Climbing Near Valle Bonito, Baja California

A small canyon filled with grass and palm trees down near the border in Otay mesa contains some decent if somewhat short sport climbing on interesting featured metamorphic rock. Most of the good climbing faces north, and the trees offer shade, making this area climbable on all but the hottest days. From highway 805 go east on Olympic Parkway. Continue for 6.5m. Turn left on Wueste Rd. and continue till you hit Otay Lakes County Park. Park inside for a fee ($5) or park right outside in the shoulder. Make your way through the county park and head south/downhill.  If you are looking at Google Maps satellite view, the epicenter of the climbing is the clearly visible pipe that crosses the Otay River just south of the park, and you are aiming to drop into the canyon somewhat west of there.You'll see the face after 15 minutes or so of downhill hiking. Hike right and down into the canyon.  Once you hit the riverbed turn left towards the pipe to find the climbing.  It is around 0.9 miles from the park entrance gate to the climbs under the pipe.

The crag is southeast facing, with solid granite, and a decent concentration of over 40 climbs from 5.8-5.13. It offers everything from clipping bolts on well protected face climbing and sport routes, to thin gear on finger cracks, and chimneys/OW. Navigate to Barrett Mobile Home & RV Park on Barrett Lakes Road.  A single lane, paved asphalt road heads west.  A gate is located at approximately 32.6215118, -116.6956615.  If it is open, you can proceed up the road, passing a short 5.9 crack and making a hairpin turn to end up facing southwest.  Park on the right at the start of an abandoned dirt road (visible in satellite photos) at 32.62330, -116.70326.Follow the dirt road until it ends, then continue uphill encountering overgrown braided trails and occasional abandoned water bottles and other detritus ("South County cairns") left behind by cross-border hiking enthusiasts.  At some point you need to leave the coyote trails to break right towards the rock, crossing an obvious gully/drainage.  Consider bringing pruning equipment for the brush and be prepared for occasional steep, unconsolidated dirt slopes.

Yet another boulder-laden hill in the vast expanse of boulder-laden hills of San Diego. However, this particular hill holds a single boulder with (in my mind) three of the best finger cracks in the county. Surrounding boulders have yet to be developed, as far as I know. Rock quality is superb yet the brush can be quite deterring. This hill is within a wildlife area and is in the govern of Dept. of Fish and Game. What that means for legality... no clue. We’ll cross that bridge later. This is the reason for adding it to Mountain Project. Similar to the famed Lake Ramona approach, this one mimics that but is a far lesser effort. Parking lot off of Honey Springs Rd starts your trek (or bike) on a casual walking path, shaded by eucalyptus trees then trends uphill around several bends before you break off the trail at a water tank and slog your way up a wash that I did my best to clear and make as painless as possible. Prepare for an adventure. Follow this trail through walls of brush all the way to the objective. Use the interactive map and approach trail guide for more. I want to see these lines get traffic and keep the trail somewhat navigable.