Have a chance to move to LA. How's the climbing?

You don't say what kind of climbing you do. Sport? Trad? The trad is all to the east, which makes the San Fernando valley a bad location.

You would be quite close to trailheads in the San Gabriels.

I think it’s funny so many people on this thread knock climbing in LA. I suppose if you live in LA proper, yeah life probably ain’t all that great. But if you live in the IE, you really have limitedless climbing opportunities year round. I spend a lot more time than I would like in LaLaland, and when I am there, I can climb outdoors two days a week and rarely see another climber. Yeah go to the popular crags and you’ll be buddied up next to Instabros, but you can make other choices. Plus the Sierra are just a hop, skip, and a jump away, and you have Josh and Tahquitz. And Shuteye and Yosemite ain’t too far away either.

To be clear, I hate LA! It is expensive. Traffic sucks. And the urban design is focused on car culture rather than community. But if the question is does it feel apart from nature…Well, it might well be the very best place in the country to be a nature writer. (If you don’t know the reference, read 13 Ways of Seeing Nature in LA.) In my opinion, if you are a climber, there’s few places in this country that offer the diversity of year round climbing that SoCal does. Folks in SoCal can be climbing in the desert in a T-shirt when people in other parts of the country are shoveling snow. I mean it could be worse. At least it ain’t Seattle! 

Michael Smalleywrote:

Everyone else has covered the important housing and work arguments pretty well, so I'll just mention the climbing. I moved back to LA from Flagstaff. What we have here isn't the same high quality, largely abundant rock available in Northern and Southern AZ. But if you know where to look and how to manage the summer heat, there's enough in Southern California to last you a lifetime while never revisiting a route. I'd argue that our summer time alpine rock season is second to none. 30 minites-1hr from many decent sport crags, 2-3 hours from San Diego, Tahquitz, and JTree, 5 hours from Red Rock, Mammoth, and the Western Sierra, 3-4 hours from most of the Eastern Sierra. There's plenty to do out here.

Those drive times are all in no traffic. Traffic is 5 am to  8 PM Monday to Saturday. Also driving back to LA on Sunday. 

fish bumwrote:

I think it’s funny so many people on this thread knock climbing in LA. I suppose if you live in LA proper, yeah life probably ain’t all that great. But if you live in the IE, you really have limitedless climbing opportunities year round. I spend a lot more time than I would like in LaLaland, and when I am there, I can climb outdoors two days a week and rarely see another climber. Yeah go to the popular crags and you’ll be buddied up next to Instabros, but you can make other choices. Plus the Sierra are just a hop, skip, and a jump away, and you have Josh and Tahquitz. And Shuteye and Yosemite ain’t too far away either.

To be clear, I hate LA! It is expensive. Traffic sucks. And the urban design is focused on car culture rather than community. But if the question is does it feel apart from nature…Well, it might well be the very best place in the country to be a nature writer. (If you don’t know the reference, read 13 Ways of Seeing Nature in LA.) In my opinion, if you are a climber, there’s few places in this country that offer the diversity of year round climbing that SoCal does. Folks in SoCal can be climbing in the desert in a T-shirt when people in other parts of the country are shoveling snow. I mean it could be worse. At least it ain’t Seattle! 

IE is San Bernardino and riverside and more. It’s one to two hours from LA. Californians inviting people to move here are irrational and trying to make it worse. Most good climbing is 4-8 hours from LA. 

Seanwrote:

Granada Hills as OP specifically asked about (and San Fernando Valley)

Nobody calls Granada hills GH. Or Chatsworth CW.

Diego Climberwrote:

Most good climbing is 4-8 hours from LA. 

There’s a lifetime of good routes between jtree and Tahquitz. I’ve also liked the climbing in Big Bear. High Sierra routes are doable in a weekend. There’s a million reasons to not like/recommend moving to LA, but proximity to good climbing isn’t one of them IMO

LA's alright if you like saxophones.

LA's alright if you like saxophones.

Play just what you feel.

Drink scotch whiskey all night long, and die behind the wheel

-Deacon Blues

Diego Climberwrote:

Nobody calls Granada hills GH. Or Chatsworth CW.

never intended that to start some trend. it's my prerogative to abbreviate if have to refer to GH multiple times in my initial reply to the OP. if you have some desperate need to always say Granada Hills in full, have at it. SFV/GH a few times shouldn't traumatize you so much

able to climb yr round is very much a big plus for SoCal. most days of yr are mild and climbable. whatev the season, you can usu choose what elevation to go for the favorable temps you want. can surf in the morning and climb in the afternoon, or go snowboard til sunset. pretty unique cool fun

a voice or two knocked on their local crags. free to feel that. i and others do appreciate ours.  pretty nice to be able to take a break from long drives, to get in a local day in btwn the other bigger trips

most aren't advising against SoCal bec of the climbing.  rather, Tucson is excellent for climbing to begin with, and without the many LA issues and problems. so the move better be very worthwhile in other aspects

Diego Climberwrote:

IE is San Bernardino and riverside and more. It’s one to two hours from LA. Californians inviting people to move here are irrational and trying to make it worse. Most good climbing is 4-8 hours from LA. 

