If you are searching for great climbing in the United States, then California is your holy grail. The undeniable draw of Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan and Half Dome are reason alone for any climber to make the pilgrimage to the Golden State. But believe it or not, these enormous and iconic monoliths of perfect stone are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to climbing in California. Below is our list of the must-visit destinations that make California one of our favorite states for climbing.
Bouldering
Imagine that a giant came along with a sledge hammer and pounded down a bunch of mountains into a dizzying array of free-standing and stacked boulders ranging from 10 to 300 feet tall. Now imagine that climbers found this place and established literally thousands of boulder, sport, and trad climbs upon these endless stones. This is Joshua Tree National Park, which has long been one of the greatest bouldering destinations in the country and a desert haunt that climbers have been frequenting since “the Golden Age” of American climbing. The likes of John Bachar, John Long, Lynn Hill, and Yvon Chouinard long held Joshua tree as their winter stomping grounds (the climate stays relatively warm and dry in the winter). Located just an hour and a half east of Los Angeles, and three hours southwest of Las Vegas, Joshua Tree is a ideal winter destination, featuring endless bouldering problems, trad and sport routes suited for all levels of climber. As a close runner-up, check out the area surrounding the town of Bishop. While a little bit colder in the winter, the Buttermilks, Happy, and Sad boulders are all within 15 miles of Bishop, and provide world class problems on quality stone.
Must-do route: Gunsmoke
Guidebook: Joshua Tree Bouldering by Robert Miramontes
Sport Climbing
The capital of California sport climbing is the Owens River Gorge (a.k.a. the ORG). Many a sport climber has flocked to the ORG over the years to test their metal on the fantastic basalt. Slabby, vertical, and overhanging walls exist side by side in these canyons, providing a multitude of climbing opportunities all in the same day. Located just north of Bishop, the ORG has literally hundreds of single and multi-pitch sport climbs, with everything from 5.5 to 5.14 in staggering abundance and density. Again, this high desert climate stays warm and dry and ideal for climbing nearly eight months a year (the dead of summer, however, renders the ORG nearly unclimbable). Fear not—for cooler climbing in the hotter months, check out the awesome sea-cliffs that dot the coast from Santa Cruz all the way up to Oregon.
Must-do route: Towering Inferno
Guidebook: Owens River Gorge Climbs (10th Edition) by Marty Lewis
Trad Climbing
The Yosemite Valley is a no-brainer for climbers and requires little introduction. But lesser-known Tuolumne Meadows is every bit as good as the valley for trad climbing, and in some ways even better. Tuolumne also is in Yosemite National Park, but it sits a good 3,000 feet higher in elevation than the valley, making it a better choice for hot summer months. It has less accoutrements than the valley, but also less people. Although the walls here are not nearly as big as El Cap or Half Dome, they feature superb granite and a lifetime of stellar single and multi-pitch trad climbs. If you are interested in branching out into alpine adventures, the High Sierra has some of the best in the country. Check out Peter Croft’s book, “The Good, the Great, and the Awesome” for a look at some of the best alpine routes in the country, all in California’s High Sierra.
Must-do route: Cathedral Peak’s Southeast Buttress
Guidebook: Tuolumne Free Climbs by (2nd Edition) by Greg Barnes
Mountaineering
At 14,505 feet, Mount Whitney in Sequoia National Park is the tallest peak in the lower 48 states. This jagged granite mountain is the southern terminus of the John Muir trail and offers a variety of different ways to the top, including scrambling and technical rock climbs from easy to difficult. The views alone are worth the trip, but hey, tagging the summit register of this high peak feels pretty good too. If you are interested in a technical volcano climb, Mount Shasta is California's best option and rivals Mount Rainier in size and grandeur.
Must-do route: East Face of Mount Whitney
Guidebook: The High Sierra by R. J. Secor