Looking for suggestions (Novice Climbing - Backpacking)

[JaredMac]

Hi all. I'm trying to plan a trip where I can take a group of novice climbers on a backpacking trip.

I'm looking for a hike in <10 miles to a nice campsite with water (swimming is a bonus). Next day would ideally be a short approach to some easy to mid 5th where we can practice gear placement or set up some top rope for a few hours of climbing.

I'm also open to dispersed car camping, anything with solitude is preferred! Towards this end, I've scouted a 5.5 in the Church Dome area in Domeland Wilderness. The easiest approach is a car camp in Taylor Meadow and a short hike to the crags. Does anybody have trip reports of this area? I would love to do a Bart Dome backpacking trip but the group is not ready for multipitch climbs yet.

Alternatively, crash pads could be brought if the hike is super short for some remote backpack bouldering.

Any tips or recommendations would be highly appreciated. Thanks!

[c9h13no3]

This is a bit of a weird ask, most folks don't backpack into a spot to go single-pitching. Dispersed camping around somewhere like Clark Canyon in Mammoth is probably about right for your group though, albeit sport climbing rather than gear. The Echo Peaks area is mostly class 3-4, but is similar in that most of the spires are "single pitch" in length.

Interested to hear other replies.

[Silky Smooth]

Clark canyon is a great suggestion, the alabama hills would be great if they weren't melting right now. Stay in the high country. Rock creek has some climbing, nice camping up there. Tuolumne would be the place for something like that. Lots of stuff around to just play on. You could do day hikes or backpack to lots of stuff. Just depends what you can snag a permit for, still a decent amount of wilderness permits up there.