Hey blog readers! Hope everyone is enjoying this great springtime weather and you are all out there crushing wherever you live! My good bud Scott and I recently made a trip out to the Auburn rock quarry located in the Auburn State Recreation Area (ASRA). Auburn is located about 45 min north of Sacramento so its been a local spot that's been on my list for some time to check out.
The ASRA is the remains of an old limestone quarry. Being an active rock quarry for many years, this process created tons of rock features which makes the ASRA an excellent location for technical rock climbing at all levels. The rock is primarily limestone mixed with other sedimentary rock and dirt. You can read more about the ASRA and get specific information regarding routes, directions, etc.. here.
I really enjoyed climbing at the ASRA. Before you head out make sure you bring plenty of water because it gets hot in Auburn. It was pushing 100 degrees while we were out there and this was in May. Another thing to note is that because there is limestone mixed with dirt there is a fair amount of rock fall. So, bring a helmet and make sure you test out holds before you place your full trust on them. I saw holds that were the size of bowling balls that looked great on appearance but just giving them a slight pull showed that they were ready to fall at anytime and could not be trusted. My final bit of advice is to pack light. Its about a mile and a half hike from the parking lot to the quarry. I know this doesn't sound like much but with a full pack, 100 degree weather, and somewhat steep switchbacks you can get exhausted pretty quickly. I saw people riding in on mountain bikes which seems like a great idea if you have em.
Scott and I will definitely be back to the quarry soon. If you happen to see us out there make sure you stop and say hello. Check out more pics below and as always, thanks for reading!
Cheers!
~Justin
Over the weekend I had the opportunity to climb in one of the world's top climbing destinations: Yosemite Valley. We were climbing in a area called 'Swan Slab' which is known for its nice crack system. There is top rope and trad climbing available in this area. Since this was my first time climbing outdoors we elected to keep it easy and setup a top rope.
Setting up the top rope was quite fun. We hiked to the top of the route and setup our top rope using the anchor rings already secured to the granite. Once we had our top rope in place we rappelled down which was both nerve-racking and exhilarating.
Most of the easier routes are unnamed however some of the more
noteworthy are: Grant’s Crack 5.9, Oak Tree Flake 5.6, Swan Slab Gully
5.6, Claudes Delight 5.7, Kokl Duck 5.11a, Lena’s Lieback 5.9, Goat For
It 5.10a, and Ugly Duckling 5.10c.
Transitioning from the gym to outdoors was very difficult. In the gym I climb in the 5.11a/c range while outdoors I could barely complete Lena's Lieback (5.9). The routes at swan slab have been climbed many times before so the granite was very smooth and polished making it hard to identify usable foot-holds. Where there were once flakes and chips to stand on now seem like they have been worn down to nothing. Hand holds were plentiful in the crack system however if you are not an experienced crack climber (like me) you'll find that it takes a few attempts to get the technique right.
Overall the trip was a blast and I can't wait to return to explore Yosemite's many other crags. If you plan on making a trip out to Yosemite make sure you bring plenty of sun screen and water. Also, make sure you get there early because the easier climbing areas such as swan slab get crowded early. You also should watch out for poison oak because it is everywhere inside the park.
Check out more pics below!
~ Justin
Just picked up the black diamond 'half dome' climbing helmet and a set of black diamond quick draws. I am going to be climbing outdoors for the first time in a few weeks so I wanted to make sure I have all the gear I will need. I looked at other climbing helmets such as the black diamond vector and the petzl meateor III.
Both are solid choices and but they seemed a little too fancy (and expensive) for what I was looking for. I just needed a solid and budget friendly helmet so the half dome was perfect. The list price was $60 and I had a $30 dividend and 20% off coupon from REI so I ended up getting the helmet for around $30 (including shipping). Not a bad deal at all. I can't speak to the performance or durability of the helmet just yet but I've put it on and it seems comfortable and well made. If you are new to climbing outdoors (as I am) and you're looking for a solid climbing helmet I would strongly recommend the half dome by black diamond.
~ Justin
Touchstone Climbing and Fitness has 8 climbing gyms spread out all over Northern California (and soon to be LA as well). Stone Age is the company who makes all the holds you see at their gyms. I love touchstone gyms and have climbed at most of them. Watch the video below and get and inside look at how climbing holds are made!
