The Southern Sierra is the quieter, less-traveled tail end of California's Sierra Nevada range — running from Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks down through the Kern River drainage to where the range finally peters out into the Tehachapi Mountains. It's a land of dense pine forests, hidden granite formations, deep river canyons, and small mountain towns like Kernville, Springville, and Porterville tucked into its foothills.
For climbers, this region is a genuine treasure trove that remains largely under the radar. The Needles are the crown jewel — a cluster of striking granite spires rising out of pine forest above the Kern River, home to some of the finest crack climbing in California. Dome Rock offers accessible multi-pitch classics. Deeper into the range you find places like The Fin at Castle Rock, Homer's Nose, Hermit Spire, and countless other obscure formations that have been quietly developed over decades by small groups of locals. The rock is high-quality granite, often steep, often demanding, and almost always uncrowded.
Culturally, the Southern Sierra has always attracted a specific kind of climber — someone drawn to first ascents, comfortable with long approaches, willing to work for solitude, and less interested in the spray culture of more famous destinations. The area saw a renaissance in the late 1970s and early 1980s when climbers from Los Angeles started making pilgrimages up to Kernville and Porterville, discovering that the Needles and surrounding formations offered climbing that rivaled anything in Yosemite — just without the crowds. Patrick Paul found himself right in the middle of this renaissance and became a pioneer in his own right, establishing 54 first ascents across the Southern Sierra over his 50 year career.
In this conversation we go back to Patrick's tumultuous upbringing and how a single trip to Joshua Tree became the catalyst for an entire life pivot — one he's convinced saved his life. We dig into stories from his years on the rock, including run-ins with icons like Randy Leavitt, Lynn Hill, and Fred Beckey, and several close calls: an earthquake mid-approach, expanding flakes on Homer's Nose, and a moment when his main partner Richard Leversee saved Patrick from certain death when Patrick leaned back away from an anchor without being tied in.
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Some of Patrick's stories can be found in this book:
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