Free Rock Climbing Beta for the San Gabriel Mountains

Angeles Obscura is the spot for hidden climbing gems in the San Gabes. Park in questionable places, hike forgotten trails, climb chossy lowballs, and come home with the scratches, bug bites, and rashes to prove it.

Newest Additions to the Site

7 November 2025 - Worked on the Far Side area at Horse Flats.

4 November 2025 - Added Dihedralrhea and Slabsplosion to the Special Spot.

2 November 2025 - Filled out the Winston Middle Area.

30 October 2025 - Edited and optimized most of the images for Arroyo Seco and Chilao.

29 October 2025 - Added The Westside Winston Peak.

24 October 2025 - Found lots of Lance Carerra boulders at Winston. One had a tree fall on it, probably why I had so much trouble finding it in the past.

Past Updates

Disclaimers

Nothing on this site should be considered reliable, up to date, truthful, or factual. All of the information should be considered inaccurate and wrong. This website is always under construction and will never be finished.

Do not climb alone. In the Angeles, loose rock is the expectation, not the exception. Let a friend or family member know your plans. Bring water and protect your skin from the sun. Carry a Garmin, iPhone with satellite connectivity, or a ham radio with the correct frequencies already programmed and the skills to make contact. Hold yourself accountable to the predictable consequences of your actions. Rock climbing is a deadly, high-risk activity, and it is up to you to manage that risk.

By using this website you agree to be a steward of the areas you climb in. It's your responsibility to look after the place.

If you have any questions/feedback, want to climb together, or if you've got history or media that you want to be hosted here, please email me at angelesobscura@gmail.com. Please, do not link to this site. Feel free to share it word of mouth, and tell your friends the same. But please, do not publicize the URL.

Driving

NEVER 👏 CROSS 👏 THE 👏 DOUBLE 👏 YELLOW

Use the turnouts if someone is behind you! Let folks pass.

Pass bicyclists at a speed you would be comfortable with if you were the bicyclist. My preferred way to pass cyclists is in first or second gear, without crossing the double yellow, hazards on if it's a blind/sharp turn (for vehicles coming up behind me).

Just because you got in the Angeles doesn't mean you will be able to get out the same way (i.e., rockfall, vehicle accidents, etc.). Keep that in mind when making plans. Before you head up, fill up (gas, coolant, transmission/differential, tire pressure, brakes, etc.). Bring extra water. Bring tools and parts to fix your vehicle. Roads in the San Gabriel Mountains are frequently closed indefinitely. Conditions change quickly in the mountains. If there is snow, or there could be, bring chains. Learn how to put your chains on BEFORE you enter icy conditions. In the winter I keep a spare sleeping bag and blankets in my car in case I have to spend the night.

Expect people driving faster than you are comfortable with - there is nothing you can do about it, just accept it.

Key highways: the Angeles Crest Highway (CA-2), Angeles Forest Highway (CR N3), and San Gabriel Canyon Road (CA-39). Important roads: Mount Baldy Road, Big Tujunga Canyon Road, Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road, Santa Clara Divide Road, and Pacifico Mountain Road.

Ethics

No chipping. No manufacturing holds. If you can't climb something, leave it for the next generation. Don't dumb the climb down.

Chalk. Use it sparingly. Excessive amounts of chalk on a boulder can look ugly and distracting for other people that use the mountains. Hold yourself accountable to the predictable consequences of your actions. Be particularly mindful of holds under roofs; they don't get rained on and the chalk will stay pretty much forever. Brush off your tick marks. And keep the pad draggin' to a minimum.

Pick up your trash, micro and otherwise: orange peels, climbing tape, plastic food wrappings, etc. And if you want parking karma from my parking god, Obagonga, pick up other people's trash. He also accepts improvised songs of praise involving his name and nicknames.

Emergencies are one thing, but choosing to shit in the forest instead of the many toilets is stupid. I can't believe I even need to say this.

Don't cut living plants.

On FAs (First Ascents) - Folks much stronger than I have been climbing before it was easy, or in style, to document everything. I remind myself to be skeptical whenever I think I climbed anything first. So in the Angeles I almost never consider what I do first ascents but rather first documented ascents or first known ascents. If I was climbing above the level of those that came before me maybe I would be able to make some claims - but I don't, so I won't.

