OC vs LA climbing

I am thinking of moving to SoCal in the next two years and based on my career and cost of living OC seems to be beating out LA. However year round and easy access climbing is pretty important to me. How much better is LA than OC for climbing. What kind of climbing could I do within an hour of OC? I enjoy pretty much any kind of rock climbing. Thanks in advance!

I think it is about the same once you put in traffic

If you live in Tustin, Irvine, Santa Ana areas ypur drive to Jtree ans Tahquitz is about 2 hours.  Add 20 to 40 minutes the closer you get to the ocean

The OC is a little closer to Josh and Idylwild but LA is a little closer to the Eastern and Western Sierra.   Also lots of smaller spots around LA that are just over or within an hours drive.   It’s probably a toss up though.   I think it’s easier to get out of LA than the OC as far as traffic goes.   

I was born in LA but grew up OC (Costa Mesa).  If you're talking about climbing in the county itself, there really is none other than bouldering at The Beach (in Corona del Mar).  However, like others have mentioned, you're a bit closer to Josh and Idyllwild, especially if you live slightly inland.  The underappreciated Mt. Rubidoux (where I learned to climb) has good bouldering and some top rope stuff and is about 45 minutes away (no traffic).  San Diego areas like Mt. Woodson about are about 1.5 hr. away.  Having said that, you really don't move there for the climbing.  Like anywhere else in the LA/OC area, you have to be wiling to drive.  However, to offset some of that, there's good mt. biking and the ocean of course.  I have mixed feelings about the area because it still had something of a rural feel when I lived there.  Now all the places I'd bike and trail run are really expensive homes, golf courses and business parks, which everyone there seem just fine with (its a pretty Republican area).  Still, far worse places you could land.  

most prefer to live near work to avoid having to suffer long commutes with massive gridlocks every weekday morning and evening.  so say where work is and people can tell you how semi-decent or nonexistent the local climbing

everyone's accordingly advantaged or disadvantaged by their locations for JT/Idy, Sierra Eastside, etc.  if you have flexible schedule to avoid wknds, that could be a huge help

pretty decent here on the far west side.  many small crags around Malibu or further west in Ojai and SB with not much traffic to get to them.  but i'd never encourage anyone in OC or say DTLA and further east to drive this way due to the awful life draining traffic

right now Covid has kept traffic fairly brisk, but that'll ramp up soon enough w each phase of re-opening.  this week's afternoon eastbound 101 at the 405 interchange is already back to gridlock for miles.  still brisk going the other way tho

LA is better.  The climbs are better, the air is cleaner and the traffic is less.  OC has toll roads and LA Freeways!  
 

LA is a big county.

Los Angeles hands down has much more climbing.
There are many areas within the Santa Monica Mountains to rock climb, the most popular would be Malibu Creek State Park, Echo Cliffs, Tunnel Boulders, Purple Stones. Many lesser known or smaller areas exist such as Point Dume, Black Flower, Corpse Wall, Piuma Pinnacle, The Slab that Time Forgot, Tick Rock, Sunset Stones, etc. On the northwestern corner of the San Fernando Valley is Stoney Point and Garden of the Gods (Martian’s Landing).

Orange County has Corona Del Mar

Hey OP have you considered SD county? If I had to move off the mountain that’s where I’d point to. And I was born and raised in OC...

Unless you can work remotely, figure out where you’re going to be working and then live near there. Spending half your life commuting sucks asshole and leaves less time for climbing. You can get from Santa Ana to Malibu Creek in an hour at 7 am on a Saturday. Getting back on the other hand...

J Verg wrote: Hey OP have you considered SD county? If I had to move off the mountain that’s where I’d point to. And I was born and raised in OC...

I did consider San Diego but I'm a software engineer mostly web and mobile and the job industry for my field does not seem very good.

Curious about the comment saying LA air quality was better. I've read the opposite to be true but I do not have much actual experience.

David Katz wrote:

R u still trying to sell copies of ur old guide book?

Tony Neel wrote:

I did consider San Diego but I'm a software engineer mostly web and mobile and the job industry for my field does not seem very good.

Curious about the comment saying LA air quality was better. I've read the opposite to be true but I do not have much actual experience.

