Climbing/outdoor stuff near Vandenberg Air Force Base ?

Hey guys and gals,

Juggling two different job opportunities , one at VAFB and was wondering if anybody had some good beta with what to expect as far as outdoor activities are concerned. Unfortunately the map feature on mtproject doesn't seem to be helping me much in this regard. Any info on climbing gyms, living locations, or biking/hiking would be super appreciated. 

Thanks,

-Brian

thebmags wrote:

Hey guys and gals,

Juggling two different job opportunities , one at VAFB and was wondering if anybody had some good beta with what to expect as far as outdoor activities are concerned. Unfortunately the map feature on mtproject doesn't seem to be helping me much in this regard. Any info on climbing gyms, living locations, or biking/hiking would be super appreciated. 

Thanks,

-Brian

I live in San Luis Obispo, lots of sport climbing and some trad/multipitch is on Bishops Peak in SLO. Not sure what is down south by VAFB though. The closest gym that I know of is The Pad in Santa Maria

A pretty short drive south gets you to some pretty decent sand stone climbing in Santa Barbara also. Mostly single pitch with a few exceptions. Trad and sport, some mixed. Living in Lompoc wouldn’t be bad, it’s a lot cheaper up there for living in SB county and you’d be halfway between SLO and SB. You could really pick and choose for sure and you’d see some badass rocket launches. It does get pretty toasty in the summer up there but you just kick out to the coast.

Your best bet is going to be Bishop Peak in SLO. About a 35- minute drive from Santa Maria. Drive time depends on where you end up living.  Fun crag. Routes from 40 to 100 feet long, with a couple of exceptions.

PM me for a haf-day tour and we'll do a couple of climbs and I'll show you the area. Welcome to the Central Coast. If you move to the area.

Never been to the Wagon Caves out there but hear good things. Lots of biking and hiking right there in big sur. Surf gets really good on vandenburg but I hear the whites are always hungry. 

Joe Garibay wrote:

Never been to the Wagon Caves out there but hear good things. Lots of biking and hiking right there in big sur. Surf gets really good on vandenburg but I hear the whites are always hungry. 

That is the most terrifying thing I've ever heard

FrankPS wrote:

Your best bet is going to be Bishop Peak in SLO. About a 35- minute drive from Santa Maria. Drive time depends on where you end up living.  Fun crag. Routes from 40 to 100 feet long, with a couple of exceptions.

PM me for a haf-day tour and we'll do a couple of climbs and I'll show you the area. Welcome to the Central Coast. If you move to the area.

Thanks, I appreciate that Frank. If I end up moving to the area I will definitely reach out

There is also a decent amount of sandstone bouldering at the brickyard and lizard's mouth above Santa Barbara. These areas are accessed via hwy 154 and are easily within day trip distance from Lompoc. 

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105885226/the-brickyard

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105885134/the-lizards-mouth

Joe Garibay wrote:

Never been to the Wagon Caves out there but hear good things. Lots of biking and hiking right there in big sur. Surf gets really good on vandenburg but I hear the whites are always hungry. 

Ha, its been a few years since anyone has been eaten....well, a few months anyways...:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fisherman-sharkattack-pebble-beach_us_5a1a42dee4b0d4906caf3d5e

King Tut wrote:

Ha, its been a few years since anyone has been eaten....well, a few months anyways...:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fisherman-sharkattack-pebble-beach_us_5a1a42dee4b0d4906caf3d5e

True it doesn’t happen much but certainly more there than most places. In Ventura there is a guy that has been filming them with a drone. They swim right through the line up without bothering anyone. What’s cool is you see a wake of dust stirred up behind them which makes me think they’re chasing rays. So they’re definitely out there yet you can’t find recorded documents of attacks in Ventura. 

Thanks for all the beta guys, not that anybody was holding there breath but totally blew it during the interview and will be in San Diego for the meantime. Feel free to send me a pm if you're in the area and need a partner

Brian M wrote:

Thanks for all the beta guys, not that anybody was holding there breath but totally blew it during the interview and will be in San Diego for the meantime. Feel free to send me a pm if you're in the area and need a partner

Haha I feel you, I blew my interview out at Edwards AFB for my dream job a few weeks ago. Good luck with the job search!