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Bear Canyon
Pontas Climbing Shoe- Men's - 4.5

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Evolv - Geshido Lace Rock Shoe

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Metolius Monster 9.2mm Dry Rope- 100m

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Five Ten Hornet Climbing Shoe

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Bell Sports Rhode Taxi Child Bicycle Seat

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Outdoor Research Expedition Crocodile Gaiter

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Trion Element 30 L Pack

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Patagonia Women's Solar Wind Jacket

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Pearl Izumi P.R.O. In-R-Cool Bike Short - Women's

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Blackburn Camber CF Bottle Cage

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Andy Cook Wall 
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Old Man Stone Face and Hollin Walls 
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Bear Canyon 


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Elevation: 5,000'
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Administrators: Kristine Hoffman, Greg Opland, James DeRoussel, JJ Schlick, Tom Erickson
Submitted By: James DeRoussel on Jul 11, 2010

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BETA PHOTO: Friction Rock, as seen from Chimney Rock.

Description 

This area covers climbs located from Kessler's Corner (milepost 8.7) up to Rollinstone
(milepost 13.3).

Bear Canyon, due to it's exposure, provides a shady setting among ponderosa pine surprisingly low on the mountain. A number of quality crags are found here including Chimney Rock, which hosts some uber-classic trad pitches, and Friction Rock, home to one of the Catalinas perennial ice climbs, The Stain.

Camping and restrooms are available here as well.


Getting There 

Catalina Highway


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Bear Canyon:
George's Buttress   5.7     Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 70 feet   Chimney Rock
Standard Route   5.7     Trad, 5 pitches, 200 feet   Chimney Rock
Here and Gone   5.8     Trad, 1 pitch, 90 feet   Green Slabs
Puppy Chow   5.8     Sport, 1 pitch, 90 feet   Lost Hawk
Yurt Monkey   5.8+     Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Green Slabs
FIUTT   5.9     , 2 pitches, 200 feet   Chimney Rock
Chihuahua Power   5.9     Sport, 1 pitch, 100 feet   Lost Hawk
Stoner's Boner   5.9     Trad, 1 pitch, 120 feet   Chimney Rock
Hell is for Heros   5.9 PG13     Trad, 2 pitches, 220 feet   Pharaoh
Mistaken Identity   5.9     Trad, 1 pitch, 90 feet   Chimney Rock
Trick or Treat   5.10-     Trad, 2 pitches, 120 feet   Hearthstone
The Golden Stair   5.10-     Trad, 1 pitch, 40 feet   The Nursery : Rapunzel's Tower
Cripple Creek   5.10-     Trad, 3 pitches   Pharaoh
Centerpiece   5.10-     Trad, 1 pitch, 100 feet   Chimney Rock
Nuts and Bolts   5.10a/b     Trad, Sport, 2 pitches, 260 feet   Chessman
Single Lens Reflex   5.10     Trad, 1 pitch, 120 feet   Chimney Rock
Crows Nest   5.10     Trad, 2 pitches, 220 feet   Chimney Rock
Pitfalls of Hesitation   5.10     Trad, 3 pitches   Queso Towers : Hawk's Bill Spire
Two Kings And A Pawn   5.11-     Sport, 85 feet   Chessman
Malt Liquor Man   5.11+     Sport, 1 pitch, 70 feet   Andy Cook Wall
Browse More Classics in Bear Canyon

Featured Route For Bear Canyon
From this view, the Pharaoh on the right obscures the right side of the Ripple Wall on the left. Cripple Creek ascends the discontinuous crack system up the center of the Pharaoh.

Cripple Creek 5.10-  AZ : Mount Lemmon (Santa Catalin... : ... : Pharaoh
A stout climb with fantastic exposure. Nice mix of face and crack climbing with some wide surprises. On pitch one, move up and right to a steep face into a corner/flaring chimney. Sketchy! Pitch two follows a direct line up a crack/corner system. Pitch three continues up a crack before traversing left under a roof to a steep slabby finish....[more]   Browse More Classics in AZ


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Comments on Bear Canyon Add Comment
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By steven sadler
From: south jordan, UT
Dec 5, 2012

I'm seeing some pictures of a lot of snow in this area. Is it too cold to climb here in December?

By 1Eric Rhicard
Dec 5, 2012

Not until next week. Even then you could climb at Chimney Rock if the sun is out. We are having unseasonably warm temps this year. When it gets cold you might have to climb lower on the mountain as Bear canyon is usually colder than most places on the mountain at that elevation.