Foothill Crag aka "The Foot" Every route is easily top roped if you want a low-stress day. Take a 30' section of rope to use as a leash. All the 1/4" bolts have been replaced with 3/8" x 4" Rawls.

Bijou 5.9+ short & sweet. **

Chumming for Splatter 5.11b. devious crux. ***

I Love L.A. 5.9 Some fool took the fixed pins, top rope it. ***

Ruthless Poodles 5.10a. Quality face. One of the best routes for the grade in Ventura County. ***

Moon Doggies 5.8 fun short crack, solo FA. **

From the Ashes 5.10b Quality, first bolt is hard to clip for short people. ***

Thacher School Rocks. -- The short wall has some good TRs.

Matilija Wall -- A log walk, lotsa poison oak.

Chouinard - Bossier 5.9 Still not sure it was worth the walk. Must do for the aspiring hard man. ***

Sespe Gorge -- Much history here on this low angle face. All routes go with stoppers & a few cams. The 100' approach makes this a popular place. Can get hot in the summer. Get there early.

McTavish with mantle var. 5.7 Only worthwhile route on the left side. *

The Sting 5.10 Short cranky crux. Easy to get great photos of crux. **

The Ending Crack 5.6 Best easy route in Ventura County. Do all 3 pitches. ***

Tree Route 5.5 Good beginner lead. Take 2 ropes to rap off. Excellent route for the grade. ***

Glory Days 5.11c Old top-rope problem that was bolted in the 80's. Short, powerful. *

Menage a Trois 5.10b Henry Barber put this up. The bolts came later. Lead this one, TR the other routes on the slab. **

Matilija Narrows (Twin Tunnels)

Numerous 40' to 110' bolted sport lines are going in this narrow and beautiful canyon. Worth the visit! Most of the routes are ** or better. They are 3 distinct types of rock within 100' of each other. Climb the sandstone lines while they are shady.

Conejo Mountain aka Mystery Science Theater -- Only good if it's cool. Chossy rock.

The Outcast 5.12a. Thin, steep. Hard to on-sight since holds break constantly, crux is glue reinforced. Good bolts. **

Camarillo Grove Boulder -- pockets! Sharp edges. 25' tall. Most of the P.O. is now gone. Popular after work spot.

Tar Creek aka The Swimming Hole. -- Nationally renown high bouldering. Need I say more?

Santa Barbara County -

It's almost all sandstone. With a few exceptions. Better concentrations of crags than Ventura.

San Ysidro Canyon -- Sandstone slabs are the order of the day here. Can get crowded on a weekend, but it keeps the rock clean. Popular place to solo & boulder about. Be careful of the abundant poison oak along the trail.

Vanishing Flakes 5.11a. The fixed pin is now rock solid. clip it and you're in fat city. ***

Applied Magnetics 5.9 Some people consider it runout, it's not if you take thin stoppers. **

Face Lift 5.7 Very popular. Meanders a bit. Take long runners to reduce the rope drag. The finishing variations are worth it. ***

The Great Race 5.10a Great route for the grade. One of the best in Santa Barbara. Stay direct! ***

Peels of Laughter 5.5 Fun. **

Many Happy Returns 5.9 Overrated & over protected, but a whole lotto' fun. Quality!! Good route for the budding leader, ***

Cold Springs Canyon

Infectious Groove 5.12a Quality, a bit dirty when I was there. **

Gibraltar Rock -- Super-Popular & well earned! Right on the Gibraltar road. Killer views of Santa Barbara.

