Toughest Climb in LA

[RustyBearings]

What's the general opinion on the toughest climb in the LA area?
My buddy who I'll be riding with this weekend loves climbing so I'm looking around to see what I can find.

Already took him on Paseo Miramar and Bulldog but I'm looking for something a lot harder.

I remember reading about someplace called Canyon Acres but I'm only familiar with the Santa Monicas so Im not sure where that is.

later

[dstepper]

Originally Posted by RustyBearings

Canyon Acres.

Laguna Beach

[SAR_boats]

Second that, but I am not as knowledgeable about trails as most around here

[mp3]

Road or MTB climb?

If road then check out the Fargo Street climb. There's even an event: Los Angeles Wheelmen Bicycle Club Fargo Street 2006
There's also tuna cayon or deer canyon in the Santa Monicas.

If MTB how about Tapia over off of Malibu Canyon. It starts off with some steep singletrack then onto a pretty steep fireroad. Near the top there's about 100 yards of steep hike-a-bike. I used to do that climb 2 or 3 times then after the 3rd I'd head over and do the backbone trail.

[Rossage]

Puerco Canyon in Malibu-they used to race up it, its 2/3 paved, then it connects to Mesa fireroad. Its about 3 miles of hel...
Rossage

[Kid A]

I'm thinking out of my warm bed each morning to go to work

[Koke]

Zuma Ridge-Edison is a real grind:

Geoladders -- Zuma Ridge - Edison

[Pain Freak]

If you're looking for a long sustained type of climb, I'd do San Juan Trail to Pinos and then back.

[RustyBearings]

Originally Posted by mp3

Road or MTB climb?

If road then check out the Fargo Street climb. There's even an event: Los Angeles Wheelmen Bicycle Club Fargo Street 2006
There's also tuna cayon or deer canyon in the Santa Monicas.

If MTB how about Tapia over off of Malibu Canyon. It starts off with some steep singletrack then onto a pretty steep fireroad. Near the top there's about 100 yards of steep hike-a-bike. I used to do that climb 2 or 3 times then after the 3rd I'd head over and do the backbone trail.

If you mean that you climbed up from malibu cnyon road up to the Little Moab on the Corral Canyon parking lot then you are a beast... I rode down that section the other day after doing bulldog and cringed just thinking about climbing it.

But now that you mention it that seems like a good idea for the climb I was looking for...

Where's deer canyon/tuna canyon?
I'm really familiar with the Santa Monicas, especially the topanga area, but Ive never heard of them.

later

Originally Posted by dstepper

Laguna Beach

Laguna beach...

is that in the OC area?

[LBmtb]

Originally Posted by RustyBearings

Laguna beach...

is that in the OC area?

Yup.

[RustyBearings]

Originally Posted by LBmtb

Yup.

Oh damn,

I live deep in W. LA so that'd be quite a drive.
I'm used to a half mile ride to the trailhead.

If it's worth it I'll definitely consider going there.

Can anybody compare it to Bulldog or Miramar?

later

[dstepper]

Originally Posted by RustyBearings

Can anybody compare it to Bulldog or Miramar?

later

Sorry I can't, have not been up either of those trails. Canyon acres is not tech, is not single track although there are some sweet downhill runs that paralell the fireroad. It is just steep, I am thinkin 30-35% steep and the top of the 2-3 mile climb is the steepest. I do not know anyone that has ever attempted to climb the paralelling singletracks up. The closest trail near it you might be familar with is the infamous and illegal downhill run "Telonics".

[JimN]

Originally Posted by RustyBearings

If it's worth it I'll definitely consider going there.

Definitely worth it. You could plan a whole day of pain in Viejoland. Would be difficult to find all the climbs if you're not familiar with the OC parks, though. Weather forecast doesn't look too good either.

As for the LA area, Haines Canyon and Earl Canyon Motorway, both on Mt. Lukens, are brutal fireroad climbs. They're both rideable immediately following heavy rain.

[mp3]

Originally Posted by RustyBearings

If you mean that you climbed up from malibu cnyon road up to the Little Moab on the Corral Canyon parking lot then you are a beast... I rode down that section the other day after doing bulldog and cringed just thinking about climbing it.

But now that you mention it that seems like a good idea for the climb I was looking for...

