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Climbing community in San Diego?
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Hi all, I’m currently contemplating a move to San Diego. The other option would be Atlanta. I’m psyched. It’s beautiful, there’s accessible climbing near the city, there’s JTree, etc. etc. It’s a good career move and I have always wanted to try living out west. I know there’s beautiful climbing nearby. The reason I ask is that I would love to keep progressing as a sport climber into the 5.13 range, and am wondering how easy/hard that is living in SD in terms of both community and access to routes. For comparison, Atlanta seems like a worse place to live, but is 2h from Rocktown and Chattanooga, with a lifetime of hard bouldering / sport climbing and plenty of people climbing every day of the week. I know the cost of living is also better in Atlanta but I am not super concerned about that. |
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California kicks ass on anything in Georgia. The only drawback to San Diego is the distance to SD from the great climbing on the east side (Bishop) and the western side of the Sierra (Needles, Yosemite) You do get some very excellent crack climbing at Woodson. Or you could ask “not my name” … he has some strong opinions on this matter. Welcome to California- if you do decide to move here. https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/124184535/have-a-chance-to-move-to-la-hows-the-climbing |
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If you can work remote, LA is much better, and these days even cheaper. The only thing that San Diego has better than LA, climbing-wise, is the plastic. In every other aspect, LA is superior. LA has better local climbing on real rock, and like Guy said, closer to all the bigger and better world class stuff. There’s a handful of San Diegans who climb 5.12 and up outdoors. Most only pull “hard” on plastic. They usually drop 2-3 number grades outdoors on anything other than Holcomb. |
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Went to undergrad in IL (3 hrs from jackson falls), where I sport climbed a good deal. Nowadays I plug more gear. I love it here with a burning passion, but I think I'd like to set expectations. The trad here is great. If you ever wanted to get strong on gear, this is probably one of the best places to train for it, due to Mt Woodson (year round crack!). And if you don't want to, there's a very good chance you'll change your mind when you see Tahquitz and the valley :) Surprisingly high concentration of 5.10-5.11 trad climbers here I think, I don't struggle too much to find partners. The bouldering here is good, maybe great (not really a boulderer). Culp valley seems awesome, Woodson ain't bad, and Santee is soso but it's only 20 minutes drive and 0 approach! The sport climbing is alright. There's a few crushers of course, but it's just hard to be a sport climber out here. Compared to the midwest, I have to say it's more involved. Yeah, there's sport, even hard sport, in the county. But a large majority of it has a long approach, and a lot it is going to be off-vert granite, and not involve hard pulling on crazy jugs on overhangs. There's frustration creek 'nearby', but if you are really pulling on 5.13 sport routes and don't want to feel lonely, it might not be a great place for you. Of course there's New Jack City and ORG further afield, but it's a drive for sure. Especially with traffic over that pass near temecula. |
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If your options are San Diego and Atlanta, and you’re primarily a boulderer/sport climber (city life and all that, aside): choose Atlanta for the climbing. I have always been sorely disappointed (and very frustrated) by San Diego climbing. All climbing is basically either a heinous uphill 2hr+ approach (El Cajon, Eagle Peak, Corte Madera) or a 2+ hour drive for mediocre sport climbing (especially if Rumney is your current home crag, it used to be mine too!). There is literally no good local sport climbing that is accessible on weekdays after work or even for a half day quick trip (Mission gorge sucks, huge emphasis on SUCKS.) As for the farther crags, New Jack is fun, but if you’re a 13 climber, you'll outclimb it instantly. I haven’t been to Holocomb, but from what I’ve heard, you’ll also outclimb it quickly. Jtree has “sport climbing”, but it’s really not…sport climbing (like what you think of Rumney being). I don’t boulder much but JTree bouldering is stellar. Chatt and the southern rock is incredible. If you’re going to have to drive two hours for sport climbing/bouldering. Might as well make it an amazing place as opposed to a solidly mediocre one. You also are in the same area of the country (~6hr drive?) as Red River Gorge and the New River Gorge which are phenomenal world class sport destinations. Chatt is world class bouldering. These are, as you said, a literal lifetime of amazing climbing at your fingertips. I can’t reaaaaaally answer your question about community, as I haven’t lived in San Diego since 2011, but I visit very frequently for long periods of time — that said, I built a pretty big network of SD climbers and never really had a problem pulling partners when I needed one. One thing I have noticed though, is that in San Diego’s mega-climbing gyms (Mesa Rim), it doesn't seem like a lot of people climb consistently outdoors, and of those who do, even fewer of them climb hard. If the climbing gym is one source of building a network, it feels like pulling teeth in San Diego because so many climbers exclusively climb at the gym as a social outing and never touch outdoor rock, nor do they have interest. As a comparison, I recently got a membership to the mega-gym in my city, and I feel like everyone is some batshit insane 5.12-13 sport climber, hardass trad climber, or an alpinist, and it’s slightly overwhelming but I got