Castle Rock is a really long rock, so there are loads of top-rope problems on the south side of the rock. Offering insanely loose rock on routes up to 100 feet, often times a 5.6 climb will turn into a 5.10. But you're on a toprope, so if climbing gets too hard, you can always bail out to the left or right. There are also a selection of topropes on the backside on rock that isn't quite so loose, though the climbs are shorter, from 25' to 50'. The top of this rock is really pointed, so there are dozens of places to put a topanchor on the holes, rocks, and trees in the top area.
Although a pain in the butt to get to, this is a fairly good place to bring up someone's confidence in falling. Something will break, and they will fall. The climbs are long and often easy (5.6 - 5.11+) yet sustained.
Sandstone... Mmm. This Sandstone is REALLY loose, and hanging on some of the pockets makes you wonder how many more hangs the holds can withstand. Often times you will break half the holds on a route on the way up, but there are usually 10 to replace that one, so don't feel too bad.
It's worth noting that Pine Canyon takes a LONG time to get into, and is a tiring experience in almost all cases. It is also REALLY hot here in the summer, and the bright sandstone and non-existant shade spots ('cept in the caves) will make this place a real cooker on a sunny summer afternoon. Hey, that said... There are few places in the bay area offering so much local isolation with surrounding city for a background.
Because of the fragile nature of this rock, bring long slings for topropes(20'+), in Pine Canyon it's better to bring three or four because of backing up anchors on the top of the rock. Don't climb this area for at least 3 days after a rain storm or you will merely scrape off the existing holds. Be careful of loose bolts and anchors, as many of them cannot withstand too many serious falls, if any at all.
Getting There
Wear long pants, long sleeves, and shoes. Sharp things sticking up from the ground and inconsistent trails make this area quite interesting to enter.
Approach #1:
Approach time 25 minutes
Instead of going by car into Mt. Diablo State park via the North entrance, continue south on Oak Grove Road passing North Gate road (which takes you into Mt. Diablo State Park) on your left. Oak Grove becomes Castle Rock Road. Head up Castle Rock Road past the high school until it ends, which is the parking lot for Castle Rock Regional park (no, not the state park in San Jose). Park, and continue on into the park about a third of a mile via the main trail. Go straight through the developed park, which has a swimming pool, several large fields, and a bathroom just to the left of the trail. The teeth, a large band of cliffs just left of the main Pine Canyon area that look like a set of crooked teeth, are visible for most apporach hovering on the horizon just left of the trail. Continue on the main trail to a cattle gate (not one of the cattle gates near the parking lot), where the trail forks. Cross through the cattle gate and continue straight on the main trail, which is now called Stage Road. You will see a dam on the left eventually. From this point continue on the main trail following the barbed with fence which borders the left side of the path. The main sections of rocks will come into view on the left side of the trail as you walk, eventually all of Pine Canyon will loom to the left of the trial.
Once the Barbed wire fence ends, find a spot to head uphill, and hike uphill keeping the appropriately named Castle rock as a reference. You can see Castle Rock's south side from almost anywhere after you've passed the dam on the approach.
You will find lots of sharp things to step on and run into. You will find poison Oak everywhere. You will loose your footing a time or two, as the soft rock and loads of loose leaves will turn a sure foot into a hill slide. Things get taller as you go uphill, so the scrapes incurred will move from your ankles and thighs to your arms without proper clothing on. Don't step on Snakes, they don't like that.
Approach #2:
Approach time: 30 minutes.
To access the Pine cliffs area, enter from the north section of the park for the shortest drive and simplest reference points. Approximately 1.5 miles from the gate is a "Mt. Diablo Northwest Border" sign on the right. Park alongside the road, and head off the road at the fire road entrance, which has recently been changed from an orange gate to 5 wooden posts. On the middle post a sign stating "59 - 13", which you can see from your car hanging about 2 feet above ground. You should head onto the fire roadhere and head uphill through the wide area. Initially parallel to the main paved road, the fire road will move away from the paved road.
Walk along the fire road, and hang a right at the signed intersection. This heads switches back up the hill, and around a bend. About 1/2 a mile later you will reach a small pond on the right side. After the pond, you will notice a faint set of trails heading through the tall grass, one of the later ones has seen more wear. Pick your favorite, and walk along until the join into one larger trail (you can see this walking down the trail once the pond comes into view about 200 yards off the trail, and 50 or so feet above the valley floor), which heads nearly stright uphill. Walk uphill for 400 or so vertical feet to the ridge, where you will find a crossing larger trail.
You will find lots of sharp things to step on and run into. You will find Poison Oak everywhere. You will loose your footing a time or two, as the soft rock and loads of loose leaves will turn a sure foot into a hill slide. Things get taller as you go uphill (you're going downhill, so the frustration is backwards heading in this way), so the scrapes incurred will move from your arms to your thighs and ankles without proper clothing on. Don't step on Snakes, they really don't like that.
Continue on past the ridge trail on a very narrow trail surrounded by really tall sharp thorny bushes. Abruptly, Lookout Rock will appear in front of you. Hang a right on a trail just prior to lookout rock, and you will find your way to Castle Rock, which has no bolts on it. This approach leads to the northeast side of the rock, which appears to jut up only about 50 feet. The main climbing area is around to the left, where the rock expands down the hillside considerably.
There is also an overhang on the south side of Castle rock, set apart because the Flintstone rock overhang is larger, and there is a vertical chimney in the right side of the Flintstone Rock.
I have found the above information about Pine Canyon to be fairly in-accruate. First, poison oak is only found to the left of cave rock and around the Deliverence/teeth area's. For all the routes accept for three, its not a problem. Second, the rock is not all a degraded, crumbly choss pile like you have discribed. Though there are some sections of loose rock, most is of good quality, stable, and even show little sigh of wear though have been put through a decade of good use. Third, and most important. The bolts in Pine Canyon are like the bolts at any other sport area. Some are suspect, however most are bomber. I would hang my truck from any anchor without fear of it failing. Most of the old bolts have been replaced, the ASCA has been in the area replaceing a few critical bolts and I and others who frequent the area have put lots of time and money into assureing the safety of the all the bolts in the canyon. The only bad bolts left are ones on routes no one would bother to climb and old bolts next to newly replaced ones. Fourth, most of the trad leads have bomber placements. The sandstone in these cracks is of good quality (better than what you will find at the Boy Scout Rocks or Castle Rock State Park) and any sections that are not are protected with a bolt placement. I found your discription to be misguided and ill-informed. Pine Canyon offers some of the best climbing in the bay area (both sport and trad) and is really not that difficult to get too. The approach takes no more than 10 min from the car. Pine canyon also offers an escape from the crowds of other crags in the area. Most likely because of its poor coverage in every guide book I have seen. No one seems to know much about the place and get discouraged because they cant seem to find many routes. There are three times as many routes than their are mentioned in any guide book. You just have to know where to look. Spend some time there. They will begin to reveal themselves and upon climbing them you will have a changed perspective of the canyon. Pine Canyon is the bay area's little secret. The name's Salamanizer by the way. I'm not trying to be annonymous, I just have'nt sighed up yet. Cheers...
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