The Details: A fantastic resource to have so close to the 'burbs! I don't usually get all that excited about bouldering, but this place just seems to have heaps of those problems that you get sucked into: before you know it you'll be hurling yourself at problem after problem! Some boulders are quite big, while others have some bad landings, so a crashmat is necessary to commit to some of the harder high problems. In fact, the excellent steep highballs on the N side of the Turlock boulder break a few arms and legs each year, so a toprope is definitely worth having there and elsewhere.
Access: 1 minute walk. From the junction of the 405 and the 118 Freeways, head W along the 118 (Ronald Reagan Freeway) for a few miles then exit S onto Topanga Canyon Boulevard. The totally obvious rocky hill on your L after 200m is Stoney Point. Drive downhill past it, then turn around and park on the side of the road. It's within 30mins of most of the North &/or West areas of LA, but to get there during peakhour from the South or the East is quite a hike.
Described L to R, facing the hill.
These problems are described starting at the descent slab on the E side of the boulder, and going anti-clockwise.
* 10-40 5.10+ (V1): 3m R of the descent, 1m R of the arete. Thin holds to start, then an intriguing thin reach move to the obvious hold under the little overlap. Slightly committing top-out past a sloper.
* Three Pigs 5.10b (V0/1): 1m R of 10-40. Insecure thin start, then nice fingerlock-style moves up the line of (chipped?) slots.
** Nose Eliminate 5.9+ (V0): 3m R of TP. Start off obvious chalked crimp-rail, swing up L to good flake, then follow the good holds to the top, staying L of TN.
** The Nose 5.6 (V0--): Straight up the nose in the middle of the face. Nice sidepulls down low.
** Dihedral R 5.9 (V0): Not sure if it's the correct name, but the problem follows the sharp nose which faces the road on the W end of the boulder. Really nice steep easy moves, getting quite airy towards the top, a good warm-up.
** A?? 5.12 (V3?): The steep face 3m R of the arete, going direct up to a thin flake without going to either side. A R hand undercling and a L hand crimp gains double gastons on the slight bulge, poor feet makes the reach up to the thin flake quite hard, with quite a drop below you.
B?? 5.7 (V0-): Fairly easy up the centre of the face, but beware some very fragile flakes towards the top. Here's a photo of me trying not to snap them off.
You can also traverse circuits around the boulder, but the difficulty is quite sporadic.
Some more boulders are hidden in the bushes 20m N of here. Also, the obvious boulder 15m SE, which is very slabby on 2 sides, has a few nice problems on the N side:
* ?? 5.10 (V1): A dyno from the low flake to the slightly slopey top.
** ?? 5.10 (V1): Start from the same flake but use 2 or 3 slopey sidepulls up the faint arete.
The rear (R) boulder has:
** E. Face 5.10+ (V1): Just L of the rounded arete. High step with R foot to use positive sidepull, then swing high and L to insecure sloper. Pull through to better hold.
Described clockwise, starting from The Flake, which is where the trail meets the boulder on the W face.
*** The Flake 5.7 (V0): The obvious flake up the middle of the slab. Nice underclings to oppose smears all the way, but be careful towards the top as it’s rather high.
The Stairs: The descent route, 3m R of TF.
* The Bulge V1: Intriguing move over the bulge on the arete 1m R of TS. From the pocket on the bulge, smear a high L foot, then gain a L hand at the top of the fat flake.
* ?? V2: In the middle of the E side. Crimp up and R to finger pocket, then L hand to fat flake, to top.
* ?? V1: 1m R. Grab the big pocket/dish/heuco, set some high feet, then undercling for all your worth way up and L to the lip. Harder than V1 IMHO.
*** Crowd Pleaser 8m V2: An outstanding problem up the NE arete. Slabby balancy arete dancing to start, then swing R under the arete to steep reachy flake hauling. Lunge to lip, then boldly turn the lip to slab finish.
*** ?? 8m V3?: An incredibly aesthetic piece of rock which looks totally impossible! Start in the middle of the imposing overhung N face. Jump to slopey melon (visible in the above photo), set feet on lower knob, and gain a L hand ‘wrap’ of melon. Place R foot on sloper beside melon, and grab a tiny R hand sidepull/undercling above it. Shift L foot onto small sloper below and slightly L of melon, then crank the R hand and turn your R shoulder and hip into the wall - this is an amazing and totally bizarre move, but it shifts your weight onto your R foot, so that you can do the enormous reach to the flake in the roof with your L hand. Match in the flake then reach to the lip, and turn the lip using (of all things!) a handjam near the topout.
* The Corner V2: The NW arete, 3m L of TF (see photo above). Overhung to start, then swing R to the slabby side with several variant finishes.
The boulder 10m N of the Turlock boulder (visible to the L in the above photo) is all quite hard.
Stoney Point Boulderers: A good stylish site, several photos plus a downloadable "selected" pdf guide to the area.
© 2002 Will