a whole phone book of outdoor contacts for every climbing discipline after literally two days while it took me years to build my San Diego outdoor contacts. Every stranger I’ve climbed with so far in my new gym has outdoor climbing experience (probably due to our proximity to Smith Rock). But I rarely got that with San Diego gyms. I do apologize for the San Diego negativity as you seem excited, but I just really don’t think you’d be able to grow much as a sport climber in San Diego without getting frustrated. I am generally annoyed with how mediocre San Diego climbing can be and while it looks good on paper…it just isn’t good, especially now that I live somewhere extremely outdoor-oriented and can compare the two cities in terms of actual climbing and climbing culture. San Diego is a gorgeous city, I’m a native and I’m so privileged to have family connections which allow me to visit often. I think living there will be a great experience for you as it would for anyone, but as a hard sport climber, I do think you should lower your expectations on the climbing (by a lot). But…if you decide you want to learn to trad climb, San Diego would be stellar. :) |
Suhas Vijaykumar wrote: SD does not have great sport climbing, there’s a few routes here and there but any serious sport climber from the east will hate it. JT has a handful of great routes but they are very spread out and it’s a 3+ hour drive. Like Ry C said, the “community” is mostly indoors. |
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Welcome to San Diego, we have a fairly active climate community. You shouldn't have any issues finding partners during the weekdays. Mission gorge is good, and Woodson is amazing for bouldering If you even need a belay feel free to hit me up (got pads too). I don't climb close to that, but I live 10 min from mission gorge. It is plenty easy to find people for guns out to j tree and up to idywyld |
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Ry C nailed it all on all accounts. Don’t forget Red Rocks and surrounding limestone, it’s close enough to factor in. The best (quality and concentration) sport climbing in California is Owens River Gorge which would be weekend territory, not day trip. But SoCal weather for year round climbing can’t be beat. |
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I wanted to say one more thing: I went through your ticks and it looks like you’re one of those serious hardass Rumney project climbers and you live in Cambridge. I lived in Massachusetts for 7 years and learned to climb in New Hampshire (North Conway and Rumney), I feel like know the type of climber you are lol. You will hate San Diego climbing. Having personally experienced both New England and San Diego extensively, I miss my New England climbing community SO dearly. ((Also fun fact: I’m the female climber on the Rumney trailhead sign! :P)) It was so easy to just grab a huge crew and head up to Rumney for the weekend, camp in the AAC campground, and bleed all over the rock. You also have Farley and the Western crags which have hardass bouldering and hard sport. Not to mention Pawtuckaway, Lincoln Woods, Lynn Woods, stuff on the Kanc, etc. you can climb dozens upon dozens of pitches in a single weekend and get blasted. Massachusetts sport climbing and bouldering is far superior to San Diego (sport) climbing, in my opinion. And stuff in Massachusetts is day-trip friendly and actually good quality. Theres nothing in San Diego like that, and the community is dry. I feel very trapped whenever I’m in San Diego and find myself driving the 5-7hrs (fucking traffic) to Red Rock instead (also I’m a little biased because I despise Joshua Tree, 3000 routes and only 200 are worth climbing and super spread out — like one good route on a rock formation and nothing else), unlike Rumney which is stacked with five-star line and after five-star lines on the same face. You can live in Waimea for a month and not run out of routes to try, you climb ONE (sport) pitch at JTree then have to hike out, get into a car and drive somewhere else. I say this often, but people who enjoy San Diego climbing have Stockholm syndrome for their crags. They’re trapped and forced to enjoy it because there’s nothing else local. (IE: Woodson) If sport climbing is crucial to your life, San Diego is not the place to be. You can make it work, but you’ll be extremely frustrated once the “freshness” of moving to a new location wears off. |
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Ry, I'm pretty sure literally nobody loves woodson for the sport climbing :) But yeah, the people reccing mission gorge as a sport climbing spot for someone like this definitely are a little funny. I'm glad we have our crags, but there's many way better options out there if you're choosing where to live based on the quality of sport climbing. Certainly I pulled harder when I lived in Illinois. I guess to counter the total negativity: I do suspect the local bouldering is, despite the popularity, slept on and a motivated developer could do A LOT. And well, the trad speaks for itself. Also: there are definitely worse big city options for community. Looking at you, SF. |
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This case is closed gentleman! Suhas, take it from those of us with wide climbing experience, you will be happier in Atlanta. You can always fly to Vegas for the weekends with all the money you will be saving on living expenses. |
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I moved to SD from Oregon and I fucking love it here. I can climb outside whenever I want, how ever I want. I’ll often boulder during a lunch break for work. Feel like sport climbing? Take a half day off and it’s easy. Feel like trad climbing? 15 minute drive and I can be working world class cracks (albeit usually very short routes). Have a weekend free? Easy drive to Josh or Yosemite or the high Sierra depending on the season.
