Trip Report
Even more amazing than I hoped (and my hopes were pretty high)-Cosmic Wall, Castle Crags
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Tuesday April 19, 2016 4:21pm
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I've been lusting after exploring Castle Crags for roughly the last 20 years (waaay before I started climbing), and finally this last weekend my cousin and I made an early season run up there to climb the Cosmic Wall on Mount Hubris.
We got to the campsite a bit later than planned, but still time for a fire and a beer before throwing our sleeping bags out under the stars-perfect night, no tent needed.
Sun got us up early, and it was off to the trailhead.
There's rock up there!
Ever-present Shasta.
Destination in sight.
Stoked.
Like, super stoked.
First belay.
Looking down on pitch 2.
Hero shot mkI.
Looking down on pitch 3.
Blue skies above pitch 4 belay.
Hero shot mkII.
Summit!
So that's the rap, huh?
Oookay...
The way down.
Time for one last pose before I hit the ground.
Tasty!
Back down the hill towards the long drive home.
Still stoked!
Then we bombed back south down I-5 towards the peninsula, and even with a shower I was still in bed before midnight. :)
In all honesty this might be my new favorite climb-stunningly steep and exposed for a 5.6 (thanks to being a ridiculously secure jughaul for the majority, especially p4), phenomenal setting, and blissful solitude. We climbed Cathedral Peak last May, and this route is handily above it in my opinion.
Comments
Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Apr 19, 2016 - 04:30pm PT
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wow I'm so jealous , great Job and thanks for sharing.
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looks easy from here
climber
Santa Cruzish
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Author's Reply
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Apr 19, 2016 - 06:39pm PT
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Thanks.
eKat, did you ever get used to the train, or did it drive you bonkers every time it rolled through? We got 4 between the time we went to bed and the time we got up.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Apr 19, 2016 - 06:42pm PT
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That looks like a really fun place!!
An overlooked crag.
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Apr 19, 2016 - 06:59pm PT
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Way to go bros.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Apr 19, 2016 - 07:00pm PT
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Blue skies above pitch 4 belay. You taking a leak in that photo?
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looks easy from here
climber
Santa Cruzish
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Author's Reply
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Apr 19, 2016 - 07:05pm PT
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Holding *the* rope, not *my* rope. But yeah, it looks like that.
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hotlum
climber
Oregon
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Apr 19, 2016 - 07:19pm PT
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Nice, Caldera IPA
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Gagner
climber
Boulder
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Apr 19, 2016 - 07:21pm PT
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Ha, when Kath says a very interesting place, boy does she mean that. I spent quite a bit of time there, and those were some great times at The Last Resort, right Kath......
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Apr 19, 2016 - 07:23pm PT
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We'll be going right through Castle Crags on our first PCT trip this summer. I had been thinking about taking a day off to do a route there. Now I'm thinking about it even more!
Nice trip report.
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looks easy from here
climber
Santa Cruzish
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Author's Reply
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Apr 19, 2016 - 07:50pm PT
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^ ^ ^ HA. . . I wondered the same thing!
I saw it when I posted it. Naively hoped no one else would notice...
We'll be going right through Castle Crags on our first PCT trip this summer.
I saw the sign for it where it crossed the Castle Dome trail; thought of you and your girls and wondered if you made it that far. And now I've gotten started on my own PCT journey: 8 feet north and 8 feet south, so far. ;)
There is a trail now? ;)
Sorry. There's a "trail" there. :p
I don't think people not familiar with "climber's trail" could follow it very easily, but it was a surprisingly clear path through the manzanita. Even with the packs we didn't get hung up.
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7SacredPools
Trad climber
Ontario, Canada
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Apr 19, 2016 - 07:51pm PT
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A funny, fabulous little TR, thanks!
I nearly crashed the car rubbernecking at a glimpse of Castle Crag on my way to Smith from San Francisco. Looking forward to getting back there one day.
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Apr 19, 2016 - 08:29pm PT
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Sooo envious. I climbed there a million years ago--no guide book, too young, too spooked. Got up a pitch on some crag somewhere and ended up coming down. All of sixteen then. Is that possible? Well done.
BAd
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Apr 19, 2016 - 09:30pm PT
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Whaaaaat that looks amazing. Total driving time door to trailhead?
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mwickett
Trad climber
Tracy, CA
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Apr 19, 2016 - 09:35pm PT
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I remember manzanita and our 50m twins not being quite long enough for the rappel.
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looks easy from here
climber
Santa Cruzish
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Author's Reply
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Apr 19, 2016 - 10:09pm PT
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rubbernecking at a glimpse of Castle Crag
Sounds like we shared the same first view (along with many others, I imagine). Fortunately I was on a bus so I could safely ogle all I wanted.
I climbed there a million years ago--no guide book, too young, too spooked Yeah, we're pampered now-guidebook, mountainproject and here combined to give me a pretty good picture of what I was in for.
