Start to the left of the nose, scramble up and to the east past some manzanita to a fist-sized jam crack that splits a bulge (opinions on the difficulty of this initial section range from 5.7 to 5.9 depending upon the climber's individual familiarity with jam techniques). Follow the obvious crack directly up along the eastern side of the nose feature. Please stem across the crack area where a luxuriant growth of ferns gives the climb its name. About 45 feet off the ground is a slightly overhanging crack system that takes large hexes and friends. This will lead you into the Eastern Eye. From this socket there are several alternative finishes. You may even want to traverse west into the Western Eye and try the slightly more difficult finishing moves there.
Rappel station chains to the west.
Location
This is the eighth named climb on OMSF, #6 in Squeezing the Lemmon II. Start in the large crack system just east of the "chin" and this puts you on the first line right of Devious Septum.
Protection
This is a strictly traditional route, largely 5.8 moves with a few 5.9 sections. There is a contrived 5.9+ zone if you wish to jam/ layback the upper crack. Stemming reduces this section to 5.8+/ 5.9?
I used small to medium sized stoppers, 6 of them; three large hexes, #s 8, 9, and 10; a range of friends, 2, 2.5, 3,5, 4 in the upper crack; 16 sets of quick draws and two four foot runners.
Old Man Stone Face and Hollin Walls
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