Red Bluff Climbing

Red Bluff is a tranquil little piece of riparian bliss at the junction of Red Bluff Creek and the Medina River within spitting distance of San Antonio. Limestone boulders of various sizes host problems of various difficulties, all dotting intervals along perhaps the most beautiful waterway in Texas. Some of the boulders are freestanding; others are short cliff bands scoured out into spectacular wave-like formations by the occasional apocalyptic flash floods that Central Texas is subject to.

Much of the more popular (read: harder) bouldering lies along the Front Wall and Fontainebleau Wall, which are at creek level and the landings of which are often until a foot or more of water. These walls are home to the classics Peace V8 and Hooks V8. This is what most climbers come here for. These walls may only be climbable during the drier late summer and winter. The rest of the climbing is along the Medina itself, including some short cliffbands and some boulders.

In an effort to flesh out this entry, many of the route descriptions on here are taken more or less directly from Jeff Jackson's "Texas Limestone Bouldering" (Rock Hound Publishing, 2007).

Another Note: I mentioned flash floods for a reason. Look around at the jumbled rocks and gnarled cypresses. THIS AREA GETS WRECKED. Don't bother climbing at RB if it has been raining a decent amount anywhere in the hill country. And if you are there when there are storms in the area, even pretty far upstream, be prepared to leave moment's notice. The water can rise to lethal flow in minutes even on a bright, sunny day.