Discussion Topic |
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johnr9q
Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 23, 2018 - 10:36am PT
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Was there this last Wednesday and Thursday, no one else there, trails in terrible shape, many loose holds needed glueing, trash at the base of the climbs. We make a yearly trip there from Northern California and love the climbing.
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Ward Trotter
Trad climber
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Feb 23, 2018 - 10:44am PT
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The Quarry is a has been place that never was.
You need to be cognizant of two things:
Since it is private property that you can climb there at all.
That your car hasn't been stolen while parked in that area.
Otherwise the Q is uniquely ugly urban climbing featuring surprisingly good quality rock.
trails in terrible shape,
Don't apply the same tourist standard normally applied to a national park, its an abandoned quarry once BITD characterized by daily dynamite explosions.
Posing next to the handiwork of local carjackers who were obviously only interested in the tires-- this time.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Feb 23, 2018 - 10:47am PT
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It'll be a has been place when the whole thing collapses in a pile of rubble.
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dirt claud
Social climber
san diego,ca
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Feb 23, 2018 - 10:51am PT
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guessing rock fall danger is keeping people away too.
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Polebridge, Montana
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Feb 23, 2018 - 10:58am PT
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Wow! And I thought we had it bad managing our choss piles.
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Roots
Mountain climber
Redmond, Oregon
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Feb 23, 2018 - 12:17pm PT
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It comes and goes in and out of style..just depends on the year/decade. Same with Rubidoux.
During the last year or two there were some rock falls and maybe that scared them away?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Feb 23, 2018 - 12:21pm PT
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Anybody who goes there should be committed.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Feb 23, 2018 - 12:28pm PT
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^^^ I was committed when I used to go there. The aid routes there took some commitment.
;-)
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Feb 23, 2018 - 12:34pm PT
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NO DOUBT! But we already know yer crazy! 😜
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tradryan
Big Wall climber
San Diego
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Feb 23, 2018 - 02:04pm PT
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many loose holds needed glueing That about sums it up
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Feb 23, 2018 - 02:12pm PT
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You drive from Northern California to Southern California for the primary reason of climbing at the Quarry? You Californians must be really hard up for sport climbing places.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Oakland, CA
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Feb 23, 2018 - 02:34pm PT
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I've flown there to climb for the weekend. Good fun!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Feb 23, 2018 - 02:59pm PT
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^^^^^^ Man, I wouldn’t openly admit that but it’s brave of you to do so.~
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Feb 23, 2018 - 06:24pm PT
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When I interviewed Mark Powell I asked him if he ever climbed at the RQ and he said that he visited the place with Royal and that they climbed a couple of routes before collectively getting the willies about the looseness and never came back.
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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Feb 23, 2018 - 07:35pm PT
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from mountain project
You know, I've been on this site for a long time, maybe 12 years? And the only posts I ever see about Riverside Quarry are about this wall or the other falling down. Or some huge rock fall. Or which routes don't exist any more because they fell down.
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johnr9q
Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 23, 2018 - 08:57pm PT
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Stevep you said "You drive from Northern California to Southern California for the primary reason of climbing at the Quarry? You Californians must be really hard up for sport climbing places".
When it's cold up here we go down there to get in the warmth and sun. Yes we're crazy but we do it. Helps when you own your own airplane.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Feb 23, 2018 - 09:34pm PT
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Oh, I get the the sun and warmth, it's more that particular destination. Red Rocks or St. George aren't that much further and are much better.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Feb 24, 2018 - 07:53am PT
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Can't be a " has been" if you never were to begin with.
The place has a few fun routes worth doing, but it is a wholly manufactured area with a junkyard for a front yard and compromised rock.
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johnr9q
Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 24, 2018 - 07:59am PT
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justthemaid & Stevep: I think the climbing there is about as good as it gets and I have no problem with the manufactured holds. I just love the place but have only been there 4 times. However, many of my climbing partners totally agree with you. I guess it's the old adage "whatever floats your boat". I love the canyons at Red Rocks, not so much the 2nd turnout except for the narrow canyon.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Feb 24, 2018 - 08:14am PT
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I actually dont have an issue with it either. It is what it is . An outdoor gym in a less-than- aesthetic surrounding. Some of the fully manufactured routes are quite fun. When I lived in LA we used to climb there when we needed a little variety from Malibu and Echo without driving all the way to New Jack.
I actually was less concerned about rockfall at Riverside than I was climbing at Tahquitz or Echo.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Feb 24, 2018 - 09:21am PT
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You want quarrying? YOU CAN’T HANDLE QUARRYING! BITD, there was a yuge mine
east of the Red Rocks. We were on some chossy FA when they blew a half mile section
of that ridge top. We thought the Russians had just nuked Vegas.
