Over the last year, I've attended a couple of canyoneering classes at Stoney Point Park in Chatsworth. This park has long been a
training ground for climbers preparing for grand adventures, as well as being a
place for locals to get in a few boulders after work. It's popular because there are a million different challenges in the sandstone boulders that are scattered about the small park. You can practice in a natural environment without putting yourself at too much risk of catastrophic injury. Ventura icon, founder
of Patagonia, and Black Diamond Equipment, Yvon Chouinard practiced at Stoney
Point in preparation for his famous ascents in Yosemite back in the 1960’s. Some of Chouinard's partners, like legendary climbers Royal Robbins (who also founded a outdoors equipment company), and Bob Kamps, along with many others have honed
their skills at Stoney Point.
One of many house sized boulders
Our classes have always started underneath this centurys old oak dubbed, "The Tree of Knowledge"
I, and a million other climbers have been slipping off the greasy lips and machine gun pockets of Stoney for generations. Charlie Manson used to hang out in the cave on the north side, and in the Simi train tunnel nearby. The place has always been popular with climbing classes.
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