BETA PHOTO: Bishop Peak, from left to right: Cracked Wall (bel...
Description
As you drive into San Luis Obispo from Highway 101, 1, what have you, you'll be struck by the volcanic peak with the big "P" painted and running down the side of the face. You can't miss it. This is the most popular local cragging spot in the county. You'll find bouldering, sport, trad, mixed, you name it.
Being an extinct volcanic plug and one of the seven sisters, you'll find the rock very uniformly featured, some crack, mostly face, a lot of slab. Close to town (five minute drive), Cal Poly, and everything you'll ever need, this is the sure-fire classic spot to get your fix.
Great little hiking spot, too. Take the Felsman Loop around from Patricia's entrance and then go up to the top after finishing that trail. Nice, long, and perty.
Getting There
From Highway 101, take the Highway 1 exit (North toward Hearst Castle). You'll find yourself on a large street, Santa Rosa. Follow this street north about 1.5 miles until you get to Highland Drive (right across from the entrance to Cal Poly). Take a left. Follow Highland Drive west about 1 mile or so (bear left) until it ends at a cul-de-sac. Park on the street. A well-marked trail will be visible. Please be courteous of neighbors, as it is a residential area.
Gold Rush is the easiest climb to access at GWP. It's right next to the trail and you won't have to fight the poison oak to get there. This route features solid rock with small edges and smears. The rock is rough and features friction like Joshua Tree. The southwestern exposure makes this a good choice for a cool day. You can also cruise around to the left and set up a top rope in a matter of minutes. To top it all off, the views from here a...[more]
Of note to climbers is the issue of raptor nesting. In the Pinnacles NM they close certain routes during raptor nesting. Possibly this is being considered at Bishops Peak? I don't know. But if we want to be involved, get your feedback into the city by March. Then again, it may be more prudent to not rock the boat :-)
By Mike Morley Administrator From: Oakland, CA Feb 21, 2006
The rock of Bishop Peak (and the surrounding morros) is Dacite. It is an extrusive, high-silica, igneous, volcanic rock (similar to andesite).
From wikipedia,
"The rocks of this group occur in Romania, Almeria (Spain), Argyll and other parts of Scotland, New Zealand, the Andes, Martinique, Nevada and other districts of western North America, Greece as well as other places. They are mostly associated with andesites and trachytes, and form lava flows, dikes, and in some cases form massive intrusions in the centers of volcanoes.
The word dacite comes from Dacia, a Roman province found between the Danube River and Carpathian Mountains (nowadays modern Romania) where the rock was first described."
Visited this place for the first time last weekend. The climbing was unexpectedly good and the grades felt pretty honest. Respect. Even more interesting were all the people we met. All hospitable, fun, funky people with far less attitude then Santa Cruz County crowd I'm used to. Good restaurants and bars and a killer party at "The Stab". Worthy of many more visits. Keep it real SLO!
Bishop Peak
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