Landings. I personally don't create landings because I think it's too distracting looking (I hate the chalk I leave and I am skeptical of every bolt I have ever placed). I don't love seeing a human made pile of logs or rocks. I prefer creative pad strategies or just climbing something else safer that's below my level. But I won't ask another developer to stop crafting landings.

Fire 🔥

Obey all fire laws and regulations. Be aware of current Fire Danger Levels. Get a permit. Fireworks are always prohibited in the Angeles National Forest. Use proper campfire safety, especially when extinguishing your campfire. First, drown the fire with water, then stir around the fire area with a big stick. Turn over any wood pieces and soak them. Stir some more and mix it around real good and then feel. You will most likely feel warmth. Throw some more water in there and stir it up again. Drown, stir, and feel.

U.S.F.S. Angeles National Forest Alerts.

Natural Risks (Animals, Plants, The Sun)

Personally, I am more afraid of plants than animals in the Angeles (Since 1890, there have been six fatal encounters with mountain lions in California). I am actually so allergic to poison oak that I've had to go to urgent care! More than once! But Poodle Brush seems to have little to no effect on me. But I have friends who can walk around in poison oak all day and not get a rash and Poodle-dog bush will make their skin bubble and blister and fall off.

Your biggest risks aside from DRIVING and climbing are probably sunburn and rashes from plants, followed by issues related to dehydration and bug bites. The odds that you will encounter an animal AND that it will be aggressive are so slim I worry about it less than climbing safely, staying hydrated, and wearing sunscreen. It doesn't mean I don't look around when I hear a stick break though!

First Aid Kit Recommendations

I keep a travel-size spray bottle of betadine (povidone-iodine, topical antiseptic). Some pre-packaged sterile gauze rolls (2x4" and 2x2"), some sterile pads, tape (I use k-tape and coban wrap), moleskin (the thick kind), and micro scissors. And a travel size pill container with ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, Benadryl, and Imodium tablets. I bring it everywhere I go. (I also carry some "tenacious tape" for fabric repair). Sometimes I carry an "emergency blanket." Everything pictured below weighs 212.5 grams.

What to do if a Rattlesnake Bites You

Try not to panic. Back away from the snake. Remove constricting jewelry or clothing. Consider making contact with 911 via your satellite phone (all new iPhones have this). Clean the wound with antiseptic and cover. Don't kill the snake, but if you can, take a picture. No tourniquets. Don't suck the venom out. You want to keep your heart rate as low as possible so don't run, and maybe leave your pad/gear to lower the weight and make it easier to move (get them later). Get back to your vehicle and drive to the nearest ER/Urgent Care. Ideally you want to be at the ER in 30 minutes but that isn't an option climbing in the Angeles. If you have a sharpie draw a circle around the bite (you can add lines as the swelling increases and record the times). You should not take ibuprofen or aspirin because they don't let your blood clot normally. Take acetaminophen instead. Lastly, baby bites aren't more dangerous than adults (it's probably the other way around).

Symptoms of a bite are nausea, vomiting, dizziness, weakness, blurred vision, rapid heart rate, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, swelling at the bite. "How to Survive a Snakebite in the Wilderness" - Asclepius Snakebite Foundation

Grades and Starts (Section Under Const.)

★ - Outstanding problem or route (or best in the area).

R - Higher risk climb.

💣 - So chossy you might die.

I am going to keep it simple for now. No two star problems, no three or four star problems, etc. No PG-13's or X's either. If it's got some butt-puckerage and a fall will probably send you to the hospital it gets an R.

The first time YDS (Yosemite Decimal System) grades were published was in Chuck Wilts's 1956 Tahquitz guide. Also in the 1950's, John Gill invented his B system to grade boulders. "The B System is used to rate boulder problems that are 5.12 and above," writes Craig Fry in his 1995 So Cal guide, "This system was developed . . . to fill the missing ratings of the YDS, which back then topped out at 5.10. Originally, B1 indicated a boulder problem that was 5.11 or harder. B2 indicated a boulder problem that was considerably more difficult than a B1 problem; and B3 was an even harder problem, so difficult, in fact, that only one person had ever succeeded in climbing it." The first guide for Horse Flats came out in 1990. John Sherman invented V grades in 1991. And the second edition to Craig Fry's Horse Flats guide came out in 1995. Neither of Fry's books had V grades. In that tradition, some boulders on this site will also have YDS grades even if people do not normally rope up to climb it (Some modern guides continue to give YDS grades to easy problems. The Josh bouldering guide does this and I find it very useful).

