BETA PHOTO: Butt Rock as seen from the Boyscout rocks.
Description
The Lower Tier offers sport routes, trad routes and top ropes all exist on this lower section of climbing. Because of the fragile nature of this rock, bring long slings for topropes (20'+), don't climb this area for at least 3 days after a rain storm, and be careful of loose bolts and anchors, as many of them cannot withstand too many serious falls. Amazing Face (5.9) and Ozone (5.10c) are area classics.
The Middle Tier is almost all top rope climbs, though there is a few cracks that could be done trad as well. Look for coldshuts on the top of the rock, which can be easily accessed from the far side (south) of the rock. Have a go at Jungle Book (5.10b) and In the Buckets (5.11c).
The Upper Tier is a tall piece of sandstone about 90 feet tall 100 feet across. Most of the routes are top rope due to the fact that it is unsafe to put bolts on the sandstone face. To reach the top from below, trek up the 3rd class gully on the left side of the rock. Usually you'll set your anchor from a tree, though old bolts are present at the top of the right-most climbs. The obvious crack in the middle of the rock is known as Chouinard's Crack (5.9) and serves as an easy reference.
Butt Rock offers a variety of climbing from moderate slabby face climbing to steep face and finger crack climbing. Routes can be toproped using very long slings. A long 5.3 chimney on the south side is the easiest way to the top. A short rappel off the west face is the best way down. Butt Rock is about 100' north of Boy Scout Rocks and there is an easy 2 minutes approach trail leading down from the road. Looking down you can see the rock identified with several large boulders on top.
Getting There
Approach time: 11 minutes.
Be aware of lots of poison oak in the area.
To get to the Boy Scout Rocks, head into the park from either entrance, though the south entrance is a little closer. Park at the Rock City picnic area, and head south road on foot. A little ways down (150 yards or so) you will see a large rock (60'+) on the right with an obvious large crack in the middle, and a CLOSED climbing area. Don't climb this rock, or other areas in the park will be endangered as well.
Instead, hang a left downhill on a trail a little past this rock. There are several trails, most are infested with poison oak, so beware. One steeper trail that is LESS infected is found by locating the top of the rock, which is a little downhill from other paths. It is also located just to the left of the top of the upper tier, which stands about 15 feet tall next to the road. Follow this steep windy trail down about 50 yards, and you will be standing in the corridor between the upper tier (uphill) and the middle tier (downhill). Head downhill another corridor, and you'll be in the corridor between the middle tier and the lower tier. Head a little further down, and you'll be on the ground floor with the lower tier on your right.
The ground floor is where most of the lower tier established climbing lies, though there are also a few routes on the north side of the rock.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Boy Scout Rocks:
The furthest left climb on the lower tier.Lieback the left side of the arch until you're almost to the top, then reach left to the thin crack above the roof, traverse this up and right until it joins a wider, vertical crack. Follow this one to the top.Ozone is a really unique climb that requires a lot of upper body strength....[more]Browse More Classics in CA
I recently found out that there's a much easier trail to get to the rock.Instead of following the road back towards the south/west entrance and then going down the poison oak infested and steep downhill trail,go across the road from the parking area to the picnic area (but still veer towards the direction you would have headed on the road).You'll find a nice, even trail that heads directly below the lowest tier of boyscout rocks.
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