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Feb 24, 2018 - 04:57pm PT
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I think the climbing there is about as good as it gets
Wow, that's an interesting opinion. I live 30 minutes away from there. One visit there was enough to convince me I never needed to go back.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Feb 25, 2018 - 07:13am PT
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Just like Indian Creek, California is climbed out!
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10b4me
Social climber
Janie's
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Feb 25, 2018 - 07:16am PT
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I think the climbing there is about as good as it gets
lol
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j-tree
Big Wall climber
Typewriters and Ledges
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Feb 25, 2018 - 07:45am PT
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One of the best places in SoCal to practice aid climbing (both clean and nailing) the nailing is surprising similar to El Cap (except a little worse so it makes the valley feel easier)
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caughtinside
Social climber
Oakland, CA
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Feb 25, 2018 - 08:25am PT
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Ha ha! Strong opinions about the place. It’s quite nice in the winter if you overlook the ambiance. Some of the best glued crimps around.
I thought the style was really fun, some techy moves. I like that angle. A friend described it as ‘the overhanging slabby area. ‘
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Feb 25, 2018 - 08:32am PT
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I went aid climbing there back in the early 80s with my then regular partner, Bob Cox, if anyone remembers him. We were just a couple of teens warming up for the Valley. We tried two routes. On the first, I was leading up a thin dihedral, I decided to make a free move out of my aiders and saw a nice edge/crack on the outside edge of the dihedral. Problem was when I pulled on it, a three foot crack shot across the rock and a large block of equal size started to slowly detach from the wall. I look down at Bob and he's looking off in the distance doing the usual distracted aid belayer thing. I push back on the block and scream at him to get out of the way and when he does I let the block pitch and it explodes on the ground right where he was siting. A little shaken we try another route, this time with Bob leading. About 40 ft. up, he tries hooking an edge, which shears off and cuts a gash in his shoulder. Good times.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Feb 25, 2018 - 11:46am PT
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Mark and I put up about 30 aid routes there before it was "cleaned off" (LOL) and turned into a sport-climbing area. Now I literally cannot believe how many bullets we dodged, most without realizing how close they had come.
We named one of our early routes in the Roof Area "Stay of Execution." The second pitch nailed horizontally under a (what later turned out to be) detached block that was about 20 feet across (the section you nailed under), about 8 feet thick, and about 30 feet tall. The first anchor was a couple of bolts just below the right end/corner of this block.
One day I get up to this anchor to find that the hangers are smashed flat onto the rock, unusable. While trying to fathom this, I realize that there is no roof directly above, and my mind boggles trying to grasp this new data-point. Now I'm looking up a long slab instead of looking across at the nailing to come.
I am literally hanging there just clueless, trying to explain it to Mark on the ground, when Mark starts yelling, "Hey, you ought to get down here and look at this." I replace the anchor, rap out, and Mark shows me a huge boulder laying among other such boulders. We sure didn't catalog the boulders at the base, so we had paid no special attention. But Mark had just noticed what he then pointed out to me: Pin scars along one edge.
This was the monstrous, detached block that had been our oft-repeated nailing traverse.
Stay of Execution indeed.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Feb 25, 2018 - 02:59pm PT
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We had a friend named Dave who could belch loud enough to hurt your ears. Seriously. One day we stood off from the wall and had Dave issue his most ear-shredding burbs at the wall. At least half the time, he could cause rockfall.
We were literally on the ground laughing.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Lassitude 33
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Feb 25, 2018 - 03:25pm PT
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The Quarry is an easy place to dis. But, frankly as a sport area, it has a large concentration of some truly great routes, better than anything else within a 100 miles or so.
Its Ghetto vibe is not your typical outdoor climbing experience. One climber described it as an "Iraqi war zone" setting. But, it is close enough to a lot of people that you have to forgive the ambiance.
I learned to avoid it completely on weekends, as the risk of being hit by a dislodged block or subject to other incredibly stupid behavior is ever present with the large numbers of fresh from the gym types who are clueless about loose rock and general safety.
In more recent times, as the glue reinforcements weaken over time and general weathering takes its toll, it is risky enough that no one should consider bringing minors there or non-climbers unwilling to accept the risk.
Prior to being "re-developed" as a sport are, it had one good crack climb and some really dangerous aid climbs that have fortunately been relegated to history's dust bin.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Feb 25, 2018 - 04:51pm PT
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It's a happenin' place for this guy!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Feb 25, 2018 - 05:05pm PT
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“Many loose holds need gluing” says it all.
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RURP_Belay
Big Wall climber
Bitter end of a bad anchor
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Feb 25, 2018 - 05:24pm PT
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Does the name "Gluey Anderson" ring a loose flake to anyone?
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Feb 25, 2018 - 06:23pm PT
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“Many loose holds need gluing” says it all.
