This is a pretty good route but with some commitment.  The physical crux is through a hand-to-OW sized roof crack, with a mental crux topping out, higher above gear than the gear is above the ground.  So don't fall.

We first expected that this route was an FA, but then we found a fixed hex rap station above the first roof, at the end of the crack.  It is OLD!  I continued the lead to the top of the crag (R/X, 5.? - scary) and topped out on pebbles and smears to the right of a small notch on the summit ridge, only to find a single Star-dryve bolt there (old Leeper hanger) just a few meters further up the hill.  Still, this route seems to have no previous documentation. The single Star-dryve bolt can be backed up by a 3" cam back behind and slightly uphill, and by a #3 Camalot in a horizontal further up still, perhaps 30' in all.  I used the rope to tied into that to back up the awful bolt anchor.

To descend, wander uphill for a while to a notch, descend into the notch to the East, then squirm back west through a hobbit-hole through the rock and back to the base of the West face.

Old School

Thrown Out Back

Throw Back

Mellow

Megasaurus

Back to Basics

Liquid Crystal

Just Another Pitch

This route is surprisingly easy for the initial half, then it packs a punch at the grade up high in the crack, as it is somewhat awkward to top out on that.  The gear is mostly good, though the top of the crack is well before the end of the route.  A few small stopers can be placed behind a flake up and right of the crack, once on the arete, and a #2 Camalot was as good as the rock it was in when placed behind a 2" flake just up and left on the arete.  The climbing past these is not difficult.

Thrown Out Back is a route done tandem solo based on its easy appearance.  One short crux move did appear with a good undercling for holds.

Start from just left of a small pine at the right of this section of cliff, and head up the leaning crack and flake system, consistently 30 degrees off vertical towards the right side.  A short crux comes by good potential protection with an undercling and sidepull out to the left of the main crack.  Improvise a belay up top, and walk off via a gully a few meters to the climber's right of the top-out.

This climb was done on a 'recovery day' after a thrown out back.

This climb is a good route with good moves.  The character is edging and pebble-pimping with a finger-lock thrown in a few times.  The crux can be protected on a good but small brass nut followed immediately by a textbook-solid small cam, which is heartening, considering that these are between you and a groundfall.

Start up from the ground on good edges and pebbles, climbing close to 20' to reach a seam.  You can reach a small, open section in the seam next to a few good edges.  Finger-lock this, and place a solid but small brass nut (small RP) in the crack below the fingerlock for security before letting go and getting onto the edges and placing a yellow Alien or equivalent narrow cam in the finger-lock.  With care, this can be a bomber placement.  Make crux moves to get above gear and place again (similar sized cam) before cruising to the top.  A few more placements may be available, but the climbing was fairly moderate.

The name is a reference to the condition of the FA.  It was a 'throwback' to earlier times.  For lack of a harness, the FA was done by tying into the end of the rope as a seat-harness.  It took a moment to remember how to do it.

While only worth climbing if you are there anyway, this route is a good warm-up for the area.  It was initially lead in approach shoes.

Walk just up past a set of junky looking cracks and past a small tunnel at the base of a chimney that leads to the east side via a squeeze.

Arrive at the base of an inset and start up the left of the cracks on either side, converting this to a stem as you get higher, and the inset narrower.  At the top of the inset, pull up and right onto the top of a rounded pillar and belay there.

To escape, scramble (4th class) South on the ridge and into a notch, then through a hole from the East side base back to the West.

This is the thin, semi-slabby, pebble climb 20 feet left of

Liquid Crystal

on the South Ridge (Bedrock) of Bear Canyon, sometimes called part of the Stonehenge area.

To get there, scramble north uphill from the main Bear Canyon trail from the little wooden sign near the toe of the ridge, the last rib of rock on the right as you walk up Bear Canyon.

The climb has four bolts, with a high first bolt. It looks like you could finish straight up (bring gear) and build an anchor, but we just traversed over the double-bolt anchor on the ledge above

Liquid Crystal

.

Some directional gear or a fat piece of webbing to sling a thread would help with toproping, as a last directional, if you go right to this anchor.

Engage very small pebbles at the second and third bolts - stay on your feet! Old-school 10d, but a great little route.

A climb of moderate difficulty, the FA was done old-school tied in on a bowline on a coil... because of a forgotten harness.

Step out just right from a small pine growing at the cliff base at the right-most margin of this section of cliff.  Step up into a small crack and tiny, right-facing corner, and get protection before making some awkward moves (crux) to establish yourself in the crack.  One more protection point and an additional awkward move (powerful) are required to reach easier climbing to the top.

Overall, it is not a bad climb, and climbs better than it looks. A picture will be submitted soon.

Liquid Crystal is great line, combining both steep and low angle moves on a pebble covered face.  Clip the first bolt then traverse out right to the huge pebble conglomerate.  The crux is here at the second bolt, negotiating a series of steep moves on a hold-camoflauged wall to gain a stance at the third bolt.  From here just keep cool and work your way up past two more bolts on solid edges and crystals to gain the anchors.  I was lucky enough to have the full on effect of "liquid crystal", sending the line in a full on downpour (the edges and crystals are that good, just watch the feet!).

This fine line is actually located on the South Ridge, the next ridge west of Stonehenge.  From where the Bear Canyon Trail crosses the creek continue on the trail for 100 yards then cut uphill along the base of the ridge.  From here the line is located 150 yards up the slope on a highly tectured face right next to a large Juniper tree.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in South Ridge