El Chorizo
El Chorizo is a 5-route bouldering crag in California.
- 5 routes
- V4 – V7
- Bouldering
Is El Chorizo open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Cleveland National Forest. It doesn't name El Chorizo, so check the source for the area it covers.
Airport Fire Burned Area Closure
Agency closure covering Cleveland National Forest · Order 02-26-09 · USFS · Cleveland National Forest
Elevated Fire Use Restrictions
Agency alert covering Cleveland National Forest · Order 02-26-10 · USFS · Cleveland National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Cleveland National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit El Chorizo
Best months: October–May. 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
66° / 42°
6 wet
Feb
67° / 43°
5 wet
Mar
72° / 46°
5 wet
Apr
76° / 49°
3 wet
May
82° / 54°
1 wet
Jun
90° / 58°
0 wet
Jul
97° / 64°
1 wet
Aug
98° / 65°
1 wet
Sep
93° / 61°
1 wet
Oct
83° / 54°
2 wet
Nov
73° / 46°
3 wet
Dec
65° / 40°
5 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Elsinore, CA, 6.4 mi away at 1,268 ft. The station sits about 1,600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
El Chorizo is a bouldering area in California's Cleveland National Forest, within the Trabuco Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the climbing sits among several other crags within a short distance, including Aid Hill, Ridge Trail and Hot Shots Area, making it an easy addition to a day of climbing in this corner of the forest. The area holds five bouldering routes, all rated between V4 and V7 on the V scale. The most notable are El Chorizo at V4, Off Camber at V5 and Lost and Losing at V7. Kevin Riley is the listed first ascender on El Chorizo and Off Camber. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Elsinore weather station, which sits well below the boulders, run to highs around 76°F in April and 83°F in October, while midsummer highs climb into the mid-90s. As the station sits lower, temperatures at the boulders run cooler. Other climbing is close by, with Aid Hill just 0.1 mile away and Ridge Trail at 0.2 mile. For a longer outing, Falcon Group campground is about 1.5 miles off.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
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Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)San Juan Canyon
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Tenaja Falls
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Aid Hill
~0 min drive
13 climbing routes at Aid Hill, California, ranging across 10 difficulty grades.
Ridge Trail
~0 min drive
Ridge Trail is a bouldering area in California with 11 routes.
Hot Shots Area
~0 min drive
Hot Shots Area in California has 5 climbing routes with mixed, sport, and trad styles.
El Cariso - Misc Problems
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El Cariso
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Burn Victim
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Also worth it near here
Falcon
~2 min drive
Los Pinos Peak
~4 min drive
Bear Canyon
~5 min drive
Photo: Orange County Archives — CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Lazy-W-Ranch Camp
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