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Select Route:
Blockbuster 
Chimps Ahoy 
Chopping Block 
Classic Face 
Guerilla Drilla 
Hot Lips 
Left of Third Degree 
Letterbox 
Monkey Mayhem 
Moonshiner 
Mr. Big 
New Release 
Nipple Denial Syndrome 
Over The Falls 
Prow 
Third Degree, The 
Unkown Crack 
Vigilante 
Waiting for Guntes 
X Files 

Stumbling Blocks 


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Administrators: jt512, M.Morley, Sam Vanderhyden, Tom Erickson
Submitted By: veritus on Jan 3, 2007

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  Print a Mini-Guide with routes

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BETA PHOTO: Just follow the line of people. This group is lea...

Description 

Very cool and shaded. Some good rock, some bad.


Getting There 

Just after the 5.5 traverse continue left up the embankment to the second bolted area.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Stumbling Blocks:
Chopping Block   5.8     Sport   
Prow   5.9     Sport   
Guerilla Drilla   5.10a     Sport   
Chimps Ahoy   5.10b     Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   
The Third Degree   5.10b     Sport   
Vigilante   5.10c     Sport, 50 feet   
Left of Third Degree   5.10d     Sport, 40 feet   
Mr. Big   5.10d     Sport, 35 feet   
Blockbuster   5.11a     Sport, 50 feet   
Nipple Denial Syndrome   5.11a/b     Sport   
Letterbox   5.11b/c     Sport   
Browse More Classics in Stumbling Blocks

Featured Route For Stumbling Blocks
T on letterbox crux

Letterbox 5.11b/c  CA : Los Angeles County : ... : Stumbling Blocks
Shares the start with Nipple Denial Syndrome, climb left up the overhanging face on pockets to reach the "letterbox" pull over onto less than vertical face....[more]   Browse More Classics in CA


Comments on Stumbling Blocks Add Comment
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Comments displayed oldest to newestSkip Ahead to the Most Recent Dated May 16, 2013
By 72HW
Oct 8, 2008

Regarding the traverse around the rock pool to gain access to the Stumbling Blocks area, there used to be a really nice little nubbin for your feet on the step across move towards the end of the traverse...

It's gone.

Makes the step across a bit more interesting, especially when the water is particularly dank (which is nearly always) so, word to the wise I guess. Don't think this single move warrants a grade change for the traverse, but it does indeed spice things up a little.

By LADave
Jul 19, 2009

Hikers, river swimmers, and other folks pass through the traverse every day. Its one-way only, and it only takes one ameteurish person to clog the route. With crowds, you can end up waiting half an hour to cross on a sunny weekend. A great alternative, depending on your gear situation, is to come prepared to swim around.

By Ryan Kelly
From: work.
Dec 3, 2009

Swim? With climbing gear? In that water? Brilliant.

It's possible to go around high on the right of the pond as well, though I've rarely had serious delays on the normal traverse. And this isn't the '5.5 traverse', that's the one by Ghetto Wall, this is more like 4th class.

By Slater
Apr 11, 2010

NEW ROUTES near Guerrilla Drilla-
Just left of The Third Degree (shares start?) is a 5.10+/.11a looking route to new anchors. Anyone have any info? Name?

ALSO - With Guerrilla Drilla at you back, by the tree there is a 5.6 4 bolt route on the right of this rock, and down below (steep start) there is a 9 bolt 5.9+ route that goes up to the roof by the tree and then up the arete (just left of the new 5.6). Can anyone pass on some info? Names? Confirm ratings?

ALSO on right side of Mt. Gorgeous gully, below Toddler Terrace there are two new long slab routes (both around 5.7+) with 7bolts and 6 bolts (l to r). Info please... Thanks!

By Michael Bartosek
From: Los Angeles
Aug 12, 2010

The route left of third degree has been in for a while now (at least two or three years from what I recall). I'd rate that route at 5.10d a bit height dependent -make sure to not pull on those blocks marked with the X around the 4th bolt. Other than that, I think it is a quality climb with fun moves for the grade (of course, Mr. Big is a 5.10d also and is much harder than this route).

By Brent Kelly
Dec 30, 2011

Visited the area for the first time yesterday, using the MP iphone app, and it was still very hard to determine which route was which. Even other climbers who claimed to climb there often weren't really sure what they were climbing.

Given the way people reference Guerilla Drilla and Chopping Block, some better descriptions of these route locations and some quality beta photos would be high-value, if any locals could provide for the community. Thanks!

By Tyler Smith
From: Buena Park
Jan 3, 2012

I don't have any pics but I have climbed there a lot. What kind of beta are you looking for? This may help a bit, Moonshiner is the route that starts by main tree after the short traverse. Just to the left of that is Guerilla Drilla, to the right around the corner of Moonshiner is Chopping Block 5.8. If you go off these routes and and the directions on this site you should be good. If you have any other questions just ask or pm me.

By Joi-Bobby Laos
Jan 10, 2012

Anyone know the ratings on the boulder problems in the cave area of the stumbling blocks? these are the problems located at creek level under the boulder used when scrambling over to get to the actual routes in the Stumbling Blocks. I heard a couple were v7 and the harder one was something like an 11?

By Daniel Wade
From: Chicago, IL.
Sep 4, 2012

Anyone know the names/ratings of the two climbs on the left wall in the shade hiking uphill from Monkey Mayhem? The first one had 3 bolts - start was pumpy but very mellow up higher. The second one to the right had 4 or 5 bolts and ended at the same anchor - more difficult moves down low but also mellowed out up higher. Thanks!

By Benjamin Chapman
From: CA
3 days ago

Daniel....the 1st route is "K-2" (5.9) 4 bolts, while the 2nd route (uphill) is "Born on the 4th of July" (5.8) 5 bolts. Both routes share an anchor. Both have descriptions posted at the Mt. Gorgeous area.