San Luis Obispo  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Lat, Long:  35.3063, -120.678 Map Page Views:  201,036. Good page?    Administrators:  andy patterson, M.Morley, Sam Vanderhyden, Tom Erickson Make this area a Favorite What's New Guidebooks (1)  Printer View Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

Ken Klis on Edgeucation, Bishop Peak summit.
photo...

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 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.

Resources 

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

• The Downtown Brewing Company has a good variety of locally-brewed beer as well as good eats.

• 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.

The Classics

Featured Route For San Luis Obispo

Let The Paramedics Sort It Out 5.11d  CA : Central Coast : ... : Hidden Gully

Opens up with a very bouldery start that can be bypassed by using a ladder on an ancient hanger-less bolt - a landmark. 11d or 10d A0. Follow the bolt line up and left out of the dihedral, mantling to a bomber single finger pocket and high step friction finish. The cruxes are the obvious hard start, exiting the dihedral, and the mono up top....[more]   Browse More Classics in CA

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Bishop Moon. Photo Tom Slater	Sunset-Morro Bay. Photo by Blitzo.	Hollister peak on the right
Morro Bay winter clouds