The Old Camp Bluff is named after the old Kay's Resort on Silver Lake, Highway 88, adjacent to the dam.
The rock is a beautiful granitic, some of it orange-patina'd, and mostly very clean with some easily-scrubbable lichens near the tops. There are some 25 routes, of few of which are take-offs from each other. There are top anchors to cover nearly every climb, though in some cases, directionals would be advised. There are a number of projects, and other routes awaiting development and first ascents. There is an excellent variety of traditional cracks, sport faces, and combination routes. Lengths vary from 10 meters to 25 meters. Route difficulties range from 5.7 to 5.13. At 7500', the area is climbable on days when the Valley is 100 degrees.
The area is pristine, try not to trample plants. If you brought it in, pack it out please. One climber brought in beer in bottles, and left his bottles and bottle caps strewn around the base of the cliff; shame. If you bring your bottles or cans in full, surely you can take them out empty.
It would be appreciated if climbers would put in a minimum of work here, tossing away loose "ankle-roller" rocks to make the cliff base safer. Not much needs to be done along the access to the cliff, but some clean-up of the final approach gully is in order, also. A number of the routes remain pretty dirty, and ten minutes of wire brushing would be appreciated by everybody.
Some toprope climbing has been done here in years past; these climbers request that bolting be kept to a minimum in honor of the beautiful rock faces here. For the time being, it does not seem that more bolting is in order, until some of the quite difficult routes can be established and led.
Regarding the access map below, as of early September, huge machines have moved in to destroy and dismantle at least portions of the old resort buildings, so some of the approach landmarks are gone. Editor will try to keep the map updated as changes occur.
Park at the Sandy Cove lot or along Kays Rd./ frontage road. There are a number of ways to approach Old Camp Bluff, but try one of these approach descriptions your first time in:
> Cross Hwy 88 at the west turn-off to Kays Rd. and go through a green-pipe metal gate.
> Turn right, immediately, on the first old dirt road, and follow it back 150 meters or so.
> Just before an old redwood water tank, turn left and up on that old road, walking northwest/ leftish, until you approach the newer silver but also-defunct, metal water tank.
> Pass to the right of the metal tank on a faint trail for a few meters, turn left, cross a log and go downhill briefly, then right, down into a vague swale; do not continue east down the swale, just cross it and start upwards. Thereafter, you will be hiking upwards, following rock ducks and in ten minutes, arrive on the "Knoll" where as of this writing, someone has built a large cairn on top of a rock, with a stick pointing upwards.
> Step down a short gully on the far side of the knoll and hike along the woodsy right side of the pond (dry in later season), turning leftwards just after passing the far end of the pond.
> Finally, ascend a steeper rocky and sandy gully, a bit left, gaining a sandy level plateau to the left/west of The Bluff itself. A grand, spreading Jeffrey Pine (as wide as it is tall) sits on the Bluff to your right. To continue directly to the base of Old Camp Bluff, continue a little left/NW across the sandy plateau, go through a wide "notch", start downward toward some trees, bend right/north and then east. To go to the top anchors instead, move to the right side of the sandy plateau and go up onto the granite. Anchors are found along the top of the entire formation. On first visit, one might want to see the climbs before setting TR's, as the scramble from bottom to top is a mere few minutes.
Alternately: perhaps more direct, but with fewer visible landmarks (but well-ducked), one can continue to the very back of the paved "loop" after passing through the green pipe-gate, and find an unsigned and faint trail heading NW. Take the trail for about 50 meters, then turn right onto a faint trail, between a couple old fence posts on the ground, wandering generally N/NE. Meet the above route just when arriving at Old Camp Bluff.