Must-do Steep Moderates in So Cal!

Nothing better than a moderate route that's steep for the grade but the holds are there. Since there's no resource to identify these vertical or near vertical gems, chime in with your fav So Cal sport and trad cruisers

Joshua Tree trad routes - Sail Away 5.8-, Fote Hog 5.6, Bird of Fire 10a, Invisibility Lessons 5.9, Butterfingers Make Me Horny 5.8, Double Cross 5.7+, White Lightning 5.7, Double Dogleg 5.7, Frosty Cone 5.7, Funny Bone 5.8-

Echo Cliffs  sport routes - Intellitoys 5.9 

Kathmandu 10a at Malibu Creek

Y Crack @ Tahquitz 

Dancing In The Storm 5.10, Williamson Rock

Being There 5.7, Williamson

Yosemite Sam 5.10c Tunnel Crag

Open Book 5.9 - Tahquitz

Illusion Dweller 10b - J Tree

The Flake 5.9 - J Tree

Good suggestions above.  I'd also recommend Piton Pooper (5.7) at Tahquitz.  It'd be 5.9 if the holds weren't so good.

Double Cross J-Tree 5.7 

Sexy Grandma J-Tree 5.9 

Fat Dad wrote:

Good suggestions above.  I'd also recommend Piton Pooper (5.7) at Tahquitz.  It'd be 5.9 if the holds weren't so good.

yah ratings for Tahquitz are far from soft

Yea the whole dairy queen wall definitely qualifies. Huge steep jugs that go at 5.6.

If you're going to nominate a 5.10 I feel like it better be past vertical though

P2 of Angels Fright (up that blocky shit) is pretty steep for a 5.6

The Eye is definitely steep for 5.0 (or whatever we call it these days)

Igor Unchained at 5.9(++ haha), pitch 2 or 3 up those jugs feels pretty heroic-ly steep

Forgot to mention Flower of High Rank (5.9).  Rollerball (.10b) at Josh has a nice roof to pull.  

Nathanael: If you're going to nominate a 5.10 I feel like it better be past vertical though

That's why I nominated Y Crack!!! 

x15x15 wrote:

That's why I nominated Y Crack!!! 

To my shame I haven't gotten around to that one yet.

Gotta mention Tahquitz's Left Ski Track at 5.6!

^^^

Good one.  Is Y Crack past vert?  Been so long since I've done it I don't remember.  

Guy Keesee wrote:

I think in today's real world, one must include 5.10 as Moderate.... and steep needs to be at least vertical, so that when you lower down your bod is not dragging on the stone...

This will nix out most of the Josh stuff mentioned and the Tahquitz- Suicide stuff...  good climbs for sure but doesn't quite fit the bill. 

  

In that case I submit "Geronimo" 5.7 in Hidden Valley Campground. Just a few moves but steep, airy, and fun! 

Backstep wrote:

In that case I submit "Geronimo" 5.7 in Hidden Valley Campground. Just a few moves but steep, airy, and fun! 

Backstep......  that's a good one, steep-but with with a trick hold....   OK I have been thinking and I will add one or two more to the list... 

Imaginary Voyage 10d ......  also with a trick hold.

There is a climb at the BMX track, I forget the name but its 4 stars and climbs out a almost horizontal roof, on heucos, about 10b with 5-6 bolts.....  anybody ever done that one? Remember the name? 

Guy Keesee wrote:

Backstep......  that's a good one, steep-but with with a trick hold....   OK I have been thinking and I will add one or two more to the list... 

Imaginary Voyage 10d ......  also with a trick hold.

There is a climb at the BMX track, I forget the name but its 4 stars and climbs out a almost horizontal roof, on heucos, about 10b with 5-6 bolts.....  anybody ever done that one? Remember the name? 

Necessary Evil? 10b.  

fireoretire wrote:

Necessary Evil? 10b.  

fireoretire...... you might be correct, IMHO the best climb at the BMX.....     have you been to the "Cave" at BMX? At first I was schocked and offended but the more laps I ran I better I liked it. 

Necessary evil for sure:

Check out 'Necessary Evil' on Mountain Project - https://www.mountainproject.com/v/105976620

Circus circus might fit the bill but it's closer to vertical, probably less than:

Check out 'Circus' on Mountain Project - https://www.mountainproject.com/v/106575110

I don't recall a cave at bmx but it's been a few years, most memorable route I climbed there was the chimney (don't recall the name) or it's simply the only climb I recall other than circus circus and necessary evil.

I'll nominate bearded cabbage and lower right ski track since most 10s at Josh don't fit the bill unless they're roofs and then this becomes a discussion about moderate roof climbs. 

Another Josh route would be the mole on Reggie dome.  Rated 11a but soft with bomber hand jams at the bulge and if you compare it to hard Josh 10s.   

Less than 10, there's some short but nice steep 8s/9s on the sport boulder at big rock.

And for even shorter routes (boulderish problems) I'll nominate fu crack 10a, turtle dome crack 10b, the entertainer 9 at rubidoux, and my favorite woodson climb rockwork orange 10b - who doesn't like steep cracks?

everbrand..... yes I was thinking about "Necessary Evil" we don't have many steeper climbs like that around, I go to that one every trip out there. 

The cave is somebodys creation....  from the main BMX climbs you walk towards the hwy and make a end run (left turn) where the formations get very small, after about 100 yards you can find the cave. At one time it was one of those windblown scoops about 30 feet by 20 feet.... then somone took a hammer drill to the place and made holes, 2 and 3 and 4 finger pockets, maybe a hundred, going out the roof and traversing low hi and inbetween.  I am a old climber and my moma taught me to never chip a hold in Gods own granite.... but that cave is fun. BITD it was just a place to get out of the wind so you could have a smoke. 

bearded cabbage def fitts the bill.... although in my mind its not a "moderate" I always struggle with it, and lower right is a good one to.

If we are going to up to 5.11.... we can add a ton ....."Frontier Justice" in Rattlesnake canyon comes to mind. 

Please keep adding climbs, there are ones that I haven't been to so I'm making a list.