PRINT: Rock Climb Pot Leaf Cave - Left Arete, San Francisco Bay Area

Pot Leaf Cave - Left Arete

5.10c, Sport, 30 ft (9 m),

Avg: 2.1 from 26 votes
FA: unknown
California > San Francisco B… > E Bay Area > Mt Diablo SP > Boy Scout Rocks > Middle Tier

Access Issue: Falcon Nesting Closure at Castle Rock Details

Castle Rock in Pine Canyon is closed for peregrine falcon nesting season, from February 1 through July 31st every year. All other Mount Diablo area crags are open to climbing. The news release is linked here parks.ca.gov/NewsRelease/493.

Description

WARNING: 3rd bolt and anchors are damaged. From the ground the first 2 bolts look fine and the 3rd one looks like it's just a little bent, but I think someone took a hammer to it so I wouldn't trust it. Will update when condition of bolts change. For now, caution should be taken if attempting to climb this route.

About 20 feet right of the Beech Crack on the Middle Tier, find the route by/in the cave with a pot leaf etched into it.

There are two ways to do the climb. One goes up the arete on the left of the cave. The other goes straight up the face, climbing left of the arete - this way is just a bit harder.

The route is fun and overhanging with a very strength-intensive crux. The sand stone in the cave is so bad that it makes smearing on it nearly impossible, but the holds on the arete are mostly high quality rock.

Protection

3 glue-in bolts plus a 2-bolt anchor with chains and permanent draws for lowering.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Well, it definitely wasn't a soft catch.

Pot Leaf Cave Arête route photo showing the eponymous etching, the start of the route, and the first two bolts. (Third bolt is too far away to be seen in this photo.)

The route is on the left arete.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Salamanizer Ski
Off the Grid…

5.10c

I climbed this route a few times. I don't think its anywhere near .11d though. I've climbed up the center crack in the cave also which is much harder. Its like a .11++ one move wonder. Good reachy finger lock followed by a powerfull mante. Good stuff. I set my top rope up by looping the wire of several nuts over the old bolt studs. Kinda sketch. Jun 22, 2006

Steve R.
Oakland, CA

Seemed easier to me, too, but I climbed some of the left face into the arete. There is now a selection of newish bolts on the top to choose from for a top rope. Needs 15' or more of extension. Dec 5, 2008

Mike Thielvoldt
San Jose

There are presently two glue-ins with chain at the top, and glue-ins also along the route. Tethering to get to the top anchor is tricky. A two-bolt station that is above and accessible without a tether, will pull you to the right of where you need to get to. I used the bolts from a route to the left to center my static line above the anchor. Jul 4, 2017

Brian Schmidt
Mountain View, CA

Turkey vulture nest in the cave about 3/4 of the way up, five days ago. Can't be seen from the ground, tree hides it from Chouinard's Crack on opposite cliff. Only found it when I was edging over from Beach Crack to check out the route and encountered a very large, hissing chick (I left).

Suggest avoiding the route during whatever the vulture nesting season is, or traversing over from Beach Crack like I did, not sure how else you can tell if occupied while minimally disturbing nest. Even if you hate wildlife, you won't want to climb with that chick there, I went and watched videos of vulture chicks striking at people who disturbed them. Jul 13, 2022