Big Bear Climbing Season!

This is the perfect time of year to climb in Big Bear Lake. The weather is pretty much perfect every day...sunny and 70's and the summer crowds have long left the valley, meaning we get the mountain to ourselves again until ski season! This has always been a bit of a surprise to me as I would argue this is the best time of the year in the mountains. Cool crisp mornings. Blue sky days. Mandatory hoodie in the evening. Awesome.

 

While I enjoy all different styles of rock climbing I am definitely into bouldering the most. Bouldering involves climbing rocks up to about 25 ft with no ropes for protection. Crash pads (3" thick foam mats) are used at the base of the climbs to help soften the landing when we fall. Climbing shoes that have sticky rubber soles help tremendously when climbing harder routes, but are not necessary to get started in the sport. For me the best part about bouldering, or climbing in general, is that it never really gets any easier/harder. It's all about pushing your own limits so as you get better you will find harder stuff to climb, making it a life long journey....there is no end.

Climbing in Big Bear is outstanding. It is really diverse meaning you can find bouldering, sport climbing, trad climbing, even some mountaineering all in the area. There are some amazing areas with a high concentration of quality rock and some lonesome boulders sitting all alone in the middle of the woods. Some of the areas have amazing views of the lake, other of the desert. Exploring the different areas is half the fun! If you are new to climbing Big Bear has some great areas with lots of beginner friendly climbs including the North Shore Bouldering Area and Castle Rock (sport/trad). If you're a seasoned vet head out to Holcomb Valley to find the most established routes (250+) in the area and some amazing highball bouldering. Free camping too! All in all Big Bear is a great place to climb and now is the perfect time to be out doing it...hope to see you out there!

For more information on bouldering in Big Bear Lake check out the Big Bear Bouldering Blog!