glen Posted December 13, 2002 Posted December 13, 2002 Any of you folks going to be down in the Bay Area around xmas to new years? If so, I'll be heading out to some of the local spots in the north bay for climbing and bouldering. I'll probably have a car and gear with me. G Quote
ChrisT Posted December 13, 2002 Posted December 13, 2002 Sorry I was there over Thanksgiving...but tell me the good spots in the north bay. You mean Marin county? Mt. Tam? I usually stick to the East Bay...the big hill behind my sister's house with awesome views of SF and GGBridge. Quote
freeclimb9 Posted December 13, 2002 Posted December 13, 2002 It's worth checking out Pinnacles National Monument for a little sporty climbing. Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted December 13, 2002 Posted December 13, 2002 Castle Rock is ok. Lots of bouldering in the woods if it's dry. Quote
leejams Posted December 13, 2002 Posted December 13, 2002 Good subject, any beta in the north bay would be good. Does Santa Rosa count? My sister lives that way and I am usually bored stiff when I go to visit. Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted December 13, 2002 Posted December 13, 2002 Lee I have a couple of older guidebooks if you want to borrow them..... Quote
leejams Posted December 13, 2002 Posted December 13, 2002 Ray, that would be cool. jeez they actually have a guide book for that area? I thought it was just wine, Mt. Tam and that fancy green stuff. And to think I always harrass her on why would anyone want to live there. Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted December 13, 2002 Posted December 13, 2002 PM me. I have 2 guidebooks. We can meet or I can mail them. Quote
glen Posted December 13, 2002 Author Posted December 13, 2002 I actually grew up climbing in the North Bay, so I'm kinda familiar with the climbing in the area. I'll actually be in Santa Rosa. There are a number of smaller crags in the area, with most of the good ones being in coastal areas (Goat Rock, and a few sea coves with boulders and sandy landings). Pinnacles is to the south, but pretty marginal quality of climbing. When I lost my guidebook, I didn't even bother replacing it (that, and I'd spent so much time there because it was close that I'd memorized the whole thing). The motto at Pinnacles is, "If you see an interesting hold, take it out, examine it, and if you decide that you want to use it, put it back in and pull appropriately." Castle Rock is okay, but the bouldering is waaaaay better than the roped stuff, and the sandstone is pretty scary there for leading when it's wet because the strength of the rock is lower. For SS bouldering, an area called the Mazzones is far superior, somewhat in the rain shadow of the santa cruz mountains and on the edge of San Hoser. World class bouldering with glassy landings on broken beer bottles. Bring a brush on a stick. For those in the east bay, check out Indian Rock, right in the middle of Berkeley. It is strictly bouldering, but has some pretty great problems and generally friendly landings. Be prepared for a scene. I'll probably just bring a minimal rack and a crash pad. If it is unseasonably warm, I might head to Mt St Helena. Otherwise, probably just goat. General info: There is a new guide book out for the area by Falcon Guides that replaces the previous guide; a small paperbound book called Bay Area Rock. The new guide has a lot of historical errors, has seen modest grade inflation, but is probably better than the old one on the whole as it includes a few areas that were not in the previous version- most likely on purpose as many have been around for a long time, but not in the mainstream. G Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted December 13, 2002 Posted December 13, 2002 RE:General info: There is a new guide book out for the area by Falcon Guides that replaces the previous guide; a small paperbound book called Bay Area Rock. Yeah I got that Bay Area Rock. But the other book is way better - Authored by Cosgrove and older. Both of them are sufficient for once in a while weekender. Have fun climbing. I remember climbing some falls route about 120 feet long bolted 5.8 years ago draggin my friend up it. Pretty fun. I also climbed at a number of other spots but liked CR the best. Here's some links - http://www.developer360.com/indexa387.html?page=destinations Quote
glen Posted December 13, 2002 Author Posted December 13, 2002 Sorry, I was unlcear, I meant the book replacing "Bay Area Rock" is better. More info and a few photos on a buggy page are at: Climbing Sonoma County Quote
Lambone Posted December 14, 2002 Posted December 14, 2002 Dude, whats up with making you sign a waiver (I agree) before entering that site...lameo. Quote
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