What to Bring to San Diego

My wife booked a vacation in a month to San Diego with all her healthcare friends since they are all vaxed and I am getting vaxed tomorrow. I absolutely dettest the idea of hanging out on a beach for more than an hour. I figure I might as well go climbing while everyone is at the beach. I most prefer horizontal roof climbs (even if its the most heinous thing ever) but will honestly climb anything. I can't decide what kinda stuff I should bring for climbing. I am not sure if it is best to bring my rack and gear and try to find a climbing partner for roped climbing or just bring my crash pads and climb solo. I also have no idea where I should go seems mission gorge would be the best for roped climbing but I have no idea where to go for bouldering especially if solo.

My friend.

Woodson 

Definitely not Woodson

I'll help: You should go to Woodson or not go to Woodson. I wanted you to have a definitive answer.

Or, you could go to Joshua Tree.

Bring your basic personal gear and try to find a local partner.  Also, there are several high quality gyms in the area where you can easily get a good burn and be back in time for happy hour in Little Italy.  Buy a beer or three for the folks you meet who will let you climb on their ropes and rack.

Poway and Santee are San Diego-ish bouldering spots.

surfboard

will make roof cracks seem easy

Dave K wrote:

The gyms are open but require reservations that are hard to get.

I think Mesa Rim is members only right now.

If you want roofs, the gym is probably the best use of your time. I recommend the grotto. Easiest to get in. There's some steep stuff at woodson. Be prepared for a steep approach. Santee boulders is a small little field of boulders and has the shortest approach. Mission has the highest concentration of (roped) climbing but the highest grade is 5.12+.

I'd bring personal stuff (harness, shoes, belay device, chalk bag) and find a partner.

El Cajon mountain is another good option close to San Diego for multipitch sport (and a few trad) climbs.  Approach is not bad (~2 miles) but steep.

Mission Gorge is the "nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded" local crag.  Pretty good variety of sport, trad, and easy top rope setups with a short approach and convenient to the city, and tends to get crowded on weekends for exactly that reason.  Gyms re-opening might mitigate that, and it's pretty quiet on weekdays.

Second Santee and Woodson for bouldering (and Woodson for trad).  Santee has the shortest approach of any of them.  Don't know who is enforcing the "locals only" policy at Woodson, but it's also a very popular hike so you may hear lots of people making impressed noises and references to "Free Solo" while you mess around on a 5.7 next to the main trail.

woodson is really nice, in particular compared to seattle this time of year!  definitely bring shoes.  a lot of the stuff doesn't need a pad.  you could wander around there all day and do really fun problems. definitely beats rotting on the beach!

If the weather holds up, tramway will be perfect in a month. Lots of overhung boulders. Only downside is you would have to commit a full day. 

If you want something you could do in a half day or less it would probably have to be Mission Gorge or Santee Boulders.

I would like for the driving to be less than 90 min one way. I am not really into the idea of going to a climbing gym and in particular love seeing what a climbing area has to offer even if it is world class (see choss is classic). I guess as I get closer I will look for partners, and if I don't get anyone receptive I will just bring/rent some crash pads. For climbing grades I have no idea, I would guess 5.11 but I would rather spend my day getting shut down on something hard than climb too easy. As for the Surf it looks okay but if the forecast is better closer to when I arrive I might do some of that as well. Any particularly steep routes at Mission/Santee/Woodson I should target?

The cave at woodson is classic steep 5.11

Princess Puppy Lovrwrote:

For climbing grades I have no idea, I would guess 5.11 but I would rather spend my day getting shut down on something hard than climb too easy.

Your 5.11 is a 5.10 at my crag.

Jokes aside, Mission Gorge is pretty slick granite. Maybe not too much overhanging, but plenty in the 5.11 range. Easy approach and most of it is out of the sun until after early afternoon.

Undertow, The Cave, Hellrazor, Alcoa, Stairway to Heaven, The Ogre, Driving South are a few overhanging (some just gently) routes at Woodson off the top of my head. There's definitely more. The Trapeze and Rectum Roof at Mission Gorge involve a roof. 

Someone from out-of-town excited to hit the rocks in our sweet little climbing backwater ???? whut ???

You can get a lot of mileage out of Woodson per minimal amount of gear if you bring only a short rope. If you're like me the crash pad will look mighty flimsy once you're 20-ft off the deck (it's a strange height to be hanging out ropeless!) plus it's bulky and a little annoying to lug around the shrubs.

Digit's Delight (finger crack), The Cave (overhung jugs, sporty finish), and Crucible (OW) all have easy access bolted anchors, are right next to each other, and complement each other well. Do laps on each and you'll be shredded in no time. 

If you are a true adventurer, you could schwack your way down to Undertow and get absolutely wrecked doing upside down sit-ups from a bat hang. All you would need is to daisy yourself onto a #4 cam if you're worried about falling out, lol.