Beautiful San Ysidro Canyon is located behind the rather upscale and affluent "village" of Montecito. The climbing here is on a 300 foot wide face a short distance up the canyon. Abundant poison oak is nearby, so watch out. You are not likely to get any if you stay on the trails.

Topo

Selected Routes

1. Puny Prow, 5.10. Single bolt.
2. Vanishing Flakes, 511a ***. Difficulty seems to depend on the humidity and temperature; if you can get up to the drilled angle, life will be sweet. #4 Friend useful to protect the top.
3. Young William, 5.12a R. Thin and runout testpiece with high ground fall potential. "Jeepers Wally, you lead this one."
4. Rockocco, 5.5. Take a couple of larger Friends.
5. Applied Magnetics, 5.9 **. FA: Yvon Chouinard and Sir Christian Bonnington. Climb a bit of history. Cool start to the route. Wired nuts keep it from getting run out.
6. Too Mucking Futch, 5.8. Climb the crack. Pro: wires and small cams.
7. Face Lift, 5.7 ***. VERY popular. Be sure to take two long runners to reduce the rope drag on the first pitch.
There are three variations to the second pitch: go up and split to the right (5.9), or traverse right from the belay to Scrub Job (5.9). Or farther right to Chavez/Mosher, 5.10 R, it's thin for a long ways after the bolt.
8. Great Race, 5.10a ***. The best 5.10a in Santa Barbara. DonÕt chicken out: move left at the fifth bolt to get to the upper face. The direct start is 5.10b.
9. Peels of Laughter, 5.5 R **. Easy arete, but only two bolts on the entire pitch.
10. Many Happy Returns, 5.9 ***. Fun climb, seems easier; take a #2 Friend & some medium size wired nuts.
10a. Amish in Space, 5.10a R. From the ledge on the second bolt on Many Happy Returns, head left a bit then straight up through steep rock. A real trouser-filling lead.
11. Orangahang, 5.7 ***. Corner to a bulge. Classic.
12. Rick's Route, 5.7 **. Thin face.
13. Fine Line, 5.9 **. Thinner face climbing. Three bolts.
14. Ricky Don't Lose That Number, 5.9 R. Don't worry about gear, there isn't any. On-sight, free solo first ascent.
15. The Weeny Roofs, 5.9. Crux is setting up the roof moves. Four bolts.

Directions

Exit Highway 101 at San Ysidro Road, head up toward the hills. At East Valley Road, turn right, then left up the eucalyptus-lined Park Lane, bear left on Mountain Drive. A couple of hundred yards down Mountain Drive is the poorly marked San Ysidro Canyon trail head. Hike up the trail past houses and another ten minutes up the hill; after the houses the trail is really more of a fire road, you'll see the crag across the creek. A short climbers trail crosses the creek and leads to the routes. Access & parking for the trail is a sensitive issue for certain residents, so please respect the residents and the no-parking areas on Upper Mountain Drive.

References

This information was first published in Issue #6 (May/June 1997) of mOthEr rOck magazine.

Copyright (c) 1996-1999 Reese Martin. All rights reserved. Questions? Comments? Send E-mail to rsm@reesemartin.com.