California · Rock climbing · Los Gatos

The Beak

Beak, The is a 6-route bouldering crag in California with routes across 6 difficulty grades.

Photo: npdoty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

6 routes

V0-1 – V6

Bouldering

Best time to visit The Beak

Best months: April–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

Jan
55° / 41°
14 wet
Feb
55° / 40°
14 wet
Mar
58° / 41°
13 wet
Apr
62° / 43°
10 wet
May
67° / 47°
7 wet
Jun
75° / 52°
3 wet
Jul
81° / 58°
1 wet
Aug
81° / 59°
1 wet
Sep
79° / 57°
2 wet
Oct
71° / 52°
6 wet
Nov
60° / 44°
11 wet
Dec
54° / 40°
15 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Skyline Ridge Preserve, CA, 7.6 mi away at 2,270 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The Beak is a bouldering area in Castle Rock State Park in California, managed by State Park and Recreation. It sits among a cluster of climbing and hiking spots, with Castle Rock Trail and Castle Rock Proper both about 0.1 mile away, and Mr Magoo Boulder and Mrs Magoo Boulder right beside it. The area is a bouldering destination, with six routes all rated on the V scale. The easiest are Garage Door at V0-1 and The Beak Traverse at V3, while Asshole Arete is the hardest at V6. The Pecker and Beak Mantle sit at V4, and Garage door traverse runs V4-5. Summer is the driest and warmest time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 81°F with only about one wet day a month, while winter brings highs in the mid-50s and rain on roughly 14 days a month. That station sits about 900 feet lower than the park, so temperatures at The Beak run cooler. The Ridge Trail and Skyline Trail are both within a mile. Farther afield, the San Lorenzo River offers canoeing about 9 miles away.