Riverside Rock Quarry

To be honest, I was a little reluctant to head out to the Quarry for a climbing session. I had head about how dirty it was, and how potentially dangerous. Even though I bought a 70 meter rope just in case I did head out there, I was still wondering what it would be like.
Ah, it’s fine. The hike in is a little strewn with what looks like a badly broken apart mattress, and there is some graffiti on the rock, but otherwise the place is basically one long wall with lots of climbing. It is shaded in the morning with the sun hitting it around mid day, so be prepared for the heat of the IE to come bearing down on you.
The climbs themselves are pretty good, though I have only done a few so far. There is loose rock, but in this day and age, you should be wearing a helmet when you are belaying (if not when climbing as well). The routes are all sport, with chains or rings set up for anchors and bolts placed fairly close together. I never thought I was running anything out when leading.

Do not park on Sierra, parking on Sierra greatly increases your chance of getting your car broken into. Park in the housing development. Do not drive to the climbing area, the Riverside Police will ticket you.
5 star sport climbing, ²⁄₃ star area. It’s an old quarry in an urban area, litter, dirt bikes, and graffiti will mar your experience. A short approach with a fantastic selection of 5.11’s-5.13’s. Rock climbing is never completely safe, but the area is maintained and was developed with safety as a priority. This is not an old school crag with long run outs. If you are an aspiring rock star, this is an excellent area to hone your skills.
If you are a beginning climber, climb in Slab City and Schoolhouse Rock areas, these areas were made to help you get started.
A video overview of the area, to help you find your way:
If you climb here frequently, buy the guidebook, help Louie Anderson pay for the development of the area (bolts, hangars & fixtures).

This is the first time I’ve been to Riverside Rock Quarry. I like that it’s only an hour’s drive from me, which is rare for rock climbing spots. To get here from the I-​10, take the Sierra Ave exit and go south until you reach a dead end, which becomes Donner Way. This is where you want to park. From here, the approach is about 10 minutes, depending on which part of the rock you want to climb at. There is a very obvious road that you can take. If you go straight on that road, you’ll see Fun House. If you make a left turn, you’ll get to Schoolhouse Rock. There are other climbing areas, but I only climbed at Fun House and Schoolhouse Rock, so I don’t have beta on the other sections.
Fun House has a few climbs, the easiest being a 5.7 and the hardest being some 5.10+. I only followed on the 5.9, which I guess people said is harder than the 5.10s. I had no problems getting up the climb, so I guess it felt like a 5.9 to me.
We then headed to Schoolhouse Rock, which has some pretty easy climbs. You can find more information on the climbs at:
. I climbed a lot of routes on this wall, and none of them were very challenging. It’s mostly slab climbing, so there are limited hand holds and you’ll just have to trust your feet. The hand holds that they do have are pretty bomber though. My favorite route on here is Conjunction Junction, which is a 5.9 mostly slab climb. The start was difficult for some of the others, but shouldn’t be a problem if take your time to work through it. The crux of the climb is right before the anchor, which requires using upper body strength to muscle your way up. Again, I had no problems with this part as I’ve been working out my upper body. Guess it’s paying off. Just a note though, this route is hard for a lot of people because there are very limited hand holds. It’s almost all feet, so just trust your feet and slowly walk up the rock.
The rock is very loose so there are definitely rock falls; I recommend that you wear a helmet. The routes are short and very well protected; there are bolts every 5 feet, if not less. I would definitely come back here and try leading some of these climbs. I do have to say, that this place is not very pleasing to the eyes. There is graffiti on the rocks and trash all over the place. It’s definitely an eyesore. There are no bathrooms at all, and very little cover to block you from view when you do have to use the facility. The positive is that it’s a very short drive to the nearest gas station or Starbucks so if you absolutely cannot or refuse to use natural facilities, you can easily get in your car and make a short drive to the bathroom. You’ll be back at the rock in half an hour!