Monterey/Carmel climbing areas?

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David

Novice climber
Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 27, 2002 - 05:49pm PT
I'm going to be in Monterey and Carmel over the weekend. I'm suppose to be doing a bit of diving but my brain instantly starts thinking of climbing. Is there anything? bouldering...short sport climbs? in the area?
Jay

Novice climber
Aug 27, 2002 - 07:22pm PT
You could go to the Pinnacles Natl Monument (Natl Park Pass gets you in) ~30 minutes from Monterey. Crappy rock though, at least on the West side, although a nice bouldery travers is there. There's much better roped climbing on the Eastern side, but it's either an additional 1.5 to 2 hours of round trip hiking or driving, take your pick.

One of my buddies talks about bouldering at Big Sur beach (~25 min south of Carmel on Hwy 1), but I've seen most of it and it's not worth a session. It's a nice place to hike and hang out though; very pretty. The drive is also very cool.

Hope this helps you.
chris

Novice climber
sf bay
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 27, 2002 - 07:27pm PT
There's supposed to be some climbing in the Ventana Wilderness. Check out Jeffrey Schaffer's hiking guide for some vague details. I've never seen it or heard that its any good.
nick

Novice climber
san luis
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 27, 2002 - 08:30pm PT
depending on which way your coming from, highway 1 and the 101 both go through san luis obispo, which has some good bouldering and some decent roped stuff at bishops peak. theres a decent guide for the area available localy.
David

Novice climber
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 27, 2002 - 08:32pm PT
I'm coming from the north but San Luis Obispo is intriguing if I get the urge to drive down the coast. Thanks for the info!
Rob

Novice climber
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 28, 2002 - 10:24am PT
there is some bouldering in the area, I think MTN tools has some info..
SLO Living

Novice climber
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 28, 2002 - 12:05pm PT
Ya, SLO is a decent place to climb. Got my start there when I went to school. There are two areas that I'd recommend, Bishops Peak and Cerro Romauldo. I'm not certain if there is full access to Cerro Romauldo yet but I climbed there with Tom? Tim? (the guide book guy) 8-9 years ago. You had to check in at the national guard desk before heading in. Had some really good overhanging sport routes. Cracked wall at Bishops Peak is where I first started to climb. Last year, I went back to SLO and tried to do all the routes on that wall in one day. Half way through, while rapping off Airlines I dropped my rope into poison oak. Debated whether or not to continue. If anything, WATCH OUT FOR POISON OAK WHEN CLIMBING IN SLO. There's a lot of it.
Forest

Novice climber
Tucson, AZ (used to live in the Bay Area)
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 28, 2002 - 02:00pm PT
Pinnacles West Side actually has some very nice routes. Even some fun multipitch stuff. The rock can be a little crumbly, but nothing big's going to come off and the bolts are good. There's a wall on the left just after you pass the sign for machete ridge that has some really nice one and two pitch stuff if you're just looking for a day or two's worth of climbing. Get there early as it gets hot in the afternoon. When it does, down in the canyon below Machete Ridge should get some decent shade and has some funs routes at 5.10, 5.11, and I think 5.12.
Jay

Novice climber
Aug 28, 2002 - 03:21pm PT
Yo Forest sounds like you haven't climbed the west side much. I've been to the Pinns many times. I climbed Lava Falls (in the area you described) not too long ago. That climb is reputed to have the highest quality rock of any route on the west side; it's the most popular route too. It's been climbed countless times. Well, a party of 3 did the route after my buddy and I. They dislodged a football-sized block just before we retrieved our packs! We were a little spooked and got the hell out of dodge.

After that we huffed it over to do (supposedly) the best multipitch 5.10 on the west side, Cuidado. Cuidado means warning in Spanish (that says it all). Anyway, we got to the 2nd pitch and the route looked like overcooked, crumbling oatmeal cookies. We bailed. I've never been back simply because the east side is far better, although you still need to pick and choose for good quality rock.

Hey David, if you do go to the east side, check out Discovery Wall or the Monolith first. There are other good spots, but they have the most concentration of quality routes ranging from 5.6 to 5.14-, lots of good stuff in the 5.6, 5.8+ - 5.12+ range.
Forest

Novice climber
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 28, 2002 - 08:29pm PT
Yeah, you're right. I probably only climbed there 10 or 15 times. I did have one friend pull off a reasonable sized chunk, but it was on a pretty new route, so it wasn't too surprising. I've honestly never seen anythign bigger than a lime come off there, so yes I'd wear a hemlet, but I do think it's a great climbing area.


Novice climber
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 28, 2002 - 09:26pm PT
Many pinnacles routes require an additional bit caution than granite. But you can have a gas, it's an acquired taste, something like stinky cheese. Just use your brain, test your holds more closely and protect more than as if it's granite (if you can and on gear). The west side is definitely looser than the east side, but it gets fewer crowds (except lava falls) and can be a pleasant experience. There are some very nice routes.
Default Gateway

Novice climber
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 29, 2002 - 03:46pm PT
Hey David:

http://www.mtntools.com
Default Gateway

Novice climber
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 29, 2002 - 03:48pm PT
Actually that's:

http://www.mtntools.com/culture/bs_bouldering.html
D

Novice climber
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 29, 2002 - 03:58pm PT
Perfect. Thanks!!
Jerimiah.Gentry

climber
Denver
Nov 29, 2016 - 12:40pm PT
....super old thread but I thought I'd ask: I'm a travel nurse living in a stealthy Promaster considering a contract in Salinas.

Any thoughts on how easy that might be there? I've been full time in the van all over the country for years but some places are a lot easier/fun than others.

Thank you!

Jerimiah
looks easy from here

climber
Ben Lomond, CA
Nov 29, 2016 - 03:32pm PT
I'm not sure if this is what you're asking, but police in Salinas usually have more pressing matters than rousting stealth campers in Walmart parking lots: http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ca/salinas/crime/
kief

Trad climber
east side
Nov 29, 2016 - 04:05pm PT
Jerimiah-

There's a Safeway on Constitution Ave in North Salinas that's known to be friendly to boondockers sleeping in their large parking lot. (As recently anyway as about a year or so ago, I don't have more current info.) A couple I know stayed there for weeks at a time and just made a point of shopping there and being nice to the night crew.

It gets pretty hot in Salinas in the summer. Monterey Peninsula — cool and foggy — is about a half hour's drive away. My friends found out that the Safeway in a shopping center at the mouth of Carmel Valley was equally accommodating and they camped out there too. For a couple years I lived near there, at Carmel Point outside the town limits, and if you had a well-kept vehicle and parked discreetly (i.e., not directly in front of people's houses, night after night) it was possible to stealth camp in that residential neighborhood and use the facilities at Carmel River State Beach. There are enough BnB's and small lodges interspersed with the homes around there that transient vehicles don't particularly stand out. Carmel proper and Monterey are pretty risky from everything I've heard.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Nov 29, 2016 - 04:18pm PT
Pinnacles is the prime climbing in the region. But the short drive mostly gives access to West side climbing, or add extra drive time to reach East Side.

West Side has a lot of great opportunities, but some formations like the Balconies close in January for nesting birds. There are regulars on mudncrud.com that would give the tour for the low price of carrying a rope.

Some sections of Salinas are rough. The resident nursing staff will probably know which areas to avoid, if you're comfortable letting them know.

guyman

Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
Nov 29, 2016 - 04:24pm PT
Welcome to California.
Messages 1 - 19 of total 19 in this topic
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