For this website maybe a 5.12a is around V5 and 5.10a is around V1, 5.9 is around V0 like maybe doing some of the moves for Open Book at Tahquitz or Flower of High Rank at Suicide. (5.11+ is V4, 5.11- is V3, 5.10+ is V2, 5.10- is V1).

Slash Grades - What does it mean if a climb is V6/7 instead of just V6 or V7?

Plus and Minus Grades - What does it mean if a climb is V6+ or V6- instead of just V6?

Sit, Stand, Jumps, Deadhangs, pad stacks/cheat stones, and eliminates - Sit starts are when your butt is on the ground/pad. If a small person can't reach the sit start in the same way that a tall person can, a small pad stack or a cheat stone may be placed under the pad (Some problems require a pad stack or a cheat stone for all climbers). Stand starts are when your butt isn't on the ground/pad. Squat starts are a variant of a stand start. Jump starts are when you can't reach one or both holds and you have to jump to get established (it's usually ok to kick off against the wall, and sometimes running up the wall IS the way to do the problem). A deadhang is when both of your arms are straight and you start hanging like that. Climbing without a pad is a great way to challenge yourself while reducing the weight allowing oneself further access into the backcountry. Eliminate problems are stupid, but sometimes they are cool.

I made this grade comparison table specifically for the San Gabriel Mountains. It's strongly based on the 1995 Craig Fry Horse Flats guide that has a combination of YDS and B ratings. Using that with contemporary consensus V grades on well known problems I devised this table. 5.10b (Thin Crack). 5.11 (Poot Chute, Bow Sprits V2, Fish Arete, Thin Face V2 (V3 post break)). B1 (High Chaparral V5, Opposition Movement V5, B1 Traverse V4, The Great Curve V6, Dragon Flake V5). B1+ (Eriksson Problem V7, The Real Thin Face V7, The Peanut V6/7). B2 (Mr Skin).

Retro-naming - Should we give names to unnamed problems or routes? Probably not.

Directions

The directions are given in a way that assumes all the roads are open and that you are coming from Los Angeles.

Area Closures 🚫

This website does not condone entering closed areas. Stay up to date on closures—I won't document them here. United States Forest Service Angeles National Forest Alerts.

Adventure Pass

It's unclear if you need an "Adventure Pass" to park in an "undeveloped" turn out. There is no definitive list of areas where the pass is applicable. I try and remember to display mine wherever I park.

You could buy an adventure pass but I recommend "The America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass," also known as the Interagency Annual Pass, because it includes the Adventure Pass and access into spots like Joshua Tree (or any other National Park). Adventure Pass day passes are $5, year passes are $30, and the Interagency Pass is $80 (J Tree single day with a vehicle is $30).

The new (as of 2025) Big Pines Pass ($5 per day or $30 Annually) is required at Appletree Campground, Arch Picnic Area, Grassy Hollow Campground/Picnic Area, Inspiration Point Trailhead, Mescal Picnic Area, Northshore Fishing Site, Peavine Campground, Vincent Gap Trailhead, and Jackson Lake ($10 daily, or Annual Pass).

