New Jack City a.k.a. Sawtooth Canyon

WARNING – IF YOU ARE PHOBIC ABOUT 8-LEGGED CREATURES DON’T LOOK TOO CLOSELY AT THE PHOTO A COUPLE DOWN THE POST.

The main claim to fame of Barstow, in southern California, is probably as the penultimate stopover name-checked on the journey from Chicago to LA in Chuck Berry’s classic Route 66 (two thousand miles all the way!) However, climbers have an additional reason to visit following the development of the climbing around Sawtooth Canyon, more commonly known as New Jack City after the movie of the same name as a shout out to the principal new-router Jack Marshall. With around 500 bolted routes across all grades, there’s something for everyone. The rock is highly textured volcanic something or other, giving positive holds of every variety.

Roll in the benign desert climate, routes oriented in every direction, and the bonus of free camping, and it looked like a winner.

The camping is of the “too good to be true” variety – we’ve camped at plenty of free, officially sanctioned “dispersed camping” areas across the States, often in gorgeous locations, usually with a fire ring, and occasionally with a table – but each of the 18 sites on the Sawtooth Canyon Campground also comes with a splendid sunshelter!

There were a few reports on Mountain Project of noisy campers, trash etc, but we found the place immaculate (I’m sorry to say that I can’t imagine a similar unregulated public facility in Britain being so pristine).

We had four varied days climbing, all within a 15mins walk of the van, from toasty and t-shirts in the sun, to double duvets in the shade (and a breeze).

Our visit was almost over before it started, however. On our first afternoon we were scoping out routes on the sunny South Raven Crag and were considering Rob’s Rumbunctious Ride as a 5.9 warm-up when we spotted that we’d been beaten to it…

WARNING – IF YOU ARE PHOBIC ABOUT 8-LEGGED CREATURES DON’T LOOK TOO CLOSELY AT THIS PHOTO.

Yes, there was a Tarantula ambling steadily up the route. We skipped that line, but it’s a testament to the environment and the quality of climbing that this encounter (and a further close call with a similar critter meandering across our camping spot) didn’t prompt an immediate exodus.

You can just about make out a more conventional two-legged climber topping out on the adjacent route a day later here:

Too many routes to mention, but a few highlights:

Suddenly Susan, 11a, and Taylor Made, 5.8, on Raven Crags.

Change of Scene, 10a, The Scene is not for Sale, 11a and Improbable, 11a on the pocket plastered Crossfire Crag.

4 Horsemen, 11a, excellent, (and definitely NOT the adjacent Bog of Eternal Stench, 11b and just as crap as it sounds!) and The Crawl Space, 5.9 on Fullerton Wall.