Trip Report: Rock Climb - City of Rocks
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Rock Climb - City of Rocks By Steph Stamm |
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| CLIMBING | 09/17/2026 | MOD |
| We arrived in City of Rocks just as the clouds began closing in, racing to get tents pitched before the skies opened up. We hammered in the final stakes as rain began to pelt us, then retreated to our cars for a front-row seat to the lightning show streaking across the sky. A dramatic welcome to the weekend, to say the least. Friday dawned gray and threatening, but a little questionable weather has never stopped a determined crew of climbers. A group headed to Window Rock, home to some excellent routes for newer trad leaders. After warming up on a few mellow classics, the gusting wind and increasingly ominous skies sent us retreating to camp. But the storm blew through, leaving the wind behind as a parting gift, so we relocated to lower ground at Flaming Rock. There, the WMC Whipper Snappers made a strong showing on Tribal Boundaries (10b), an iconic sport route, while others explored the routes at Radicella Rock. Everyone reconvened in time for our date with Rock City, the best - and only - pizza for miles. Friday's threatening skies had mostly been for show. Saturday, on the other hand, delivered. A group of us trekked into Sinocranium, a six-pitch, 5.8 sport route, and waited for the rain to ease enough to give climbing a go. Thankfully, damp granite still offers a surprising amount of stick, so we started up with the skies looking decidedly uncertain. By the time we reached the top, the sun was shining on our faces, even as puffy gray clouds continued building behind us. We scampered down the descent and emerged to find an absolutely gorgeous, clear day. Elsewhere, fellow climbers climbed similarly damp routes like Strawberry Fields (5.9 sport). That evening, the weather finally gave us a break. Under calm skies, we gathered for the potluck, sharing excellent food, plenty of laughs, and a herpetology quiz that we managed to ace. Because what's a climbing weekend without a little reptile trivia? Sunday delivered the fall climbing weather we'd been hoping for all weekend. Some climbers headed to Stripe Rock to check out a newer multipitch route, while others squeezed in a few final pitches at Parking Lot Rock, the perfect low-commitment, roadside crag for one last taste of the City before heading home. In the end, the forecast may have looked questionable, but the climbing was excellent, the pizza was plentiful, and the company was even better. The bravest (or perhaps most weather-optimistic) among us showed up, adapted, and got after it - logging some excellent sends along the way. Mother Nature kept us guessing, but she couldn't keep the WMC crew off the rock for long. |
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