Cathedral Boulders
V9 – V11 · 4 routes · granite · V-scale
- Approach 8 min — sandy trail from the Cathedral Beach picnic area, gentle uphill
- Best season Late April to early June and late September to early November, at first light.
- Published
- Updated
The Cathedral boulders hold the hardest concentration of problems in the valley. This is granite at its most demanding: steep, coarse, and made of moves that only work when the temperature is right and your skin is fresh.
Why the grades are what they are
The hard problems here are not hard because the holds are small. They are hard because the moves are long and the positions are extreme, on rock coarse enough that a single attempt costs you a layer of skin. Two or three good attempts per session is a normal budget.
Most of the lines finish on a slab top-out that is genuinely dangerous when tired. Preview the descent before you start, not after.
Conditions
Hard sends here happen in a narrow window: cold mornings in late spring and autumn, low humidity, and shade. Direct sun on coarse granite is unpleasant and reduces friction measurably. Start at first light.
Access and ethics
The approach crosses a sensitive riverbank area. Stay on the established trail, do not build new landings out of river stones, and keep pads off the vegetation. Park only in the signed picnic area.
Routes · 4
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Hold types arete · compression · sloper
Open beta
Thirty-degree arete with a long compression crux. The heel hook at the midpoint is essential; without it the final move is unreachable.
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Hold types slab · friction · smear
Open beta
Technical slab on polished granite. Three crux moves of pure friction above a sloping landing. Cold is compulsory.
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Hold types crimp · lock-off · gaston
Open beta
Two-move problem: a left-hand gaston off a razor edge straight into a full-span lock-off. Short sessions only.
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Hold types roof · toe-hook · pocket
Open beta
The valley's benchmark roof. Powerful, with a toe hook that must be placed perfectly on the first attempt of the day.
Crag ethics
Crag ethics
No chipping, no glue, no reinforcement of holds. Brush only with soft brushes and never on wet rock.