Indeed it does.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Lassitude 33
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Feb 26, 2018 - 11:27am PT
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Kevin, you are correct of course. There are some truly great sport routes in the San Diego backcountry.
Still, for what it is, the Quarry is a pretty amazing resource. Easy to get a 1/2 day hard climbing and 1/2 day back at the office.
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Riverkern Annex)
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Feb 26, 2018 - 11:49am PT
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Gluey Anderson's Mecca. Right up there with New Jack Sh*tty.
GAAAAAKKKK!! Much better places to crag.....PERIOD!
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j-tree
Big Wall climber
Typewriters and Ledges
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Feb 26, 2018 - 01:04pm PT
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some really dangerous aid climbs that have fortunately been relegated to history's dust bin.
Thanks to the Socal Aid Guide (http://www.bigwall.com/scag_rc.html) not all of the aid climbs have been relegated to history's dust bin.
I went there every weekend for a year when my girl worked on sets as a DP down in LA. Would drive down on a friday after work, solo aid all day Sat and head back up to SF Sunday night. Great for getting comfortable with questionable placements, questionable fixed gear, and questionable rock.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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The Quarry is a fine place to climb and the naysayers can sling their negativity but the Quarry remains one of the best sport areas in the greater LA area.
The Quarry made me re-think distance and hiking time in regards to how close a given crag is. For example, Echo cliffs is only about 20 miles from my house but due to the mountain driving, it takes me about 45 minutes drive time minutes to get to the trailhead. Than you have to hike to the crag which depending on your destination, it takes 45 minutes to an hour to get to the rocks, so total time for what I like to call "Doorstep to Drop your pack at the base" is over 1 hour 30 minutes. Riverside Quarry is about 65 miles from my house but it takes about 60 minutes to drive there and only about 5 minutes to hike to the base so total time is 65 minutes, making the Quarry closer and more accessible. That is another reason for its popularity in addition to the generally excellent granite found there.
Another thing it has going for it is the long length of the climbs there. Many pitches are 150' long and there are several multi-pitch offerings there too.
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Roots
Mountain climber
Redmond, Oregon
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Mar 14, 2018 - 10:55am PT
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Roots
Mountain climber
Redmond, Oregon
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Mar 14, 2018 - 10:56am PT
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Mar 14, 2018 - 11:08am PT
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^^^ Wow, I haven't seen that pamphlet in decades. Looks to be in good shape, too.
Haven't visited the place in decades either, but we got the value we were seeking from it. Also, glad to be alive today.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Mar 14, 2018 - 11:13am PT
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^^^ Yup, them's my roots indeed.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Mar 14, 2018 - 11:37am PT
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^^^ Glen Avon. Yes. I guess that that community is a bit more "upscale" today than it was when I grew up in subsidized housing, before there were freeways through Riverside. I watched the 60 being built about 100 feet from our front door. One weekend I rapped off of one of the overpasses onto the "freeway" while the overpass was being built. Literally "playing on the freeway."
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Tony Bird
climber
Northridge, CA
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Mar 15, 2018 - 01:46pm PT
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I fell briefly in love with the quarry until Jeff Constine told me about his bad day with rockfall (see the Mountain Project report).
I guess this was an old limestone quarry. The rock was mined away to the point of interface with the good-looking granite which attracts climbers. Take a look at how the blasting is done--plenty of that on Youtube. They drill a line of holes, put in the dynamite, blow them all at once and a slab falls away. This compresses the rock in the direction away from the cliff. There are now little vertical aretes and ravines according to how the charges were placed. The compression is greatest at the points of charge, leaving spring-loaded aretes--hence the sort of rockfall Jeff reported, six bolts of the same route coming down all at once. They had broken for lunch and the climb they had just done came down right next to where they sat.
Too bad--it seems like nice rock, but it's more prone to exfoliation than by natural weathering.
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camm-it-up
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Mar 15, 2018 - 08:30pm PT
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Wonderful urban sport crag. Louie Anderson, king of all things SoCal, has left us for Wyoming, which no doubt explains some of current state. I do believe there’s an organized cleanup this weekend though. Trails don’t maintain themselves. Still one of the best city crags around imho.
Also, “gluey” Anderson, huh? Stay classy...
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Roots
Mountain climber
Redmond, Oregon
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Mar 16, 2018 - 02:31pm PT
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When I had my first climbing lesson (1995 at Rubidoux). My instructor looked out across the expanse and pointed over there. He told me to stay clear of The Quarry. He said there were some good routes but too much rock fall...I heeded his warning. Never went until it was cleaned up, bolted and Louie's guidebook was published.
I think right after that book came out, it was on everyone's radar.
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Rudder
Trad climber
Costa Mesa, CA
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Jul 25, 2018 - 01:41am PT
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Agony Arch, circa 1979, practicing aid for our first trip up for some Yosemite big wall action.
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