Poway Crag's Ramona Wall and Miller Time Wall have a closure in effect from Dec 15th through August 31st annually dur to nesting raptors
Glen Cliff has a closure in effect from Dec 15th through August, or if/when it is determined that nesting is not occurring
Mt Gower also has a closure in effect from Dec 15th through August, or if/when it is determined that nesting is not occurring
In recent years, Gower has been home to seasonally nesting raptors. To avoid human disturbance of nesting activities, advisories may be in effect from around December through August. Check the ACSD and CNF websites for details.
This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund,
and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates.
Greg Epperson on "Epperson's Lunge" B1+ circa 1986...
Description
San Diego's most popular bouldering area. Just bring a crash pad and some shoes. Many of the problems are safe to do sans pad. Do not expect to be alone out here. Please respect the bushes and do not make the trails any wider than they already are.
Getting There
Across the street from West Hills Park in Santee off Mast Blvd near the 52 freeway. Park in the park parking lot and play frogger to cross the street to the bouldering area that is visible on the north side of the road.
From Los Angeles and Orange Counties, drive south on the 5 until the exit for the highway 78 eastbound. Take the 78 east to the 15 and head south. Those coming from Riverside County will take the 15 directly. From the 15/78 interchange, drive 21 miles south to highway 52 and head east for 6 miles. Exit on Mast Blvd, taking a left at the light. One half-mile on the right hand side is West Hills Park.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Santee Boulders:
The namesake of Lieback Rock.Lieback up a right facing rail where the rock splits from pink to grey. Get up to a finger pocket undercling. Follow undercling flake around right and then finish up the seam to the top.Classic. Feels more like an actual trad route than a boulder since it is so long and varied. Some start on the right side of the rail for added difficulty....[more]Browse More Classics in CA
if you're looking to improve your fancy footwork, crimp strength, and balance for your granite climbing projects...this is the place to train! There's a good amount of highball options and some anchors for top roping as well.
Bees may like Lonesome and Mudball as much as a boulderer does, but they don't like people much.
Summer time: watch out for the occasional rattler sunning on/near the trail, there's a grand daddy of one near carosel boulder i've seen on many occasions. they'll give you a spot on light bulb boulder as well.
*if you're not familiar with snakes and their habits, it's the smaller ones that you should be most weary of...they tend to latch on giving you a longer dose of the stuff they're selling. the bigger ones will use it more sparingly seeing as you're not going to make a good snack.
just moved to SD and really psyched to find this great little boulder field like 10 mins from my apt. Great setting easy approach many quality problems.
With that said the ratings here seriously SUCK. Having bouldered all over the country (Hueco, Bishop, Boulder, Yosemite, Chattanooga). I can say these ratings are in their own little world. 5th class ratings for boulder problems was probably common in the 70's or whatever, but V ratings are the accepted standard of boulderers everywhere now. (And the way the users of this site are pigeon holed into choosing their own "5th class rating" and V ratings are not even in the drop down list is also jacked.) On top of that the few V ratings that exist here are poor. Take Suzy's Mantle a classic V4 just about anywhere they have as V0?? Anyone who thinks this has not traveled much. You guys who think this is V0 should get out and see some other areas.
Aside from the myopic ratings this place is super sweet!
I've found the Santee grades comparable to other SoCal areas with similar climbing like Joshua Tree and Black Mountain. Conversions to the YDS approximate well to those at Suicide Rock - a mecca of granite slab and thin face climbing. Hang out a bit and get used to the rock and the style before going too crazy on attempting to up-rate problems multiple grades.
I'll agree that it would be nice to consistently see V grades in the database here, perhaps mentioning the original B-grade or YDS grade. In the end though, is it really that hard to convert from YDS to V?
Just a heads up, on the LEFTMOST of the mudball cracks, there is a bees nest. It is probably best to avoid this. I was initially told it was a wasps nest, but upon slightly closer inspection I saw a pretty extensive honeycomb in there! Bees are endangered right now, so I am giving them a wide berth...ish. We climbed the other two cracks and faces and didn't seem to stoke their ire.
LOL welcome to san diego, T Bone. Ive been climbing in San Diego county for over 35 years, and Ive climbed elsewhere in CA yosemite, the sierra, idylwild, joshua tree etc. Ive also climbed all around the country, as well as in canada, mexico, finland and russia, and I have found a huge disparity in ratings from one place to another. Theres nothing you can do about it, so you dont whine, you suck it up and you go by the local ratings. I saw 5.9s in Germany that were 5.11+ to me. Ive also seen 5.12's that were 5.10+ to me. Whether or not you agree with it, it is what it is.
San Diego is a backwater, and we developed these climbing areas without much outside involvement. Our ratings may be a bit stiff, and were proud of that. A 5.9 here tends to be a real 5.9, and a 5.12 is hard as hell, not some cream puff job meant to inflate minor egos. Ive been to the sport areas where everything is "5.12", routes have bolts every 4 feet and half the lines are chipped, and I can tell you that San Diego is exactly the opposite of that. Thats the way its always been, and thats the way we like it.
San Diego has millions of rounded boulders and we turn out some of the best mantle climbers in the world. Suzys mantle is not anywhere close to V4, but Id say V1 is fair. Its a moderate Santee mantle and Im sorry but it would not be a V4 anywhere. Hone your technique, get strong and try it again. If you want gimmies, go to the gym.
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