Owens Ridge Rock Climbing

Long, huge, and generally chossy, Owens Ridge is about a five-miler, meaning it looks awesome from five miles away, but get closer up and you'll find that the granite is flaky, grainy, and decomposing. Route development on Owens Ridge took place mainly in the 60s and 70s, along with a period in the mid-eighties when harder face routes were put up on the thin edges found on Easter Wall.

If these routes were once cleaned up, they are no longer. Expect crumbly granite, rotten holds that break off, gear placements that are suspect or worthless, and button-head bolts with suspect hangers.

Roads once wound up close to the rock, but wilderness designation of much of the ridge since the routes were developed has made access more difficult, meaning long slogs up over 1,000 feet of loose soil and talus.

All of this means that you will be rewarded with solitude in a stunning area of great natural beauty. Just don't expect bullet-hard Sierra granite. Instead, expect spicy leads in the five-easy and moderate ranges. Other than the bolts, fixed pins, and the Stokes Litter hanging from South Face of Rock II, you will feel like you're on the FA of any route you choose.