Sometimes it’s about the climbing, sometimes it’s about the food. For today’s Cragies and Snackies I would be lying if I said it was about anything other than the location.
“Point Dume is a promontory on the coast of Malibu, California that juts out into the Pacific Ocean. The point, a long bluff, forms the northern end of the Santa Monica Bay. Point Dume Natural Area affords a vista of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Santa Catalina Island.” (Wiki)
There are only thirteen established routes on Point Dume, with the most difficult route being a 5.11c TR called Ocean’s Eleven, and the easiest one a 5.6 route unironically called Arete. It can be a very busy spot to climb on the weekends because of its easy access, and beautiful views. So, if it’s possible to head there during the week, that would be ideal.
If you’ve never been to Malibu, just know that there is a reason the median home price is 7.5 million dollars. The views are breathtaking, the weather is perfect, and the beaches are spectacular. GORGEOUS!
While climbing at Point Dume, it would behoove you to pack a little more than your typical gear. A beach chair, a towel, and a surfboard are strongly recommended. The rock face is just a few short sandy steps from the ocean. Send a route, catch a wave, soak up some sun, and repeat. Watching the sun drop into the ocean as you descend from your final climb is the icing on the cake. Actually, that is only part of the icing, because the Point Dume cake has additional icing. This place turns out to be the perfect spot to watch the California Gray Whales migrate. Imagine descending your final route of the day as the sun drops into the ocean and then seeing the silhouette of a California Gray Whale breach and splash back into its deep blue world beneath the surface. That is like double icing on a double cake.
Speaking of cake, after a long day of climbing, swimming, surfing, whale watching, diving, and relaxing you are going to be hungry. And while there are a LOT of places to get really good snackies in Malibu, the place we settled on is a modern farm to table bistro called Ollo.
Just eight miles down the Pacific Coast Highway you’ll find yourself enchanted by the aromas coming from this quaint bistro. As you are guided to your table, listen to the sound of the ocean and watch the sky turn from pink to black as the night settles in. Get ready for sensory overload, because the beauty, smell, and taste of this food will certainly have your full attention.
Granted, Ollo may be a little bourgeoise for most climbers, but you’ve worked hard and deserve a treat, so let’s just splurge!
Ollo offers beautiful drinks, apps, salads, pizzas, entrées, and desserts. Where the Catch of the Day is always fresh California Gray Whale1, there are lots of vegan and gluten free options sprinkled throughout the menu as well. The burrata pizza and the avocado pizza sound like the overachievers of this menu, but the Copa Three Chocolates with hazelnut praline may be the real star of the show.
Climbing trips don’t always have to center around the climbing, sometimes climbing can serve as the perfect side dish to a main course of stunning vistas, perfect weather, and avocado pizza!
Location: Malibu, California. “The Bu!”
Crag: Point Dume
Restaurant: Ollo Restaurant and Bar
Distance: 8 Miles Away
- The California Gray Whale is never actually the catch of the day, but they do have salmon, halibut, and scallops on the menu if you are looking for some seafood options.
thedihedral.com 
I suppose if you wandered into Ollo all grungy & sweaty after a climb, you could always claim your were an (as yet) undiscovered acting great just getting into character to play a heroic rock climber – like those in those true-to-life (i.e., life in only a movie universe) climbing classics: “Cliffhanger” & “Vertical Limit.” Or not. Whatever.
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That is a thought that I completely overlooked…I absolutely put a stamp of approval on this idea.
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I caught a California Gray Whale once, but I threw it back.
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Too small, Ahab?
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Haha!
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Haha…I thought I was so funny for putting that on the menu. I don’t think Ollo thought it was funny, and maybe neither did anyone else, so I am so happy that you took the idea and ran with it. Would be nothing without your encouragement…even if everyone else wishes otherwise!
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Wonderful. Wish I were there.
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Me too!!! Can’t there be some kind of all expenses paid WordPress convention?
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Oh man, we would have so much fun.
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On the other side of that is a small cove and beyond that is Pirate’s Cove. At one time it was a popular nude beach. One day the sheriff got it up a bug up his butt to shut the beach down. It was probably due to complaints by the owner of the property up on the bluff that the nudies were ruining his land value and making it awkward to develop.
Officially they said it was because of all the cars parked near it but wouldn’t the logical solution be to ticket illegally parked cars?
Forty years ago I was headed out there with a group to spend the day at the beach when we saw the place swarming with deputies. There were even helicopters and boats It was a huge bust where they ticketed hundreds of nude people. If you didn’t have an ID you could quickly access, you were arrested. If you tried to fight the ticket, you were threatened with state lewd conduct prosecution. And that was the end of nudity on that beach.
Weeks and months went by. Some people simply paid the fine and got on with their lives but a lot of them lawyered up. Trial dates kept coming and going and the Sheriff kept asking for delays. The judge in the case eventually threw out all the charges because it became apparent that the Sheriff never intended to prosecute. And there’s the crux of the matter.
Pirate’s cove was not part of the county beach system. It was fronted entirely by private property. While there was a regulation against nudity in county beaches, it didn’t apply here. They were being ticketed for a law that did not apply and the Sheriff knew this. And simple uncomplicated nudity was not covered by the state lewd conduct law. But it put a permanent end to the nude beach.
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Such prudes! Nude sunbathing is the bomb! God made us that way after all. Nothing wrong with a bit of booty and boobie to go with your surf and turf. 😜🤣
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That is a spectacular piece of history Fred. That really sucks though. That sheriff sounds like a really fun guy to hang out with, I bet his favorite dessert is cream of wheat.
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Wait a minute….are we talking about cereal again? 😜🤪
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Hahaha…oh no!
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Dunno how much a gastronome you are, but if you’ve never enjoyed halibut you’ve missed a fine meal. Your post has me hankering for a trip to Alaska in season.
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I was lucky enough to work in AK after finishing my BA. I worked in a fish market for a summer and had my pick of fresh halibut cheeks every morning before we opened. You would have been in heaven! So delicious!
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Aw man! You lucky duck!
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Yeah, I’d go to Alaska just for the halibut.
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I don’t know if I can eat a Gray Whale… is there any chance I can eat a calf?
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I swear Californians will put avocado on anything! In fact, any meal in a different state that has avocado in it us usually called ” The Californian” just like anything with cream cheese in it is typically “A Philly “xyz””. That past dish looks delicious!
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Haha…I never thought about that. If someone put cream cheese in an avocado there would be a (near) bi-coastal existential crisis!
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Love how you fit in the California Gray Whale into your story about climbing. Recently while racing sailboats off of Redondo Beach a whale surfaced just about 30-40 yards off of our bow. It spouted off multiple times, and even kicked up it’s tail. It was fabulous. We also had a large pod of dolphins playing with us. Sailing on the ocean is always great but the whale and the dolphins made it extra special.
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That sounds actually magical!!! Lisa Frank style!
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Wow beautiful hope I can see this one day
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You’ll have to do it for sure!
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