Air quality in So Cal is actually pretty good compared to several years ago.  There use to be several smog alerts a years, can’t remember the last time one was issued.  

cleaner air and cooler temps along both LA and OC coasts.  just look at the clear blue sky behind these respective LA and OC coastal residents:

summers do get very hot once inland far enough.  not uncommon for the coast to remain mild on those same days from ocean effects.  so nicer if within half hr drive of the coast

pkeds wrote:

R u still trying to sell copies of ur old guide book?

Yes for those interested I still have approximately 20 never used copies of the 1992 2nd Edition available for sale at $50 for those interested in owning. Several years ago while in my attic I discovered a box with 50 copies of the 2nd Edition. There were only 500 copies made of each edition so the book is very rare and is the first rock climbing guidebook to the Santa Monica Mountains. There are many obscure areas included in this book that are not found in any other guide along with the history and short stories of popular destinations like Purple Sones, Tunnel Boulders, and Malibu Creek State Park.

Fortunately, air quality isn't really an issue anymore unless you choose to live more inland.  While there's a LOT less crud in the air thanks to the clean air standards, when there is poor air quality it blows east.  A place like Pasadena will have significantly worse air during the summer than the Westside.  Having said that, towns like Pasadena, Flintridge/La Canada are nice towns and make getting out of town for the weekend (especially the East Side) a lot easier.  

If your choice is still between LA and OC, I prefer LA.  I went to school up here and never had any interest in going back to OC.  While OC is by no means a hick back water; it's not. But LA just has more going on.

I have lived in So Cal my whole life, growing up in LA and now living in OC.

Live closer to work.  Commuting in the region will take a big bite out of your day, every day.   Why bother being 1/2 hour closer to the climbs a couple days a week if you are an hour away from work 5 days a week.

LA is also a huge area.  Living in Santa Monica or the South Bay Beach communities will put you much further away from JTree and Idylwild than living in the eastern parts of LA County.  It puts you much closer to the climbing in the Malibu area.

Most of OC will put you closer to the climbing in JTree and Tahquitz.  You can go to the San Gabriel Valley and get as close (or closer) to Holcomb than you are in OC.  Similarly, from the northern reaches of LA you are closer to the high desert climbing like New Jack City.

The bottom line is that parts of LA are closer to some climbing spots, parts of OC are closer to others.  Plan your life around your daily commute balanced by the quality of life (schools, ability to have a yard, access to public transportation, do you want to live near the beach/mountains/clubs/parks/Staples Center),  not your weekend drive to the crag.

Live close to work is the best advice.  You can burn a significant portion of you life otherwise.

San Fernando Valley is usually lower cost than OC.  Close to lots of local crags.  Stoney Point is a city park, great for bouldering and top rope.  Plenty of gyms abound. Texas Canyon is good sport about 30 minutes out. Malibu Creek etc. about an hour +/-.  Other crags not listed on MP, yet.  

It really depends on what you do for a living and where you need to do it.

Another vote for live close to where you work or the "office."  Commuting traffic will be the bane of your existence. Even seemingly short commutes (mileage), may be unbearable crawls during the workweek.

The drive to the weekend crags (Josh, High Desert, Tahquitz, etc.) are generally closer from OC than most areas in LA (particularly the further west in LA you go).  Bishop and Sierras are closer from LA.

Staying closer to the Ocean will bring better air quality and much cooler temps in the Summer.  The closer to the Ocean, the more expensive.

Unless you are working in the San Fernando Valley, I would not move there. Whatever minor advantage to being closer to the Sierras (or Stoney or Malibu Creek), is far outweighed by often unbearable Summer temps and poorer air quality.  Figure 15 to 20 degrees difference.

While LA has a much more diverse cultural scene and nightlife, OC is far less conservative than it was once (it completely voted Blue in 2018).  Overall OC is pricier than LA, but, West LA and other nice areas are still eye-popping expensive.

There is considerable Open Space in areas of LA and OC. Being near these hills and mountains can offer morning or afternoon hikes and biking.

I gave up long commutes years ago, now living 3 miles from my office, right next to massive amounts of open space (Mt Bike from the driveway), and close to the Ocean.