Old Habits is best identified by a striking right-facing, right-leaning dihedral, beginning just above a roof, high on Stone Crag’s northwest face. The route crosses a bolt-line at the roof (I’ve posted the bolt-line as Mystery), but its cams and nuts all the way unless one of the bolts becomes too much of a temptation.
The first pitch (5.7) starts is a relatively shallow right-facing corner about 5 feet left of the gully heading to the right-facing corner of Cost of Business. Climb the corner onto the face above, moving right to a buttress/arete that gains a ledge system. Traverse left on the ledge system, staying above bushes by using several steps up, past a corner to a more prominent corner system leading up to a roof (the obvious roof crack is the crux of Cost of Business). Belay from gear at a small foot ledge under roof (the belay uses at least one 3.5-4 inch cam).
See the photo-topo on the post for Starstruck.
The second pitch begins by moving down and left under the roof past the two-bolt hanging stance of Mystery until possible to get established above the roof, near the base of the striking dihedral mentioned above. It’s not advisable to clip the bolts at the hanging stance because of rope drag potential; there is great nut just above the roof. Climb the dihedral to its end (5.10-), then continue linking features more or less straight-up, keeping Mystery’s bolt-line to your right. Belay from Mystery’s anchors. The dihedral is a bit “shaley,” but the bad stuff is easily avoided.
Location
On the northwest face of Stone Crag, maybe 150 feet right of the pine tree at the base of Le Rap et Tap and Wealth of Nations, above the unappetizing dark shale bands that prevent direct access to the northwest face. Approach by walking the trail to Narcolepsy, but continue into the scree and boulder gully to the east. Walk up the gully, staying on its left side, until possible to catch a ledge system with a trail traversing left above the dark shale bands (approach time: 10-15 minutes from the road). As of September 2008, the start of the ledge was marked with cairns. Cross the ledge for about 30 feet (passing Starstruck), to where the trail begins to slope down. Above is an obvious gully leading a large right-facing corner system with a bush at its base (this is the first pitch of Cost of Business). The first pitch of Old Habits is just to the left.
Protection
Standard trad rack supplemented by at least one 3.5-4 inch cam for the first pitch belay; microcams may be useful above the crux dihedral. Can make one long rappel (two 60 meter ropes) or two rappels (stopping at Mystery’s hanging belay) to get back to the ledge system.
Strone Crag
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