Where's deer canyon/tuna canyon?
I'm really familiar with the Santa Monicas, especially the topanga area, but Ive never heard of them.

later

Yes that's the one. I've ridden all over SoCal and that's one of the hardest dirt climbs out there in terms of grade and length. I haven't seen anything steeper and of the same length in the San Gabriels, the Verdugos, the Santa Anas, the Los Padres, the San Bernadinos, or the San Jacintos. I think from bottom to top is 2 miles. The hike-a-bike is the icing on the cake--you've probably seen the trail on the backside so you don't have to hike-a-bike back down. Start at the little parking lot off of Malibu Canyon Rd. Then get ready for a heart pounding start...there's no warmup. Up to the top. Take a breather and repeat a few more times.

It's nowhere near as long as Bulldog but I think it's more of a workout. It's steeper than Paseo M so ya can't blast down it like ya can on PM but the good thing is there aren't very many hikers. That could be a bad thing though since there are often alot of hottie hikers on Paseo.

Now is a perfect time to do it since it's not too hot. In the summer ya have to be finished by 10ish because it gets so damn hot. I use to get comments from the hikers about me being crazy for climbing it several times in succession. One of these days I'll get back over there.


Tuna Canyon is one right (if you're headed west) past Topana Canyon Rd. It's steep. It's only one way for cars (down) but cyclist climb it often. Deer Creek Rd is much further west on PCH.

[roadkillross]

Originally Posted by dstepper

infamous and illegal downhill run "Telonics".

i must hit this trail in my ninja costume for sneakiness

[mp3]

Don't know if you ride road much but if you do here's a link with mention of plenty of climbs over in the SMs.

[RustyBearings]

Originally Posted by mp3

Don't know if you ride road much but if you do here's a link with mention of plenty of climbs over in the SMs.

Nope dont have a road bike.
I think I'll do the Tapia/Mesa Peak Motorway climb just because it's so close to my house and I'm really familiar with the area.

You could even combine it with bulldog... up mesa and down bulldog then back up bulldog and down mesa.

later

[ApexMan]

Just caught on to this post/question...

Paseo from Sunset is a hard climb when taken all the way up to Muhulland, ooof! If you wish to mix in technical then I know of two up the front of the San Gabriels, one trial and one road.

The first is the single track that heads up to the Mt. Lowe lookout above Pasadena, the trailhead starts at the top of Lake Avenue. Once at the top one can check out the view and the ruins of the old hotel before taking the Mt. Lowe railway (.9 mile) over to the Mt. Lowe Road/Cheney trail for the return down Sunset. Don't go down to the Mellard campground, take the Cheney road back to Loma Alta for the jaunt back to the trailhead at Lake. For extra boost you can park all the way down at Burger Continental (California and Lake) and start from there.

The next climb is the Mt. Wilson Road a bit east of Lake Avenue. You can start at the Eaton Canyon Park and travel up the wash to the fire road, from there you'll go up, up, up till you get to a campground loop. At the junction take a right, continue up till you see the radio towers. Now you're at over 5000' of elevation! Now, you can either decend back the same way, or take the Rim or Sturtivant trails off the top of Mt. Wilson. and come out at Chantry Flats. Once there decend down on Santa Anita and make a right on Sierra Madre blvd. to take back to Altadena Drive and back to Eaton Canyon Park. This has EXPOSURE coming back down, so, be warned. )

[roadkillross]

im pretty sure the fireroad at del cerro is pretty tough...just playin..the climbs at the fully loop where wayyy too steep for me

[Pain Freak]

Originally Posted by RustyBearings

If you mean that you climbed up from malibu cnyon road up to the Little Moab on the Corral Canyon parking lot then you are a beast... I rode down that section the other day after doing bulldog and cringed just thinking about climbing it.

Obviously you don't know The Great Mario!
But I do like the term the Beast, seems more fitting to me.

Originally Posted by RustyBearings

Nope dont have a road bike.
I think I'll do the Tapia/Mesa Peak Motorway climb just because it's so close to my house and I'm really familiar with the area.

You could even combine it with bulldog... up mesa and down bulldog then back up bulldog and down mesa.

later

Climbing Bulldog twice, just doesn't sound appealing to me.