 PM
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I'm heading up there this weekend, but I don't think I'll be getting any climbing in. As far as I know, it's all trad (which I'm not capable of...yet). But please, if anybody knows any different, shout it out.
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mungeclimber
Aug 19, 2003, 7:31 PM
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Long approaches are rewarded with solitude and interesting rock.
short as well as long multipitch, obviously.
campground near the trailhead is run by state park.
way trad pro
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roughster
Aug 19, 2003, 7:36 PM
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Yep, if Castle Crags was closer to any bits of civilization it would be a pretty world wide destination.
That is a dangerous stretch of I5 for me to drive as 1st I rubber neck the large limestone walls across Lake Shasta, then drive through the Castle Crag areas. I spend more time looking out my side windows than I do at the road ahead :lol:
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dingus
Aug 19, 2003, 8:01 PM
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I haven't climbed there a wholehelluva lot, just a couple O days really, so take my beta with the appropriate grains of salt.
The rock is granodiorite, a cousin of granite. Lots of dikes and unusually large potash feldspar crystals. It is vertically jointed and has eroded into fins and blades of rock sticking up out of the ground. From a climbing standpoint, this produces steep routes and on the less traveled lines, often a friable layer of surface crap. Not sure if it was ever glaciated, but I'd suspect not. The rock is like other NorCal unglaciated granite I've seen. This rock isn't jointed like Yosemite Valley granite... none of the long, sweeping lines of continuous cracks. Nor is it planed clean like Tuolumne Meadows glacier eroded granite. There is a lot of mandatory face climbing though,, and most of that is runnout.
The approach is arduous for even the gymby routes. Due to its low elevation climbing there is pretty hot in the summer; California hot, not Minnesota hot. Africa Hot even.
The routes are often very serious endeavors. I'd guess that many if not most of the routes in the guidebook have seen 10 or less ascents; plenty of them have likely suffered only the FA! Skills for climbing off the beaten path are almost mandatory at Castle Crags.
All that said, the place is fantastic, magical even, depsite the proximity to the highway, maybe even enhanced by it. Its one thing to be strung out in the wilderness. Its another to be strung out in the wilderness while staring at a busy 4 lane freeway and knowing those folks may as well be on the dark side of the moon for all the help they'll be to you if you blow it right now.
I've only sampled the climbing there, doing easy lines like the Ogre. If all I mentioned doesn't put you off then you can expect some really great climbing. If the place got the traffic others in this thread think it deserves, the climbs would clean up and some of the objective hazards like loose rock, as well as the trad barriers of boldassed runnouts, would be lessened over time. Or at least some newer routes might be established in keeping with the modern climber's love of safety and security.
Wasn't any sport climbing worth mentioning last time I was there. Very trad area. I don't know if thats changed but I suspect not. I'd guess the place is generally well defended.
DMT
Ps. Toproping? Um, off the cuff I'd think not. Mighty steep hike for top roping in my opinion. Most of the stuff is multipitch and I wouldn't expect to see a lot of bolts in any case.
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hasbeen
Aug 19, 2003, 8:19 PM
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I've always wondered about this area. Is there any online info or trip reports? What do you mean by long approach? 2hrs, 3, 4? It doesn't look THAT long, but that can be decieving.
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dingus
Aug 19, 2003, 8:53 PM
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In reply to: I've always wondered about this area. Is there any online info or trip reports? What do you mean by long approach? 2hrs, 3, 4? It doesn't look THAT long, but that can be decieving.
Crags Trail for example... 2.7 miles in length, more than 2000 feet elevation gain, most of that in the sun. Long for someone who is looking for top roping and sport routes, I'll guarentee that. Long for anyone who isn't up to speed in the cardio department.
I just peeked at the guidebook... confirms the friable nature of the rock, and well, just about everything else I mentioned. Also details some of the people who have done FA's there include Chris Bonnington, John Harlin II, Warren Harding, Fred Beckey, Jeff Lowe and Chuck Pratt.
Trails start at 2000'. Summits range from 4000' - 6000'. Tale of the tape and all that.
Cheers,
DMT
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badphish
Aug 20, 2003, 3:06 AM
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the approach is very demanding, make sure you take plenty
of water! its so freakin hot up there in the summertime. also you
should try the Cosmic Wall (5.6), but its still very worth the hike.
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wrbill
Sep 2, 2003, 10:18 AM
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I have climbed Cosmic Wall and it is a great climb. The 3 mile hike and 3000' elevation gain are worth it. The climb is no greater then 5.6 or 5.7 and is 800' with 5 pitches. Then has a 170' to 180' rap down the back side. A great trip, would be happy to go with you if you like. Just PM me and let me know. I live I Klamath Falls, Oregon and am only a hour and a half away.
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