Climb up through Cave of the Munits to Castle Peak

3-HOUR CLIMB UP A CHIMNEY CAVE IN THE WEST SAN FERNANDO VALLEY TO A KING'S CROWN OF ROCKS

(part of a double-header, a separately-posted later hike is at Sage Ranch, a few miles to the north at 2 pm)

IT'S GONNA BE HOT---BRING PLENTY OF WATER AND A HAT AND SHOES WITH GOOD GRIP!

MEET HERE:

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HIKE HERE:

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(above: CASTLE PEAK)

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(Above: the Cave of the Munits)

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(ABOVE: top of the chimney cave)

for a printable aerial trails map: http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/7/3/8/4/highres_116309572.jpeg

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Castle Peak and Cave of the Munits—hike is about 3 miles (the Cave is a 100 foot tall chimney cave--has a hole in the top where you can see the sky).

HIKE DIFFICULTY: CAVE: Medium--we will be ascending through a chimney cave which does not require ropes or climbing equipment. This requires using your hands, however. When we climb out the top of the cave, we will continue up a slippery hillside trail to a notch in the ridge. (total gain of 700 feet). THIS CLIMB TAKES ABOUT 1 HOUR OR 1/2 HOUR IF YOU ARE AN EXPERIENCED CLIMBER/HIKER. Just over this notch is the civilized trail that will take us east to Castle Peak. There is some easy rock climbing to the top of Castle Peak (up about 50 feet). From Castle Peak, we will return on the same ridge trail (but not go down through the cave, instead we will continue west and the ridge trail leads down the hill) and it will lead us back down to the trail crossroads and to the cars.