Castle Rock SP

Clouds up at Goat Rock

This past week I have gone to Castle Rock State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains three times, taking my total of outside days up to...possibly more than last year. I can't remember. But then again, I don't care about how many times I climbed outside last year because, it's just climbing. In or out, it's fun.

Sunday was the best day I have had climbing in a long ass time. It's on my Top 5 Best Days Outside list for sure. Chris Bloch and I spent about 7 hours out there. Since I had never been to the Klinghoffers, he showed me the way. It's surprisingly easy to get there. And the walk from the lot to the boulders is 15 minutes if you stop to look at the side of the road rocks like we did. The hike there is easy and flat, and the boulders do not disappoint. I had no idea that the problems out there, were the BEST at Castle in terms on landings, rock quality, and the fun factor. 

There's a fun arete problem, Achilles Lauro, that feels like what a REAL rock climb should feel like: fun. The landing is good and holds are comfortable AND it requires you actually use your feet to stand on. I did it four times to warm up and to capture it on film because it's quite easy to film from a good higher angle. It's a fun problem. You need to go and do it (whoever is reading this).

The most sought after problem at the Klinghoffers is a problem called Right Hand Man. It's slopers and slaps and heel hooking goodness. I saw this problem in West Coast Pimp way back in the day. I thought it was taller and more overhung due to the way it was filmed. But it's not tall or overhung. In my opinion, it's the best sloper problem at Castle (but that's just me). I really wanted to flash this problem after seeing how good those slopers were. Chris pulled his camera out and told me give it a go. I sat down at the undercling, pulled up, and stuck the first sloper. Then the next one. Then the good sloper that leads to a sweet-sassy-molassy mantel.

Flashing something you saw 10 years ago in some obscure out of print VHS tape was something I never thought I'd be able to do. It felt great to flash a classic. two classic down, two to go.

CONTINUED IN PART 2!