Steele
Valley is a collection of boulder-covered
hillsides lying just east of the
15 freeway as it passes through
South Corona and Lake Elsinore.
Although the area is very close
to the freeway, it is hidden from
view by an intervening hillside.
There are literally thousands of
boulders to be found in the area
and most of them lie on publically-accessible
BLM land. There are a few sections
of the boulderfields that lie on
private property so pay attention
to signs as you wander the hills.
There are a few hillsides
that have seen pretty extensive
development and these areas boast
about 400 problems, but there is
much left to do for those that take
the time to look a little further
from the car. Most of the established
areas still hold much potential
for low end and very high end problems
as well. There are dirt roads that
weave their way through the entire
area, so exploration should not
be too difficult for those looking
for the next classic problem.
The rock in Steele Valley
is of a granite nature and is very
similar to other Riverside and San
Diego County bouldering areas, but
tends to be finer grained than some
and more comfortable to climb on.
As with most local rock, the problems
tend to revolve around crimps and
slopers. Problem heights range from
10-30 feet and most boulders have
pretty decent landings.
|