T-Crack 5.10c Quality! Best crack climb in Santa Barbara. Not usually led, dicey mantle 15' out, I fell doing the mantle in 1984 on Hexes & the fall isn't that bad. A MUST do. ***

Self-Reflection 5.11b **

The Nose 5.11a Ultra-classic wide hands. ***

Mid-face 5.6 Airy classic. **

Crank Start 5.11+ Hard, overhanging face. You'll like it. ***

The Bolt Ladder 5.10 Stay direct. **

Sweating Buckets 5.11c Quality face. ***

Psuedomania 5.11- right facing corner. ***

The Crescent 5.7 **

Cold Spring Dome

Makunaima 5.11c . Steep & fun. Trick crux. Usually TR'd. Area test piece on the lead. Once you've set up the TR, try "No Woman No Cats & the direct finish. ***

Straw Dogs 5.9 An overlooked classic lie-back. **

Master Cylinder 5.9 High quality & Fun !! ***

Fire Crags -- I have mixed feelings about recommending the bolted sport climbs here. Randy Judycki & Mike Coolee chipped, drilled & "improved" holds on most of the climbs. This stole some of the future from up & coming locals. Hopefully publicizing their actions will prevent further drilled abortions.

Bent Brain 5.8

Jensen's Jugs 5.10b

Movin' Out 5.11 a/b Has chipped pockets. Would have gone without chipping.

Grib that Hole 5.11a Drilled pockets!

Finger Fit 5.11b Drilled pockets after the crux!

Earth Watch Crag -- Haven't climbed here, but those who have say it's worth the drive up the hill.

Hermit Rock -- This is as close to mountaineering as Santa Barbara has. Hidden and kinda dirty. I liked the place.

Battle of the Bulge 5.10+ I found the crux very weird. ***

The Wind Beneath Her Wings 5.8 Good warm up route. *

Chunky Monkey 5.11+ Since you walked all the way in, don't leave without TRing this roof. **

The Kryptor aka Green Dome -- Another bolted sport crag, inobvious, fingery and fun moves.

This Side of Paradise 5.10c *

Anti-Bro 5.10b *

Dancing Fingers 5.10+ Quality. ***

For the World is Hollow & I Have Touched the Sky 5.11 This routes is named for a "B" science fiction story. Good route, deserves more traffic. **

What Have You Done With Spock's Brain? 5.9 *

West Face All four routes are steep, hard & excellent, albeit short.

Gold Chasm -- Haven't climbed here in 15 years.

Swift Trip 5.11 Beautiful line. I aided the crux move, didn't know it had gone free. Wanna get back there. ***

San Luis Obispo

Bishop's Peak --

I really like this place, nothing really hard, but a great crag. Wonderful views & a relaxing place to climb. Chlorissa Boulder is one of the best on the coast.

Cracked Wall -- You can easily climb all the routes in a day.

Humps 5.11a ***

Camel 5.10b Must do. ***

No Permit Required 5.10b **

60 Minutes 5.8 Seems easier. Great natural pro. Good beginners lead. **

Western Airlines 5.11b **

Curly Shuffle 5.11d Thin. Be careful **

The Only Way to Fly 5.10d *

Crank You Thank You 5.11b Thin face. ***

Lama 5.10b One of the best in SLO. ***

P-Wall

Out of Hangers 5.10b Stay cool! *

Impacted Stool Crack 5.9+ Runout Can traverse into the P-Crack. **

P-Crack 5.8+ I thought it as great fun. ***

P-Wall Direct 5.8 Trad classic. **

Slime n Dine 5.10c. Has some 30' runs between bolts. **

Free for All 5.11c Sport Route. *

Shadow Rock -- Big slab. Mostly rebolted. Serious poison oak near base.

First Offense 5.10b **

Thin Man 5.9- Runout testpiece, but a great climb. 4 bolts ***

Inner Sanctum 5.10a Better have your head on straight for this one, you'll hit the ground if you pop. Can TR from Shadow anchors ***

Pressure Drop 5.10b (R) Can TR from Shadow anchors **

Shadow 5.7 Mellow slab classic. One of the best easy pitches on the coast. Great for beginning leaders. ***

Lycra 5.10 a **.

Battle of the Bulge 5.10c Seemed easier. Var. is 5.11 ***

Cerro Romualdo -- It is open! Great sport routes. Watch for P.O.

Tsunami 5.12b **

Throwing the Tube 5.12a ***

The Red Arete 5.8 do as one long pitch *

Gang Green 5.9 **

Amputation 5.10 **

Desperado 5.10d *

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