A steep hand crack, 200 feet above the creek.

The crack heads out a roof and then carves around an incredibly positioned block of conglomerate.

The crux is short and comes right off the belay; easier but steep moves lead to the top.

The Wheel

Low Grade Beaver Tranquilizer

Ojai Urinal

Stolen From Mike

Silent Mind

Ezra

Boom Boy

Lost Trout

Bitch Free Zone

Gridlock

Riparian

Exodus

Roadside Distraction

South of the Trout Farm

Water Boy

Irie Girl

Aha!

Bean

It Is It

Economique

Stuart's Rig (aka Stu Boy)

Ripple Rider

Saddle-Up Cupcake

Velocity Boy

Cobble Climb

Aquaphobia

Crystal Pools

Little Buckaroo

Sunshine Dust Bunnies

Cruiser

Goulara

Sick Boy

Danger Boy

Blush

This route actually follows a striking little feature.  Unfortunately, the rock quality is not as good as nearby routes.

Start behind the stump of a tree.  Climb a steep face to gain a low angle slab.  From here, trend right and then head up following bolts through a very steep arete.  Strenuous.

Climb straight up from beneath the first 3 bolts then go left staying on the face clipping 4th and 5th bolts and bizinga anchors will appear. The crux is from 4th bolt to the anchors. It went in from the ground up with no aid i placed the first 2 then sir Nick Trupiano placed the 3rd I returned to slam the rest home. Minimum rock was cleaned for the climb itself but the rap down had excessive loose rock that was cleaned after climb was established.

Climb either side of mini arete to 1st bolt. Then reach and clip 2nd bolt for the turning of the roof and after standing 3rd bolt appears for clipping, a smidgen of slab action and cobbles with another 4th & 5th bolt along the way to the anchors!

The start of the climb next to the boulder-bathroom that people go behind to relieve their body waste, hince the name *Ojai Urinal*

°fun fact° also named that thanks to bob banks, who said "i only stop at wheelers gorge to take a piss"

Climbs past an overhang and then climbs low-angle rock to the top. The overhang proves to be easier than it looks, while the slabby stuff above proves to be harder than it looks--altogether an interesting route.

Rather than traversing in from the left like its neighbor Aha!, Silent Mind gains the arete via a direct line of attack. Clip a bolt about seven feet above the water, gain a cobbled undercling, power through some fun pockets, then charge past the last bolt for an exciting crux right below the shuts. Finish on a jug just past the shuts.

A good intro to cobbles--straight-forward and fun.  Quite a pretty little piece of rock.

The balancy crux sometimes spits off 5.10 climbers; however, it is so well protected that this is still a great lead even for those not yet comfortable at the grade.

Crux moves come right off the bat on excellent rock. The difficulties ease off after the second clip. Follow three more bolts to a two bolt anchor.

This route will likely be inaccessible when the water rises even minimally beyond summertime levels.

Easy climbing past a couple bolts leads to the steeper face above.

*some looseness still lurks, especially at the first two bolts.

*just off route to the left is some poison oak; use care when lowering and tr'ing

Clip two bolts then pull some steep moves to turn the roof. Follow the slab above past two more bolts.

Then climb the wall above to a two bolt anchor.

Clip the first bolt of Exodus before heading left and clipping the next two bolts of Sunshine Dust Bunnies.  Head up onto the giant knob and straight up the black water streak, clipping two more bolts along the way before topping out at the rap rings.   There is also a fun 11a TR variation heading straight up the face to the right of the black water streak (or if you just like making things harder than they need to be, lead the 11a, and make the clips out left).

A crux down low leads to easier but steeper and sustained moves up high. Five bolts.

One of the best routes at Wheeler.  Fun and well-protected climbing on soft sandstone.  A 5.10b "R" variation heads straight up from fourth bolt.  A new route called

Sunshine Dust Bunnies

cuts left at the first bolt.

Starts left of the lower tunnel above the creekbed.  Don't let the honking cars distract you.

The route starts between Blush and the road. Hard start, stick clip recommended, yields to easier and easier climbing.

Smooth, solid rock with a thin crux section near the top. Face climbing on small edges. The first clip is fairly high, but the climbing to it is easier than the rest of the climb.

The location is beautiful.

South of the Trout Farm is found on the inside of the first corner of the gorge after the first bridge (coming from the parking northeast on Hwy 33). It will be across the creek from you as you round the corner.

Far left side of the wall. Steep moves to an arête with great position above the creek.

A variation to Boom Boy, coming in from the right.

Follow jugs up and left, joining with Boom Boy after two bolts.

Easily the most difficult 5.11a at Wheeler--fully a grade harder than Exodus, Blush, or Danger Boy.

