This huge granite cathedral, with its flying buttresses (the Celestial Aretes, Venusian, Moon Goddess, and Sun Ribbon) on the left, and the truly awesome buttress of Dark Star in the center, is the premier long rock climbing area of the Palisades.
Getting There
From Big Pine on 395 drive up the road to Glacier Lodge; trailhead is signed on the right.
Hike up the North Fork of Big Pine Creek past Cienega Mirth, Lon Chaney's old cabin, to First Lake, then, just past the lake cut left and head towards the far (south) side of Second Lake - this is where I camp (4.3 miles, 2,300 ft elevation gain). The base of Temple Crag can be reached by hiking up a scree slope to the west of the lake. Some people hike to Third Lake and approach the climbs from there. Some people bivouac beneath the Crag (especially useful for Dark Star).
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Temple Crag:
In 1997, Gordon Wiltsie and Jay Jensen established Planaria, using aid to ascend a shallow, right-facing dihedral up to a right-trending roof, thence up into the large shallow dihedral that comprises the bulk of the route.Higher, after a 60-foot fall out of the left side, Gorden and Jay went up the right side of the flatworm flake that gives the route its name.The pair ended their fine ascent at the top of the Lower Buttress where the route joins with Dark Star and Barefoot Bynum.Partly because ...[more]Browse More Classics in CA
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