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Hi everyone, thanks so much for all this info! It’s super helpful, if only for setting expectations since the jobs aren’t really equal and they aren’t remote-friendly. It does sound like Atlanta is a better place for me climbing-wise, as primarily a sport climber interested in progressing through the grades. For some context, I got started climbing at Rumney but for the past two years have been living in Miami, FL due to my partner’s work—a 12-14h drive from any sport climbing. I’ve kept up with climbing (and projecting) at Rumney since I’m often back in Boston for my job. (Side note: the community at Rumney is that supportive—I could fly into town mid-week and always spend a day or two climbing). So either place will be a big step up from the current situation in terms of local access. And I probably don’t need a big crew and to climb my face off every weekend with. Just maybe a few dedicated partners for weekend trips to the Vegas area crags or to Bishop. Does that exist? It does sound like local climbing exists and people get out on weekdays which, from where I’m standing, is pretty sweet. |
Suhas Vijaykumar wrote: El Cajon Mountain will require at least a 30 minute drive from central San Diego and another 1-2 hours hike in after that. The drive to Eagle Peak and Corte Madera is at least an hour with more hiking time. All three are south facing and not good options in the summer when there's light after work. Mission Gorge sucks, plain and simple, and has nothing to offer someone like yourself. You'll be stuck at the gym on weekdays. There's a very small number of people in San Diego who climb 13 outdoors or even want to try. They think 5.11 is hard. Hell, there's a very small number who climb 12s outdoors. Most of them top rope 11s and lead 5.10 if you're being generous. Yes, it's possible to find a few climbers that are stoked enough to go to Bishop and Vegas consistently, just don't expect a long line forming. And for everyone else, Woodson is an excellent place to train. But, come on, let's be real, it's not world class, and not even close. To put it in the same league as places like Yosemite, Squamish, The Needles, and Indian Creek is laughable. You guys get way too attached to that greasy Robbins Crack, and Jaws. |
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I have to agree with others that have posted here about the SD sport climbing scene. SD does not have a lot of 'sport climbs' around the county. Sure there are some newer areas here that have clip ups for the unadventurous. San Diego is home to the Poway mountain boys as well as other 'core' climbers that don't see the adventure in Sport Climbing. As far as hard climbers in San Diego, come to Woodson and climb Hear My Train a Comin'. That's a Woodson 5.11+ but would probably be 5.13a on the East coast! There are 5.12's at Corte Madera that would be east coast 5.13's as well. The San Diego climbing scene is stuck in the old days. The good ole days, and we like it that way! All joking aside, it sounds like Georgia will be a better fit for you. If you ever get the hankerin' to give your fingers a rest and would like to hone your foot work, come to SD and put in the work. Slab climbing is not sexy with climbing gyms setting the standard for what climbing is supposed to be, but once you start to get the hang of good foot work I think you'll start to see the light. |
Ry C wrote:  I think there is something to be said about making the most of wherever you find yourself. Southern California has a very rich and varied climbing history and rewards those who dig deep. There may not be very many roadside 5.14 test pieces for your fingers but there are plenty for your mind - the magic of ground up granite climbing. |
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As a corollary to the above, we all know that 5.13 sport climbers are much better trad climbers than trad climbers are. So if you're willing to pivot a bit many adventures await...! U just have to get thru the horrible car traffic we have to reach them ;) |
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I live in Temecula which, in perfect driving conditions, is an hour away (using San Diego Intl Airport as the destination) and I do not go out of my way for San Diego outdoor climbing. |
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San Diego has great rock of all styles. The sport climbing exists, but as stated requires some hiking and a good head for logistics. There are a dozen or so established 13s and loads of 12s that are all worth while. While the 13a or harder sport routes are fewer, what is established is high quality, modern & well protected. For what it’s worth, I would contribute that it while the “scene” is small, it’s nice to show up to the proj & feel like you have it all to yourself. San Diego is a perfect place to live for a climber who enjoys technical (granite) diversity. |
Suhas Vijaykumar wrote: I would go to Atlanta you have epic sandstone and granite nearby in TN and NC. So Cal is overrated. |
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For super hardcore climbers San Diego only OK. For 5.10 to 5.12 trad climbers it is good. What sets San Diego apart is the quality of the ocean and the rocks are granite. Good granite. If you mix the ocean activities with your climbing then San Diego is great. I am a surfer first. I became a climber later. Raised in SD that was a natural sequence. As a result this place works for me. If you are not into the ocean then a big part of what makes San Diego great is off the table. If that is the case, go to Atlanta. |
