Mountain Project: Climbing Sierra Foothills

The foothills of the Sierra are a vast and mostly untamed stretch of rocky hillsides. Bouldering is everywhere, and sport is plentiful. Trad routes can be found, but are often undocumented and wild.

Areas in the foothills may not be documented, since a lot of the climbable rock in the area will be found on privater property, and also in public areas where local land managers don't believe that climbing is a reputable sport. Examples of this can be found around the Table Mountain area, where the Gold Wall and Jail House rock are some of the finest climbing around, but you can't find either online or in guidebooks.

Weather in the foothills is some of the most varied in California: In the summer temperatures often exceed 100 degrees, yet in the winter you will find snow often as low as 2000 feet. Spring and Fall are often the best times to climb, but keep in mind elevations and recent rainfall and you can find wonderful days in the winter as well.

Areas like Sonora Pass are excellent. A short drive from the Bay area, and you can have rock like Tahoe AND Yosemite, but without the crowds of either area. In the fall, Table Mountain is one of the most beautiful places in the state. Auburn has potential, but currently has access issues. New rock is always just over the next ridge, and all you need is a little imagination and some forestry maps, and you can find the next climbing area in California.

Getting There

Don't be mistaken, this is a LARGE area. Ranging from Tahachopee Pass in the south, this area heads nearly 300 miles to the North up to nearly Chico in the north. Elevations are from 700 feet in the West up to nearly 4000 feet in the foothills. Sonora Pass is probably needing it's own area, but for now it's listed here and has elevations up to 9000 feet at the pass.

The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Sierra Foothills:

Tollhouse Traverse 5.5 Trad, 4 pitches, 600 feet, Grade II Tollhouse Rock : Tollhouse Rock

Beginner's Cracks 5.6 Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 30 feet Cosumnes River Gorge : Buck's Bar Dome

Wings and Stings 5.7 Trad Calaveras Dome Area : Hammer Dome

Elephant Walk 5.7 Trad, 1 pitch, 180 feet Tollhouse Rock : Tollhouse Rock

Gemini Cracks 5.8 Trad, 3 pitches Calaveras Dome Area : Hammer Dome

Bandito 5.8 Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 50 feet Table Mountain : Grotto, The

Unconquerable 5.8 Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 30 feet Cosumnes River Gorge : Buck's Bar Dome

Test Piece 5.8 Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 30 feet Cosumnes River Gorge : Buck's Bar Dome

A Little Nukey 5.9- Trad, 5 pitches, 750 feet Courtright Reservoir

Go with the Flow 5.9 Trad, 1 pitch, 50 feet Table Mountain : Grotto, The

Dinkum 5.9 Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 40 feet Cosumnes River Gorge : Buck's Bar Dome

Wandering Taoist 5.9 Trad, Sport, 4 pitches, 350 feet Tollhouse Rock : Tollhouse Rock

Little Black Sambo 5.9+ Trad, 120 feet Courtright Reservoir

Color Coded Quickdraws 5.10b Sport, 1 pitch, 30 feet Table Mountain : Ort Wall, The

Three Fingered Jack 5.10b Trad, 1 pitch, 60 feet Table Mountain : Grotto, The

War of the Walls 5.10c PG13 Trad, Grade IV Calaveras Dome Area : Calaveras Dome

AC Devil Dog 5.10d Sport, 1 pitch, 50 feet Table Mountain : Grotto, The

Rawhide 5.10d Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 40 feet Table Mountain : Grotto, The

Snake Bite 5.11b Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 40 feet Table Mountain : Grotto, The

Flight Simulator 5.12b Sport, 1 pitch, 50 feet Table Mountain : Grotto, The

Featured Route For Sierra Foothills

The 10c splitter. If you start on the ramp coming from the left, it's 10a. If start direct, it's 11a.

War of the Walls 5.10c PG13 CA : Sierra Foothills : ... : Calaveras Dome

This climbs a line near the center of the North side of the dome.Start from a terrace and to the left of a right facing dihedral.Climb a 5.10a crack to a belay. Continue up the crack (5.10b) to a belay with two Bolts. These two pitches can be combined with a 60M rope.Move up a left leaning arch to a sling belay (5.10c).Climb a 5.8 crack and corner to a two bolt belay.A 5.9 corner is followed to a two bolt belay at it's end.Climb 5.9 face past tw...[more] Browse More Classics in CA

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Sierra Foothills

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Getting There

The Classics