Food Recs 🍽️

'49er Saloon/Wences Bistro - 3283 Soledad Canyon Rd, Acton, CA 93510

Berge's Sandwiches - 1044 Foothill Blvd, La Cañada, CA 91011

Cosmic Cafe - Mt. Wilson Skyline Park Picnic Site, La Cañada, CA 91011

Crystal Lake Cafe - 9877 N Crystal Lake Rd, Azusa, CA 91702

Grizzly Cafe - 1455 CA-2, Wrightwood, CA 92397

Melody's Place - 551 Lytle Creek Rd, Lytle Creek, CA 92358

Mountain Top Cafe - 7637 CA-138, Phelan, CA 92371

Top of the Notch - 7926 Mt Baldy Rd, Mt Baldy, CA 91759

Personal Thank Yous ❤️

My mom, dad, and sister. Erica, CalTrans District 7, Will Cornell, Hugo Perez, Addison Hertzberger, TACO, Andrew Ahlquist, Stefan and Daniel, Qwen, Chris Leger, Tristan Burnham, William, Matthew Stilline, The Griswald Family, The Abissi Family (Paul, Frank, Andrew), Erwinson and Jorge, Newcombs Ranch, Darren Martinelli & Danielle, Kelly S., Guy Keese, Ashley Swenson, BoulderingGems, Adam Russell, Damon Corso, Lance Carrera, Jeff Sewell, Tank and Liz, Troy Mayr, David Carrera, Daniel Argueta, Geoffrey Gonzales, Wes, Tito, Jah, Tony Yeary, Steve Powell, Kevin Mokracek, Ant, Nick Dechant, Mike M., Dan, Edder, Ezgi, Tyler, Aleth Romanillos, David Katz, and many others.

Developer and Climber Thank Yous

These folks have FAs and/or bolted routes in the San Gabriel Mountains. This list is everyone from Troy Mayr and Anthony Sweeney's 1997 Williamson Rock: Southern California Sport Climbing: Louie Anderson, Mike Ayon, Brian Baker, Jeff Baldwin, Mike Boden, Sheleigh Boyle, Dave Bruckman, Tom Campbell, Eric Charlton, Rick Craig, Ron Clarke, Jay Coughlin, Kelly Corcoran, Matt Dancy, Steve Edwards, Tony Egnozzi, Erik Erikson, Scott Erler, John Ford, Geoff Fullerton, Christina Fusillo, Tom Gilje, Yahn Hagett, Bill Herzog, Odin Hill, Karl Horza, Ken Hritz, Neal Kaptain, Chris Lindler, Curt Lyons, Jack Marshall, Troy Mayr, Mark Maynard, Chris Miller, Dan Milsap, Charles Mokracek, Kelly Mokracek, Kevin Mokracek, Rob Mulligan, Walter Norton, Sam Owings, David Parker, Kelley Penix, Richard Pelusi, Matt Polk, Jeff Pulice, Danny Reasor, Stan Roy, Mark Schlueter, Tony Sweeney, Dave Tidwell, Scott Toland, Erik Von Deluis, Elizabeth Wamsley, Yvonne Weber, Don Wilson, Catalina Wong, Ann Wolfe, Jason Wolfe, Sophia Yang

FA boulderers/developers at Horse Flats: Mike Ayon, Todd Battey, Mike Dancy, Erik Ericksson?, Mike Guardino, Neal Kaptain, Vaino Kodas, Chris Leger, Keith Lehman, James March, Danny Satter, John Sherman, Kody Shutt, Daniel Vakili, Tony Yaniro, Wills Young

Legendary Angeles Forest Choss Scrubblers and Juice Squeezers: Greg Albano, Lance Carrera, Addison Hertzberger, Andy Gohlich, Marcus Lacavera, Michael LePiere, Luke MacLean, Laura Martinez, Wes Moore, Nial Morgan, Hugo Perez, Chris Ramirez, Michael Rohsler, Danny Satter, Kody Shutt, Eli Sills, Daniel Vakili, and Marco Zezza.

S/O to Tristan Burnham, TACO, and Lance Carrera for sharing and documenting their exploits.

Respect, thanks, and gratitude to the many inspiring Southern California guidebook authors and developers, especially James March, Troy Mayr, Randy Vogel, Robert Miramontes, Craig Fry, and Bob Gaines.

Final Thoughts

Please, do not repost anything (routes, problems, words, images, etc.) from this site to MP or Kaya (or any other sites like those). All photography and text copyrighted. Anything copy and pasted from MP to here was done so with the blessing of the original poster as was the Jane Strong and Tom Chester's road guide. Photos credited to their photographers or are otherwise mostly mine (i.e., some noncredited photos are public domain or have some kind of applicable Creative Commons license).