LA is everything south of the grapevine and north of Camp Pendleton. Convince me otherwise.

But yes, you are right. SoCal needs fewer folks, not more. Like I said, I hate LA. You likely will too OP. Go elsewhere. Why not Bozeangeles or Boulder or Asheville or any other town that has not quite (already?) been Californiaized? 

In traffic from Santa Monica it’s 4 to 8 hours to and from Josh and points behind. That includes driving home Sunday night. You agree with me . LA is LA county. The southland is the 5 county area. Orange County people don’t live in LA. Geography is important. 

Diego Climberwrote:

In traffic from Santa Monica it’s 4 to 8 hours to and from Josh and points behind. That includes driving home Sunday night. You agree with me . LA is LA county. The southland is the 5 county area. Orange County people don’t live in LA. Geography is important. 

Well yeah, the amount of people and traffic is part of the reason why I moved out of this area. But 80% of the people climbing at Tahquitz in summer are from LA/SD so it’s obviously possible if you’re motivated enough

Diego Climberwrote:

In traffic from Santa Monica it’s 4 to 8 hours to and from Josh and points behind. That includes driving home Sunday night. You agree with me . LA is LA county. The southland is the 5 county area. Orange County people don’t live in LA. Geography is important. 

4-8 hours from Santa Monica to JT!!! I retract my earlier statement. That’s insane. How/why in the world would anyone ever live there?  Spent about ten years in SoCal, but never actually visited the place. 

fish bumwrote:

4-8 hours from Santa Monica to JT!!! I retract my earlier statement. That’s insane. How/why in the world would anyone ever live there?  Spent about ten years in SoCal, but never actually visited the place. 

While I was living in Orange County (Costa Mesa) I could reliably be at intersection rock in 2 hours as long as I wasn’t leaving between 5 and 7pm. Maybe 3 driving back on a Sunday night. I live in West La just south of UCLA now and I either have to leave after 9pm or before 6am to get there in 2 1/2. Any other time it’s like 4 or 5. Coming back on a Sunday night, it’s generally 4+. Monday after Coachella it was 7…definitely been finding myself hating living here on those drives back and trying to climb “locally” way more. At least I’m 35 minutes from MC and Stoney…

I lived in LA and Simi Valley (NW of LA) for 2 decades. It was awesome for climbing. I did seasonal rotations between JTree and Idyllwild, taking one day trip every weekend. Both places have incredible climbing. It would take me 2.5 hours one way for each place. Leave at 6am, no traffic, and climbing by 9am.

Coming back Sunday evening could be challenging due to traffic, especially if it was a long weekend.

When I wanted to mix it up, I would go to Malibu Creek, Big Bear, New Jack City, a tiny little crag in Monticello, and a few other spots. I’d go bouldering after work at Stony Point.

LA is fun. Crowded, expensive, a bit frenetic at times, but fun.

Good luck!

Seanwrote:

never intended that to start some trend. it's my prerogative to abbreviate if have to refer to GH multiple times in my initial reply to the OP. if you have some desperate need to always say Granada Hills in full, have at it. SFV/GH a few times shouldn't traumatize you so much

it was confusing to abbreviate Granada Hills.

Unknown Acronyms and abbreviations are lazy. Correct if you drive between 11 pm and 5 am it takes 3 hours . 6 hours other times  

SoCal Choss wrote:

it was confusing to abbreviate Granada Hills.

Not My Name wrote:

Unknown Acronyms and abbreviations are lazy. Correct if you drive between 11 pm and 5 am it takes 3 hours . 6 hours other times  

i like the abbreviation SFV/GH just fine. better than unnecessarily spelling out GH over and over, esp when the OP specifically asked about San Fernando and Granada Hills and therefore made it abundantly clear that those are the narrowed down areas of LA in question.  if you can't connect the dots and actually become confused, or traumatized, to end up having to gripe over and over about it, then i'll def do it again and will enjoy the devastation that will inflict to scar you for life

The SFV/GH area is a great one for getting out of town. Stones throw to TC, and easy to jump on the I’s to get to places like NJC, JT, and AH. Probably the only better location for getting out of town would be greater DTLA.  I’d never live in BH or SM if I was a climber.
Got to go, I’m on the Eastside. Climbing either in ORG or PC today.