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Upper Gorge Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in Upper Gorge

All You Can Eat 4 / 15 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 19

Basement, The 1 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 3

Cracked Towers 5 / 8 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 12

Dihedrals 6 / 19 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 27

Failsafe Wall 2 / 8 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 10

Flavin Haven 1 / 21 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 22

Franklin's Tower 1 / 10 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 11

Gorgeous Towers 2 / 18 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 20

Gotham City 3 / 20 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 23

Holy Trinity 0 / 21 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 21

ICBM Tower 0 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2

Joe's Garage 0 / 8 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 8

Junior Area 0 / 5 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 5

Lower Elbow Room 1 / 41 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 42

Middle Elbow Room 3 / 5 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 8

Mini Buttress 0 / 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 3

Sanitarium 0 / 6 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 6

Trestle Wall 0 / 8 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 8

Triple Play Cliff 1 / 14 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 15

Underground Cliff 0 / 8 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 8

Upper Elbow Room 2 / 10 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 12

Warm Out Wall 0 / 7 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 7

Explore this area in 3D

Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.

Elevation:	5,729 ft	1,746 m
GPS:	37.52662, -118.57462 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	392,723 total · 1,665/month
Shared By:	Tom Helvie on Jul 20, 2006 · Updates
Admins:	Aron Quiter, Euan Cameron, Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes Page Updates (admin only)

See Weather Forecast

Access Issue: Bridges Out! IMPORTANT LADWP NEGOTIATIONS!! Details

Due to liability concerns, bridges are being removed in the Owens River Gorge at the request of LADWP. The Bishop Area Climbers Coalition and the Access Fund are currently in negotiations with LADWP to get this issue resolved. In the meantime, please continue to be good land stewards by respecting these bridge closures and finding alternate crossing points until this issue is resolved.

1) Never park or camp overnight at the access points.
2) Always park off the pavement, taking great care to avoid blocking the gates.
3) Clean up after your dogs. (Local climbers are finding abandoned doggie poop bags.)
4) Pack out all trash and TP, including picking up after others.
5) Use the outhouses if at all possible.

Description

The Upper Gorge is a little narrower and more winding than the other sections of the Gorge. The cliffs face a variety of directions allowing the ability to chase shade or sun. There are several popular cliffs including the Gorgeous Towers, Gotham City, the Dihedrals and the Flavin' Haven. There is a good amount of quality moderates in the Upper Gorge. The hard climber should check out the Trestle wall, Holy Trinity, Joe's Garage and Franklin's Tower.

Getting There

Use the Upper Gorge parking lot, hike down the upper power plant road for a couple minutes looking for a steep trail down to the right. This trail leads into a 3rd class gully and then down a steep rocky trail.

This is a well traveled trail marked with a large cairn at the top. If you find yourself descending down very loose scree and talus with only a hint of footsteps turn back, you are going down the wrong way.

The page shows the coordinates for around the north parking area.

292 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Upper Gorge

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 180 ● Slip 'n Slide Sport Lower Elbow Room
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 196 ● Lava Haul Sport Flavin Haven
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 232 ● Dr. Evil Sport Gotham City
5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b 90 ● Honey Badger Don't Care Sport Flavin Haven
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b 399 ● Gorgeous Sport Gorgeous Towers
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b 180 ● Wacked Scenario Sport Gorgeous Towers
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b 143 ● Superfly Sport 2 pitches Cracked Towers
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c 212 ● Pick Pocket Sport Holy Trinity
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c 189 ● O.R.G.asm Sport Dihedrals
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 217 ● Grindrite Sport Gotham City
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 124 ● C'mon Knucko Sport Gorgeous Towers
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 171 ● Knucko's Pride of the North Sport Gorgeous Towers
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a 100 ● Flex Your Head Sport Gotham City
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 99 ● Biochemically Compacted Sexual A… Sport Holy Trinity
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b 59 ● Sex Packets Sport Holy Trinity