From a starter-rock near the edge of the stream climb up until reaching an obvious horizontal crack (only about 6 feet above the water).  Traverse left until reaching the first protection bolt.  Climb up to a major jug, clip the second bolt (marked with an aging white sling), and fire the thin and pumpy crux.  Traverse right to join Silent Mind and climb straight up the slightly overhung face, clipping the last 4 bolts of this route.

Despite meandering a bit much, this is a super fun route.

This route starts about 80 feet to the right of

Ezra

(5.9+) on a slightly overhanging face right over the water. The crux is the first 15 feet: think bouldery, think slick, polished feet.

(*) High water would make the start very tricky, if not impossible.

This route follows the arete and face around the corner to the left of Goulara.  Sustained and interesting climbing with great exposure!  One 5.10a move followed by mostly-5.8 climbing.

Clip the first three bolts of Goulara, turn the corner and follow bolts to the top.

The crux of the route is right off the ground and unprotected--bring a stick-clip.

Consider leading the first six bolts of Economique, extending the seventh with a long runner, and finishing on the anchors of Goulara--this is a great way to TR Economique's classic nextdoor neighbor.

Fun climb on excellent rock.  Not nearly as sustained as Danger Boy.

Start with  a series of fun moves on the right side of a steep arete (5.9).  Avoid stepping left into the dirty corner for as long as possible.  After gaining a large ledge, easy climbing follows a series of broken features to the crux.

The one-move crux is pulling straight up over a small roof (5.11a, only 5.10d for the over six-foot crowd).  Take the time to find the positive crimp for your right hand before pulling.  Stepping right or left to avoid the steepest line drops the grade to as low as 5.9.

Easy moves lead to a bulge. Steep pocket pulling will get you past the bulge and into the easier section above.

At the top is a two bolt anchor with rings.

A fun, moderate boulder problem leads to mellow slab climbing.

Scramble up from the streambed until reaching a grassy ledge, where 5th class rock begins.  Undercling up and right into a small, left-facing dihedral.  Stem your way up, eventually stepping right onto the headwall.  Low angle slab climbing leads to the anchor.

This route follows the arete to the right of Danger Boy and joins that route at mid-height.

The opening moves are tricky and sequential--sometimes they feel absolutely dumbfounding.  Once you're off the ground, straightforward and interesting moves lead up the arete to a large ledge.  Once on the ledge, the route moves left and continues on the exposed upper headwall of Danger Boy.

For full value, avoid stemming wide to the concrete wall.

Conglomerate climbing. Fun, fairly easy cruising on rounded cobbles. However, falling before clipping the second bolt might be a bad thing.

Cobble Climb is found on the second corner of the creek after the first bridge (starting from the parking northeast on Hwy 33). It is the left-most line on the conglomerate.

Same start as for 'It is It' but traverse right over the pool on steep cobbles. There isn't an anchor. The climb was originally reversed/downclimbed once completed.

Starting from boulders in the creek, climb the short, pillar-like feature to a sloping ledge. From there, a few steep moves guard the anchor.

Sustained, sequential slab climbing on solid rock.  The route heads straight up for four bolts, traverses left for 10 feet and then continues straight up to the top.

The first crux is passing the 2nd bolt, on tiny crimps.  The route's true crux is passing the 6th bolt--stay directly over the bolt for full value.

One of the newest route at Wheeler Gorge.

Conglomerate climbing on rounded cobbles. The crux is right at the start, the rest is easier than 5.9.

The route is the 2nd-to-the-leftmost line on the second corner of the creek after the first bridge (starting from the parking northeast on Hwy 33).

Starts at a little wooden ledge above the creek.  The route follows a short face and then continues up the right-hand side of a slighty overhanging arete.

The crux is actually clipping the last three bolts while hanging off of the arete (the climbing itself does not feel 5.10c).  The bolts were actually placed to protect a climb up the middle of the face (to the right of the arete, 5.11+).  Thus, clipping the top three bolts requires a LONG and awkward reach.  Blow the clip and you will take a very clean but very LONG fall into space.

Note, a lot of rock still comes off of this route.  The belayer should not stand on the wooden ledge.  Instead, position him/her on the large sycamore tree which can be slung as a ground anchor.  Helmets are a must.

This route is sustained, exposed, and aesthetic...one of the very best in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Climb past big holds via easy moves until things get more thin and tricky up high.

Sustained and interesting climbing on excellent rock.  One 5.11a move yields to sustained 5.9+ climbing.  Much of the climbing involves long reaches (and may be somewhat height-dependent).

Catch your breath on the large ledge at midpoint before tackling the pumpy and exposed headwall above (5.9+).

Starts just right of Exodus.  Fun, well-protected sandstone slabbing.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Wheeler Gorge