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Elevation: 774 ft
GPS: 34.45379, -119.62329
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 56,977 total · 258/month
Shared By: EricT on Feb 5, 2006 · Updates
Admins: andy patterson, Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes

Description Suggest change

With a good mix of routes and strong sandstone, San Ysidro is easily the best canyon climbing in Santa Barbara. There are a few dozen routes here ranging from hard slabs to vertical and sporty. The area is east facing and surrounded by dense foliage, so it is one of the slowest areas to dry out. Good all year round, barring recent rain. By SB standards, it gets busy, but that usually just means two or three groups on weekends.

There is a gully roughly in the middle of the wall which affords a 3rd class approach to the tops of the crags.

The following routes are listed left to right: (bold print indicates "classic"):

Left of Main Wall
1. Daddy's Girl (5.11a).
2. Two Fine Sons (5.10a).
3. Speed Zoo (5.6).
4. Return On Investment.
5. Haunted by Waters.

Main Wall
6. Brown Nose Frog (5.8).
7. Puny Prow (5.10). Single bolt.
8. The Big Sleep (5.11b/c).
9. Vanishing Flakes (5.11a) - CLASSIC. Difficulty seems to depend on the humidity and temperature; if you can get up to the drilled angle, life will be sweet. #4 Friend useful to protect the top.
10. Young William (5.12a R). Thin and runout testpiece with high ground fall potential.
11. Enigmatic Voyage (5.11b).
12. Rockocco (5.5). Take a couple of larger Friends.
13. Applied Magnetics (5.9) **. Climb a bit of history. Cool start to the route. Wired nuts keep it from getting run out.
14. Too Mucking Futch (5.8). Climb the crack. Pro: wires and small cams.
15. Face Lift (5.7) - CLASSIC. VERY popular. Be sure to take two long runners to reduce the rope drag on the first pitch. There are three variations to the second pitch.
16. Tigger Treat (5.8). From the belay of Face Lift, go up and split to the right (5.9).
17. Scrub Job (5.9). Traverse right from the belay of Face Lift.
18. Chavez/Mosher (5.10 R). Traverse farther right from the belay of Face Lift. It's thin for a long ways after the bolt.
19. Great Race (5.10a) - CLASSIC. "The best 5.10a in Santa Barbara" says Reese Martin. Don't chicken out: move left at the fifth bolt to get to the upper face. The direct start is 5.10b.
20. Peels of Laughter (5.5 R) **. Easy arete, but only two bolts on the entire pitch.
21. Many Happy Returns (5.9) - CLASSIC. Fun climb, seems easier; take a #2 Friend & some medium size wired nuts.
22. Amish in Space (5.10a R). From the ledge on the second bolt on Many Happy Returns, head left a bit then straight up through steep rock. A real trouser-filling lead.
23. Orangahang (5.7) - CLASSIC. Corner to a bulge.
24. Rick's Route (5.7) **. Thin face.
25. Fine Line (5.9) **. Thinner face climbing. Three bolts.
26. Ricky Don't Lose That Number (5.9 R). Don't worry about gear, there isn't any. On-sight, free solo first ascent.
27. The Weeny Roofs (5.10b R). Crux is setting up the roof moves. Four bolts.
28. The Heckling (5.10 R).
29. Teacher's Aid (5.8).

Upper San Ysidro Suggest change

Upper San Ysidro is mostly shady and pretty remote. Despite touting some very commendable routes, this crag probably only sees one ascent per year, thus the prolific overgrowth. Gnome Fingers is the best of the lot.

Once you reach the turnoff for Lower San Ysidro, hike past the turnoff till you reach a fork where the fire road crosses the stream and a trail bears right. Take the right fork. Hike about a 3/4 mile up some switchbacks and past some pipe-railings. About 200 meters past the pipe-railings, look left for a large slab sloping down towards the creek. You can't miss it. However, getting TO the crag is tricky. I suggest hiking till you are directly parallel to the crag, then hike straight down the steep slope. There's lots of Poison oak so be warned...

Getting There

Suggest change
101 to Montecito, then San Ysidro exit. Right on East Valley Road to Park Lane, and then a left on Mountain Drive. After a short bit on Mountain Drive, park and take the trail leading through peoples' back yards to a fire road. Check out the GPS location for help. Head up the fire road for 5 minutes and then take a left right before the gate. Cross the stream and you'll be at the base.

21 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at San Ysidro

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 47
Rockocco
Trad
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R
 40
Face Lift
Trad 2 pitches
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R
 30
Peels of Laughter
Trad
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 73
Orangahang
Trad, TR
5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c R
 22
Rick's Route
Trad
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13
 70
Applied Magnetics
Trad, TR
5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c
 59
Many Happy Returns
Trad, TR
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 30
Fine Line
Trad
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 76
Great Race
Sport, TR
5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c
 49
Vanishing Flakes
Trad, TR
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a R
 4
Young William
Trad
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Rockocco
 47
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad
Face Lift
 40
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R Trad 2 pitches
Peels of Laughter
 30
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R Trad
Orangahang
 73
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad, TR
Rick's Route
 22
5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c R Trad
Applied Magnetics
 70
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 Trad, TR
Many Happy Returns
 59
5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c Trad, TR
Fine Line
 30
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad
Great Race
 76
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Sport, TR
Vanishing Flakes
 49
5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c Trad, TR
Young William
 4
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a R Trad
More Classic Climbs in San Ysidro »

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