This area is located in a slot canyon. With a water fall that flows almost all year long (depending on the amount of snow fall). It is very beautiful area although it is right next to HWY 38 so it can be noisy on weekends from all the motorists driving by. If you don't know it is there you can drive by and not even notice it. During the summer this is the place to come because in the afternoon the sun drops around the corner and the majority of the routes are in the shade, plus you get a nice breeze coming down the canyon cooled by the waterfall. Make sure you bring bug spray as this are can get a lot of gnats and mosquitos. To my knowledge there was a very small guide book released, basically you xeroxed it and gave it to your buddies so the route names and FA's may be a little spotty.
The lower level of the area has many intermediate level routes (5.9 - 5.11). the Middle level has quite a few fun 2-3 pitch routes and even a few projects that look phenomenal. The upper area of Frustration creek has quite a few 5.13's down to a few 5.10's. A few years back during a heavy rain the waterfall turned into a raging torrent of mud that burried the first 10-15 feet of the climbs in the upper area. It also ripped off a few bolts of a 5.9 on the East side of the wall that was fun beginners climb. Since then the routes have been re-bolted and cleaned up. Since the flood the area has lost popularity, but this is still a fun place to climb with enough routes to keep one busy for a day.
Getting There
From Redlands: Take Lugonia Northeast till it turns into Hwy 38. Take HWY 38 for about 8-9 miles till you get to the Forest Falls turn off. (do not go to Forest Falls) Here HWY 38 will take a very sharp hair-pin turn to the left. Follow HWY 38 past the hair-pin turn for about 1/2 a mile the 3rd turn out on your left is where you will park and walk about 100 feet down HWY 38 (if you are walking up you are going the wrong way) the canyon is on your left with a climbers trail to the bottom. {total approach time <1 minute}
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Frustration Creek:
(Note: 6/12/07 there was 2 loose blocks on Unnatural Act, one of them was the size of a microwave, please take extreme caution if you decide to climb this route. A few weeks prior a party was climbing Eco Challenge and got off route slightly, the leader pulled off a small block and hit his belayer on the head. The belayer was taken to the ER and received 30+ stitches. Another huge block fell off the top of Tait Tradition landing at the base of the route, it slightly bent an anchor at the top {There is excellent natural protection available if you don't feel comfortable clipping the bolts} I am working on replacing the bolt as well as removing any loose blocks. If you would like to contact me for area updates please feel free to do so.)
The bolts above the first waterfall are trashed as a result of the flash flood. One hanger is gone and the bolt completely smashed down, and the other bolt is nearly torn out. Rapelling to the lower level is sketchy, as few natural anchors exist. But hey, with a few more of those flash floods, and the canyon just might return to pre-rockside conditions.
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