Best Steep Sport Climbing Areas

Riding the wave of the interminable “best places” threads, I am inspired to add yet another wrinkle to the discussion. My angle is specific: what are the best places to clip bolts on steep rock? Here are my criteria:

• The steeper the better. Gently overhanging is good, caves are better.
• Gymnastic movement. The more heel hooks and kneebars, the better. 
• Grades from 5.12+ to 5.14-, with high concentration in the .12+ to .13 range.
• Rock quality is less important than concentration of routes and quality of movement. It’s hard for me to think of any steep area that does not have some kind of choss/glue factor, and I can live with that.

I imagine that most people on MP will be most familiar with North American destinations, which is fine. To get the ball rolling, I’ll throw out a couple of my previous and current local areas here in Australasia: Coolum Cave and Flinders Cave in Queensland, Australia, and the Barnett Park Cave in Christchurch, New Zealand.

What are your picks?

Coolum has some steep bits

Red River Gorge!

Margalef. Leonidio. Tonsai/Railay (definitely qualifies in terms of rock features, though I wouldn’t put it on the “best” list, bc it’s hot and humid. Lots of people like it though)

David Jefferson wrote:

• The steeper the better. Gently overhanging is good, caves are better.
• Gymnastic movement. The more heel hooks and kneebars, the better. 
• Grades from 5.12+ to 5.14-, with high concentration in the .12+ to .13 range.
• Rock quality is less important than concentration of routes and quality of movement. It’s hard for me to think of any steep area that does not have some kind of choss/glue factor, and I can live with that.

You just described Rifle. Steep, gymnastic, kneebars, 5.12-5.14, highly concentrated, quality movement on sometimes chossy/glued rock.

I'm not going to claim it's the "best" on any international scale. But it's pretty awesome if these are the things you are in to.

Hurricave

RRG, no question

Chonta, Mexico 

If you want jugs, RRG. If you want crimps and pockets then virtually any large limestone sport area in Spain, Italy or France will fit your bill. 

JCM wrote:

You just described Rifle. Steep, gymnastic, kneebars, 5.12-5.14, highly concentrated, quality movement on sometimes chossy/glued rock.

I'm not going to claim it's the "best" on any international scale. But it's pretty awesome if these are the things you are in to.

2nd this and I'd add the runner up being Maple which comes with proximity to Rifle's less desirable siblings AF and Logan and the hidden glued gem of Echo. 

Kalymnos

Rifle, Maple, RRG, NRG all immediately come to mind

Nice, I like the way this list is shaping up. I’m surprised no one has mentioned the Table Mountain crags in California yet, specifically Jailhouse. When I lived in the area, it was definitely the choice destination for kneebar-driven burliness. I assume it’s still a popular spot?

What about places like Rat Cave outside of Portland? Looks like it scores high on the choss/glue metric.

Anyone ever climb at the Shongweni caves in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa? I had a mate in Australia who put up some of the lines there, and he always raved about them. 

Interestingly, no one has mentioned one of the US 'granddaddy's' of steep--Hell Cave in American Fork. Cave Rock in Tahoe would have been a candidate, but.....

In Europe there are so many options, Oliena in Spain, Ceuse in France, Urania in Sardinia, Flatranger in Norway are just a handful of obvious examples.

The Osp Cave comes to mind immediately. But really, there are so many worthy options that any list needs to be at least down to regional. I can think of at least five or six good candidates in New Mexico alone, without really even thinking about it. And, New Mexico is not exactly a climbing destination. 

David Jefferson wrote:

What about places like Rat Cave outside of Portland? Looks like it scores high on the choss/glue metric.

Look into Viento also for steep blocky Oregon basalt. Newish area. Far, far from "best", but a local Portland resource for choss and kneebars. 

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/116379508/viento-wall

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For much higher quality steep rock in the PNW, Horne Lake on Vancouver Island is the spot. Not a huge area, but what is there is crazy good. A steep tufa cave in...Canada? Beautiful remote location too. Sensitive  access though.

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/108922411/horne-lake

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re: Jailhouse. Definitely still a popular spot for local NorCal steep kneebar aficionados. And also for strong Yosemite visitors when they get rained off their El Cap free route. But doesn't seem to have ever become a destination in its own right. You don't really hear much about strong Rifle or Maple climbers making a winter trip to Jailhouse, in the way that the Hurricave had become a popular destination. Why is this? Why has Jailhouse never become a destination that hard sport climbers travel long distances for?

Little River Canyon 

Jailhouse 

Alan Rubin wrote:

Edit: Sounds like I need to go to Jailhouse

2nd Edit: Northern Wasatch as a lot of scattered steep limestone you'll have to your self. Also Poptire cave is only 2 hours from salt lake.  The 5.12-13 density on steep bolted terrain with in 2 hours of Central Wasatch would be pretty hard to beat in NA.

Vegas limestone crags? (Mt. Potosi, Charleston, etc.)

Stanley Headwall, Kootenay National Park.

https://www.mountainproject.com/v/121076119