Bay Curious
Bay Curious
KQED
Belay On! Outdoor Rock Climbing in San Francisco
21 minutes Posted Aug 13, 2026 at 10:00 am.
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Show notes
In the heart of San Francisco, near the Castro Theater and Corona Heights, there's a rock wall with a striking appearance. Listener Ravi Bhoraskar stumbled on it and wondered why the rock has a shiny, almost wet-looking appearance. And as a new convert to rock climbing, he also wondered if he could climb it. We dig into the history of urban climbs like this one and how they helped put the Bay Area at the forefront of rock climbing innovation. And don't worry, we'll do some climbing too!
Additional Resources:
The San Francisco Rock Climbing Spot Known For Its Shiny Surface
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This story was reported by Francesca Fenzi. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.
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