Total driving time door to trailhead? Coming from near Santa Cruz about 6 hours. But that was via Belmont for some gear, and including a leisurely calorie binge at Wendy's (my cousin had never been there before, how does that happen?!), and nearly an hour in Redding circling trying to find a grocery store + shopping + figuring out how to get back to I-5. So with just a bit more motivation you could trim a lot of fat off that time.
And fwiw, it took us 2:00 from the trailhead to the base of the climb (all uphill, having never been there before, and moving at a pace that was not worried about having to beat any crowds), and 1:10 back from the base of the climb (where we had left our packs) to the trailhead.
50m twins not being quite long enough for the rappel. Probably added an extra pitch in over what we did, too-a couple of ours were near the limit of my 70m. I considered bringing my 60m halves to be able to do the rap in one shot, but decided to stick with the extra length for climbing since there's an intermediate rap station.
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
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Apr 19, 2016 - 10:18pm PT
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yup that one's a beauty...glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Apr 19, 2016 - 10:41pm PT
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That looks like a super fun climb. Never made it there when I lived in CA, had the pedal to the metal on my way to Smith Rocks.
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jonnyrig
climber
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Apr 20, 2016 - 06:50am PT
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Nice.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Apr 20, 2016 - 09:01am PT
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Thank you for the report. I wanted to check that place out for a LONG time!! Sweet looking formations and the view of mt. Shasta must be great. Love that peak...
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lars johansen
Trad climber
West Marin, CA
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Apr 20, 2016 - 11:02am PT
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One of my favorites. Thanks for posting-lars
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Apr 20, 2016 - 12:21pm PT
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Nice report, great stoke, pretty rock.
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looks easy from here
climber
Santa Cruzish
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Author's Reply
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Apr 20, 2016 - 12:23pm PT
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That's interesting about he land management, eKat. I was wondering why the state park is basically just a campground and doesn't actually include the Crags proper.
way too hot in summer for mortals
I was surprised by how often it's apparently climbed June-August and how rarely this time of year. It made me a little nervous about conditions (snow patches, seeping cracks, etc.), but honestly we couldn't have hit it better if we had a crystal ball: dry rock and approach, low 70s, beautiful clear sky, and just enough of a breeze to keep us from cooking on the rock, but not so windy as too impede communication or make it too chilly.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Apr 20, 2016 - 12:29pm PT
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Thanks for a TR that reads like pure fun -- as the climb (and camping) seems to be.
John
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hellroaring
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Apr 20, 2016 - 01:55pm PT
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Cool stuff! Love that route. Every couple years seem to find myself climbing that route. Beautiful area, not quite on par with tuolumne & cathedral as far as scenery, but the total lack of crowds makes it better I think. A bit more work but hiking up to the saddle and sleeping under the stars gets you away from all the road noise.
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Apr 20, 2016 - 05:27pm PT
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Stellar, keeping the stoke alive!!!!!
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looks easy from here
climber
Santa Cruzish
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Author's Reply
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Apr 20, 2016 - 07:34pm PT
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hiking up to the saddle and sleeping under the stars
Where do you park for that? Outside the park and take the PCT in to where it intersects the Castle Dome trail?
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Apr 20, 2016 - 07:40pm PT
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Seems good to me.
Nice stoke
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john bald
climber
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Apr 20, 2016 - 08:03pm PT
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Well done!
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hellroaring
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Apr 20, 2016 - 08:15pm PT
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For parking and then hiking up to the saddle to sleep I'm probably not too efficient. i've always just parked down by the park entrance and just headed up. Cannot honestly remember if that meant picking up the trail where the PCT intersects. More work involved but much nicer than sleeping down in the campground (except if it's windy)...now I'm thinking I have just hiked up the castle dome trail.
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Apr 20, 2016 - 08:14pm PT
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Some great stoked faces. Thanks for the TR.
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looks easy from here
climber
Santa Cruzish
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Author's Reply
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Apr 20, 2016 - 08:36pm PT
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Always glad to share the stoke. Glad everyone's enjoyed it. :D
i've always just parked down by the park entrance and just headed up.
Gotcha. Though even starting from outside the gate the approach is only about 4 miles-hardly a deal breaker to spend a couple days up there in the heart of things. It's just the extra water that would be a killer.
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hellroaring
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Apr 20, 2016 - 09:17pm PT
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There is a spring up there that I have used to fill up on water. I believe it might be near the junction with the PCT...
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looks easy from here
climber
Santa Cruzish
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Author's Reply
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Apr 23, 2016 - 08:55am PT
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Indian Springs? I remember we passed a sign for it that said "water 2/10 mile", but we didn't go check it out. Seemed like a bit of a hoof from there to the saddle fully loaded, but I expect you could hustle there and back pretty well without a full pack of gear. Thanks for the info. Might try to swing that next time I'm up that way.
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Dangerous Dan
Mountain climber
Bodega Bay, CA
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Apr 29, 2016 - 12:15pm PT
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Did some climbing there in the 70,s when student at Shasta JC (now Shasta College I believe. I remember lots of bushwhacking and rotten granite.
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