Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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37.88200°N / 121.913°W |
Route Type:
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Technical Rock Climbs |
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Time Required:
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Less than two hours |
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Difficulty:
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5.6 - 5.12 |
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Approach
The easiest way to get to Boy Scout Rocks is to enter Mount Diablo State Park from the south enterance. After passing the gate where you have to pay the fees, continue up the road for about a mile or so, like you're going up to the summit (but not that far). You can park at Gibraltar Rock or Rock City -- just pull off the side of the road. There are also some more established parking spots and a bathroom near the road itself. A narrow trail heads down from a couple of different places next to the road. This trail will wind down to the three tiers of the Boy Scout Rocks area. Note: there is often a plethora of Poison Oak plants here. Be careful.
Route Description
Boy Scout Rocks is a fun place to go and hone your technical rock climbing skills. It's quite sporty and easily accessable from the main road. During the winter this area generally has better weather than the rest of the Bay Area. Warning: It can be opressively hot during summer. The East Face of the Lower Tier is the best area, in my opinion, and houses perhaps one of the best 5.9 face climbs around --Amazing Face. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this climb! Earthcling, at 5.11b, can also be a nice aid bolt ladder. Ozone and Ozone Direct at 5.10c and 5.10d respectively, can be toproped and provide a great workout.
| Names of Routes | Location | Grade | Comments |
| Pebbly Face | Upper Tier | 5.10c | **** |
| Chouinard's Crack | Upper Tier | 5.8 | *** |
| Face | Upper Tier | 5.10a | ** |
| Pie Crust | Upper Tier | 5.11c | ** |
| Jungle Book | West Face of Middle Tier | 5.10d | **** |
| In the Buckets | West Face of Middle Tier | 5.11c | ***** |
| Face | West Face of Middle Tier | 5.7 - 5.10 | Many different lines exist |
| Crack | West Face of Middle Tier | 5.6 | ** |
| Betty's Beard Left | North Face of Middle Tier | 5.11b | |
| Betty's Beard Right | North Face of Middle Tier | 5.11a | |
| Face | North Face of Lower Tier | 5.10a | * |
| Crack | North Face of Lower Tier | 5.7 | ** |
| Ozone | East Face of Lower Tier | 5.10c | ***** |
| Ozone Direct | East Face of Lower Tier | 5.10d | ***** |
| Godzilla | East Face of Lower Tier | 5.12X | Bolted route that can be toproped but be ready for a swing. |
| Stegosaurus | East Face of Lower Tier | 5.10b | *** |
| Diagonal Crack | East Face of Lower Tier | 5.10b | **** |
| Face | East Face of Lower Tier | 5.11dR | *** |
| Dinosaur | East Face of Lower Tier | 5.11b | *** |
| Chimney | East Face of Lower Tier | 5.7 | ** |
| Amazing Face | East Face of Lower Tier | 5.9 | ***** |
| Bolt Route | East FAce of Lower Tier | 5.10b | ***** |
| Earthcling/Dire Blow | East Face of Lower Tier | 5.11b | **** |
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Essential Gear
The Boy Scout Rocks area is almost all toproping with a few bolted climbs. The Lower Tier is the highest at about 90 feet tall. If you are planning on leading any of the sport routes, bring maybe 12 quick draws. Otherwise, if you are just planning on toproping, bring some medium and long slings and a few locking carabiners for setting up anchors. Note: Boy Scout Rocks are all sandstone. Long slings may be necessary to get out and over edges that have been gouged by ropes. In general, toprope routes have bolts at the top or easy access to trees.
Miscellaneous Info
If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.