PRINT: Rock Climb Chouca, San Diego County

Chouca

5.7+ A5+, Sport, Aid, 90 ft (27 m),

Avg: 0.6 from 7 votes
FA: Jens Klubberud
California > San Diego County > S San Diego County > El Cajon Mountain > Wedge > Madness Wall

Access Issue: Raptor Nesting Advisory Details

Please avoid raptor nests. El Cajon Mountain- Golden Eagles nested successfully at this site in 2009, after relocating twice between alternate nest sites. The Golden Eagle nest at El Cajon Mountain was not successful in Spring 2010. This nest was successful and fledged young in 2011 - 2021. Details from USFS posted here: fs.usda.gov/detail/clevelan…

The El Cajon Mountain climbing area is in close proximity to the San Diego River Park Foundation property. This property's purpose is to protect and conserve San Diego's threatened habitat and wildlife in perpetuity. Specifically, the San Diego River Park Foundation are protecting golden eagles that nest in the area and ceanothus, a California lilac that is an endemic sensitive plant species. Please avoid and limit recreational activities at the San Diego River Park Foundation property to promote San Diego's threatened habitat and wildlife. Thank you!

Description

5.13b Steep white directissima. bolts. One of the most difficult all be it, totally manufactured free climbing pitches @ El Cajon mt. or mountaineer walls. In line with the worst of the worlds ethics. If you’ve ever checked climbing gear @ an airport you know you should be entitled to be able to carry less. (Not California 70’s and the rest of the worlds leave less trace ethics) this route’s moves are 98% un-natural, but way cleaner than the French namesake. So why not lower ourselves to that standard?

Protection

bolts

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Josh Higgins
San Diego, CA

Is this the horrible chopped/manufactured monstrosity? If so, it should have one star, and fewer bolts.... I heard rumor about this, and threw a TR on it to see if it was as bad as I'd heard from another ECM local. It is the worst chop job I've seen in my life, after millions of feet of climbing over 20+ years. 4 stars? Seriously? And it doesn't even go free? Please, for the community, never do this again. If I'm wrong about what route this post is referring to, please let me know and I'll delete this comment. Oct 13, 2020

Gordy Schafer

+1 for not chipping the stone, totally unacceptable. PLEASE go chip the ECM quarry instead, could end up a cool sport crag some day. As for the grade & quality? Is this still a project? When you chipped it was this your end game? An aid route? “Hardest pitch at ECM” seems like a stretch, there are a few established lines much harder than 13b A0, as well as some projects out there destined to be 14’s, all of them natural lines. Oct 14, 2020

Jeff Scheuerell

Come on Adam, since when do we need to be sure, lets just get on with the lynching Oct 15, 2020

Hubbard

I agree in full with Josh and Gordy. Oct 15, 2020

Josh Higgins
San Diego, CA

Adam Burch, the route I'm talking about is obviously drilled holes on a mostly blank face. As someone who has climbed almost all of ECM, I can assure you that the route that I saw was certainly grossly manufactured. If you know who I am, you'd know I don't make things like this up. Please, go take a look for yourself... Oct 15, 2020

Gordy Schafer

I think I know Jens from the gym, though I'm better with faces than names. Seemed cool to me. This route is probably never going to be on my ticklist, but personally I don't think anything needs to be done. It's been the way it is for a long time now, & there are more productive reasons to hike tools up the hill. Maybe someone will climb it and like it? Jens if you get around to reading this it would be cool to understand your rational. Take that motivation to the quarry! Oct 16, 2020

Tradiban
951-527-7959

Sorry to interrupt but you guys can't bomb a route unless you've climbed it. Oct 16, 2020

Josh Higgins
San Diego, CA

Adam B. I don't think that anything needs to be "done" about it. I think for me that publicly saying manufacturing like this is unacceptable is enough. I'm really not a fan of bolt wars, or any other such shenanigans. That can do even more harm to the rock and community. The route I put a TR on was isolated enough that it will likely for the most part go unnoticed. If someone wants to climb it, the rock is already damaged. I agree with Gordy, take it to the quarry! ECM is too amazing of a piece of featured stone for manufactured routes like this. Oct 16, 2020

Tradiban
951-527-7959

Monty, as a geologist, what's the difference between drilling for pockets and drilling for bolts? Oct 22, 2020

R E R
Southern California

Sport aid? Sounds like dollar store gatorade. Does this route even exist? We all carry 4k cameras in our pocket, why is there no photo? Not even the op has a tick for this. Jul 1, 2021