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Elevation: 1,575 ft
GPS: 37.8469, -121.9267
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Shared By: Aron Quiter on Jun 24, 2002 · Updates
Admins: Aron Quiter, Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes
Warning Access Issue: Falcon Nesting Closure at Castle Rock DetailsDrop down

Description Suggest change

The Lower Tier: sport routes, trad routes and top ropes all exist on this lower section of climbing. The sport routes are slab/face climbing. The trad routes follow sandy, but fun, crack features. The climbs are tall for the Bay Area, up to about 100 feet in height.

Amazing Face, Bolt Route, and Dinosaur are the area's classic .10, .11, and .12 respectively. However, some newly bolted lines give them a run for their money! Ozone  (.10c) is also a classic that climbs under a unique feature.

The Middle Tier: Originally home to almost all top-rope climbs, there are now four sport lines in addition to two leadable cracks. Generally different in style than the Upper and Lower Tiers, routes here are as short as the huecos are large. (See, e.g., Secnar (.12-).)

The Upper Tier: A tall piece of sandstone about 90 feet tall 100 feet across. There are a handful of top-ropes, a weird crack, and an excellent mixed trad/sport line (The Route Formerly Known as Face (.10+)).

Warning! Please save the rock! The sandstone at Mt. Diablo is very fragile. There are several important ways that climbers can help preserve it.

(1) Do not climb for at least three days after a rain storm.

(2) Many of the anchors are set over the edge of a lip in order to minimize rope-scarring. In order to set up a top rope, use a tree or the upper anchors to rappel in. Do not top-rope off of the upper anchors/trees!

(3) For climbs on the Middle Tier, there are only “upper” anchors. These need to be extended with at least five feet of webbing/cord/slings in order to get the masterpoint over the lip. If you don’t have the materials to do this, then set up your top rope on a different climb.

Getting There Suggest change

Approach time: 11 minutes.

Be aware of lots of poison oak in the area.

To get to the Boy Scout Rocks, head into the park from either entrance, though the south entrance is a little closer. Park at the Rock City picnic area, and head south road on foot. A little ways down (150 yards or so) you will see a large rock (60'+) on the right with an obvious large crack in the middle, and a CLOSED climbing area. Don't climb this rock, or other areas in the park will be endangered as well.

Instead, hang a left downhill on a trail a little past this rock. There are several trails, most are infested with poison oak, so beware. One steeper trail that is LESS infected is found by locating the top of the rock, which is a little downhill from other paths. It is also located just to the left of the top of the upper tier, which stands about 15 feet tall next to the road. Follow this steep windy trail down about 50 yards, and you will be standing in the corridor between the upper tier (uphill) and the middle tier (downhill). Head downhill another corridor, and you'll be in the corridor between the middle tier and the lower tier. Head a little further down, and you'll be on the ground floor with the lower tier on your right.

The ground floor is where most of the lower tier established climbing lies, though there are also a few routes on the north side of the rock.

36 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Boy Scout Rocks

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 61
Chouinard's Crack
Trad, TR
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 373
Amazing Face
Sport
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 88
Ozone (a.k.a.) The Arch
Trad, TR
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 70
Diagonal Crack
Trad
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 22
Once was Lost
Sport
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
 32
The Route Formerly Known as Face
Trad, TR
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
 14
Pebbly Face
Sport
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 26
Black Lives Matter
Sport, TR
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 19
Stegosaurus
Sport
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 4
Railing Moss
Sport
5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c
 16
Old Dino/Miwok
Sport
5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a
 132
Bolt Route
Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 9
Chameleon
Sport
5.12a/b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6a R
 17
Dinosaur
Sport
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
 5
Secnar
Sport
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Chouinard's Crack Upper Tier
 61
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad, TR
Amazing Face Lower Tier
 373
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Sport
Ozone (a.k.a.) The Arch Lower Tier
 88
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Trad, TR
Diagonal Crack Lower Tier
 70
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Trad
Once was Lost Lower Tier
 22
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Sport
The Route Formerly Known as… Upper Tier
 32
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b Trad, TR
Pebbly Face Upper Tier
 14
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b Sport
Black Lives Matter Lower Tier
 26
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Sport, TR
Stegosaurus Lower Tier
 19
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Sport
Railing Moss Lower Tier
 4
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Sport
Old Dino/Miwok Lower Tier
 16
5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c Sport
Bolt Route Lower Tier
 132
5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a Sport
Chameleon Lower Tier
 9
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Sport
Dinosaur Lower Tier
 17
5.12a/b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6a R Sport
Secnar Middle Tier
 5
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b Sport
More Classic Climbs in Boy Scout Rocks »

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