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San Luis Obispo

Administrators: Mike Morley, andy patterson
Latitude: 35.3063  Longitude: -120.6780 
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Ken Klis on Edgeucation, Bishop Peak summit.
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Introduction 

San Luis Obispo, or "SLO" as the locals call it, is situated along the Central Coast of California, roughly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The town is probably best known for its university, Cal Poly. SLO is also the home of the regionally famous (and very pink) Madonna Inn, as well as the turning off point for tourists visiting the Hearst Castle. The town itself has a population of around 45,000.

There are seven main "morros", or small peaks, that define the quaint and bucolic landscape around San Luis Obispo. Even John Muir, famed naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club, made note of them in his 1883 travel diary:

"The trail brings the traveler suddenly in sight of
Bishop Peak...
The town is fairly encircled with beautiful hills...
the one just named being most conspicuous."


Climbing 

  • Bishop Peak is the primary climbing area and offers several dozen (mostly) single-pitch routes as well as some of the best bouldering along the Central Coast.

  • Cabrillo Peak (Cerro Cabrillo) lies just south of Morro Bay and overlooks the scenic Morro Bay estuary. Cabrillo is a beginner-friendly area that's well-suited for toproping and larger groups.

  • Cerro Romualdo, which lies on some 500+ acres leased by the National Guard (Camp San Luis) affords excellent slab-to-steep face climbing.

As of January 2006, CERRO ROMUALDO IS ENTIRELY CLOSED TO CLIMBING. There are ongoing talks with the National Guard, and progress is being made. The hope is that a "win-win" solution can be achieved. For now, future access is uncertain. PLEASE RESPECT CLOSURES AS NOT TO JEPRODIZE THE EFFORTS OF LOCAL CLIMBERS THAT ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO RESTORE ACCESS.

There is **NO PUBLIC ACCESS** to Hollister Peak or Chumash Peak, as these are entirely on private property.


Resources 

  • The best climbing shop in town is Mountain Air Sports, located downtown at the corner of Marsh and Broad.


  • The Firestone Grill downtown is the place to go for tri-tip, burgers, and fries. The steak cobb salad is highly recommended.

  • Farmer's Market happens every Thursday downtown.



Featured Route For San Luis Obispo
Bob Hill on Nasal Drip

Nasal Drip 5.11  CA : Central Coast : San Luis Obispo
If you're like me, attempting a route that features awkward, flaring 5.11 moves protected by thin, tricky gear is not really at the top of your list of things to do. But the Old Stone Face is such a beautiful formation in a truly amazing setting. So what to do? Well, I tried aiding this route a few weeks ago and found it to be an excellent adventure. The first twenty feet where the 5.11 moves are found can be aided cleanly on aliens and small...[more]


Add Photo Photos of San Luis Obispo
Bishop Moon.<br />Photo Tom Slater

Bishop Moon.
Photo Tom Slater

Sunset-Morro Bay.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Sunset-Morro Bay.
Photo by Blitzo.