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Elevation: 438 ft
GPS: 34.4477, -119.68
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Shared By: EricT on Jan 31, 2006 · Updates
Admins: andy patterson, Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes

Getting There Suggest change

Santa Barbara is a town an hour north of Los Angeles. Take the 101 north and you go right through town.

Description Suggest change

Santa Barbara has a large number of short cliffs scattered about the ridgeline north of town. The rock is variable quality Matilija sandstone. Like San Luis Obispo, it's not a destination area, but good routes exist.

The rock is soft, and softer when wet, so please do not climb for a minimum of 24 hours following a rainstorm.

Guidebooks currently available in local stores:

* Rock Climbing Santa Barbara & Ventura by Steve Edwards (well put together and still quite complete, covers roped routes as well as the major bouldering areas)

* Ocean's Eleven - Bouldering around Santa Barbara by Bob Banks (brand spankin' new!)

And a guidebook not currently available in stores, but obtainable on Ebay, Amazon, etc:

* "Climbing! Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo" by Steve Tucker and Kevin Steele. A fabulous text that pays ample homage to Santa Barbara's traditional roots. A little outdated in some areas, but a gem of adventurous and off-the-beaten-track routes nonetheless. It's out of print, so happy searching!

Here's some additional climbing related links with a local flair:

* www.king-dino.com: catalog of climbing and assorted adventure from guidebook author Bob Banks.

* www.crankenstein.com: let burly sport climber and Owl Tor aficionado Elijah Ball show you what's rad, and what's not. Topics range from climbing to freediving to weightlifting.

860 Total Climbs

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Location: Santa Barbara Change
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Classic Climbing Routes at Santa Barbara

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
V0+ 4+
 120
Lizards' Mouth Traverse
Boulder
V1 5
 74
The Extremist
Boulder
V1+ 5 R
 39
Lord of the Flies
Boulder
V3 6A
 81
Shaken, Not Stirred
Boulder
V3-4 6A+
 49
Meilee
Boulder
V4 6B
 110
Yeti
Boulder
V4 6B
 58
Johnnie Big Mouth
Boulder
V4-5 6B+
 66
Watch the Dog
Boulder
V5 6C
 68
Mutants Amok
Boulder
V6 7A
 73
Smooth Criminal
Boulder
V6 7A
 35
The Tempest
Boulder
V7+ 7A+
 38
Grotesque Old Woman
Boulder
V8 7B
 37
Dancing Outlaw
Boulder
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 70
T-Crack
Trad, TR
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 47
The Nose
Trad, TR
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Lizards' Mouth Traverse Santa Barbara… > Lizard's Mouth > Mouth
 120
V0+ 4+ Boulder
The Extremist Santa Barbara… > Brickyard > Extremist Boulder
 74
V1 5 Boulder
Lord of the Flies Santa Barbara… > Lizard's Mouth > Femme Fatale Area
 39
V1+ 5 R Boulder
Shaken, Not Stirred Santa Barbara… > Lizard's Mouth > Femme Fatale Area
 81
V3 6A Boulder
Meilee Santa Barbara… > Lizard's Mouth > Meilee Area
 49
V3-4 6A+ Boulder
Yeti Santa Barbara… > Brickyard > Yeti Boulder
 110
V4 6B Boulder
Johnnie Big Mouth Santa Barbara… > Lizard's Mouth > Kelly's Hill
 58
V4 6B Boulder
Watch the Dog Santa Barbara… > Brickyard > Soot Patrol Boulder
 66
V4-5 6B+ Boulder
Mutants Amok Santa Barbara… > Skofield Park > Cracked Boulder
 68
V5 6C Boulder
Smooth Criminal Santa Barbara… > Brickyard > Dancing Outlaw Boulder
 73
V6 7A Boulder
The Tempest Santa Barbara… > Lizard's Mouth > Smokeys Cave
 35
V6 7A Boulder
Grotesque Old Woman Santa Barbara… > Brickyard > Charlotte's Web Area
 38
V7+ 7A+ Boulder
Dancing Outlaw Santa Barbara… > Brickyard > Dancing Outlaw Boulder
 37
V8 7B Boulder
T-Crack Gibraltar Area > Gibraltar Rock
 70
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Trad, TR
The Nose Gibraltar Area > Gibraltar Rock
 47
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Trad, TR
More Classic Climbs in Santa Barbara »

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