Name: Rock scrambling for beginners, a progressive six week series
Start: 2026-01-04T08:00:00-08:00
End: 2026-01-04T10:30:00-08:00
Location: Gene's Trailhead

Rock scrambling for beginners, a progressive six week series

Join us for a six week series of rock scrambling hikes specifically geared to hikers who want to learn the basics of rock scrambling. To attend you should already be comfortable hiking three miles on typical desert trails. Experienced scramblers are welcome, with the understanding that beginners have first priority.
We'll start with an easy 2.5 mile trail hike with a strenuous 600' of elevation gain up a little peak just to the east of Calico Basin. I've heard this called 'Lookout Peak'. You can see the view from the peak in the photo above.
No actual scrambling on this first hike, but it will give you an idea of the hikes to come, which will be progressively more strenuous and challenging, leading up to the final hike of the series, Kraft Mt peak. All hikes but the first one will be easy class two and three rock scrambling. Little or no exposure to risk of falls. We'll seldom get more than a few feet above ground level and there are always easy alternate ways around the more challenging spots.
Along the way we'll learn scrambling and climbing basics, with some local geology, desert lore and info about the local animal and plant life.
Plan to arrive a few minutes early so we're all ready to start at 8am. Meet at the parking area for Gene's Trail, see the map. When you turn right onto Calico Basin Rd, it's about a thousand feet on the righthand side. I'll be standing outside a beige Honda Civic.
Everyone will be asked to sign a paper copy of our Liability release. You only need to sign the release one time.