Santa Barbara Climbing: The Fire Crags

Location: 34.493, -119.793

The don't look like much (photo: Mountain Project)

Links:

Description: The Fire Crags consists of 2 large boulders situated just 5 minutes walk from the turn off on painted cave road. This is the prefect place to get a great top rope solo workout in. Take the 154 to Painted Cave road (right turn) drive .7 miles to a small turnout on your left located on a steep corner. From here the trail takes off down what looks like a drainage ditch but soon becomes an obvious path. The trail is in good condition and not to overgrown.

Bomber Ancho

The trail leaves you off at the top of the upper boulder. From here it is easy to set up a top rope off some bomber anchors. Two Petzl glue ins and 2 Fixe wedge bolts are ample pro for any top rope set up. From here you can rap to the lead anchors above the routes and set up a directional to keep your rope over the route and eliminate any swing.

Climbs (That I did):

Summit Post

Upper Boulder

Bent Brian (5.8) A good little warm up marked on the photo (C). Probably a one star route that locals say has changed a lot over the years.
Jensen's Jugs (5.10b) The consensus over at the mountain project is that this route is more like a 10d, probably due to weathering. I didn't find it particularly hard or fun. Okay route but only worth it as another warm up for harder routes to the right. Marked by (d) in the photo.
Grib Dat Hole (5.11a) This route has a powerful start pulling the roof with a heal hook and a few big jugs to a marginal crimp. I thought it was an excellent bouldery move but very possible after a few tries at the beta. This ended up being my favorite climb of the area.

Girb Dat Hole
Follow the pockets under the rope

Finger Fit (5.11b) Next climb to the right of Grib. After a balance start make some hard moves over the rounded arete. The crux is suppose to be a small bulge but the holds around it are good and it didn't seem to difficult. The climbing up to there seemed more taxing. Slab climbing above is nothing compared to Gibraltar's (Self Reflection)
Face The Seam (5.10a) This climb is around the corner, past the trees and the blank looking 12a, below the obvious layback notch. Getting to the notch is defiantly the crux and had my confused on the first attempt. I found the key to be bumping with the left instead of a balanced cross. Solid climbing after that.
Black Crack (5.9+) Maybe good for something but defiantly not fun. Seems like a contorting struggle with no reward. Found to the right of The Seam in the obvious wide crack.

Lower Boulder

Didn't try any climbs here. Check out the sites above for more information. Boulder consists of a steep roof which is the challenging feature for these short routes. Not sure if they are worth doing.