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Crystal Lake Crag

California > Los Angeles Basin > Angeles National Forest
Warning Access Issue: Road Closures DetailsDrop down

Description

Crystal Lake Crag is a scrappy outcropping town of decomposing granite above the western shore of Crystal Lake in the San Gabriel Mountains. The rock quality on the routes is mostly good, though as with any new area in the mountains some cleaning may be necessary. Expect loose rock everywhere, as this is the San Gabriel Mountain. Expect a thirty minute aproach up loose talus and an undefined trail to the base.

Adam S.'s Crystal Lake Cafe and General Store is in the area and very easy to find. He makes EXCELLENT chili, and practically everything else is awesome. He's a very nice guy. The closest place to buy beer would be the liquor store at the corner of Azusa and Sierra Madre.

A forest adventure pass is required for parking in the area. Please note that Route 39 is closed from time to time for one reason or another.

Please do your part to keep the area clean and report any vandalism and/or graffiti.

Getting There

Take the 210 and exit Azusa/Route 39. Head north on R39 (which becomes San Gabriel Canyon Road) and follow it up into the mountains to Crystal Lake. Make a right into the Crystal Lake area, and a left at the road to the lake. There are two parking lots for the lake. The second parking lot is preferable, as it is closer to the lake and has shade.

Go down to the lake and you will see the crag on the opposite bank. Looking at the crag, you'll notice a large scree slope partially hidden in the trees on the right side of the crag. That's the primary way to access the crag. You'll start up that slope in the trees, and then it will open up. Check the MS Paint topo I've drawn up for more info on accessing individual routes.

Routes from Left to Right

5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c
 1
● Waste of Time
Trad, TR
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c X
 1
● Flake of Eternal Peril
Trad, TR
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 2
● The One Armed Swordsman
Trad
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b X
 3
● Arete of Regret
Trad, TR
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b R
 3
● Virgin Mary on a Schwinn
Trad
Easy 5th 1+ 3 I 5 M 1c PG13
 2
● The Tourist Route
Trad
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 3
● I'm Lichen This
TR
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 3
● Electric Dylan
Trad 2 pitches
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 2
● Look Sir, Droids!
Trad, TR
Easy 5th 1+ 3 I 5 M 1c
 3
● Jawa Sandcrawler
Trad, TR
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b PG13
 3
● Zatoichi At Large
Trad, TR
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 4
● Ace Dick
Trad, TR
5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13
 5
● The Leaper Route
Trad, TR
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13
 2
● Rocktease
Trad, TR
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 7
● Conveniently Sexy
Trad, TR
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 4
● Fingerbang
TR
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13
 2
● Garbage Chute
Trad, TR
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
● Waste of Time
 1
5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c Trad, TR
● Flake of Eternal Peril
 1
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c X Trad, TR
● The One Armed Swordsman
 2
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad
● Arete of Regret
 3
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b X Trad, TR
● Virgin Mary on a Schwinn
 3
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b R Trad
● The Tourist Route
 2
Easy 5th 1+ 3 I 5 M 1c PG13 Trad
● I'm Lichen This
 3
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b TR
● Electric Dylan
 3
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad 2 pitches
● Look Sir, Droids!
 2
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad, TR
● Jawa Sandcrawler
 3
Easy 5th 1+ 3 I 5 M 1c Trad, TR
● Zatoichi At Large
 3
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b PG13 Trad, TR
● Ace Dick
 4
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad, TR
● The Leaper Route
 5
5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 Trad, TR
● Rocktease
 2
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 Trad, TR
● Conveniently Sexy
 7
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad, TR
● Fingerbang
 4
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a TR
● Garbage Chute
 2
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 Trad, TR

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

John R. Mendenhall on the left, on the FA of Monument Peak.
[Hide Photo] John R. Mendenhall on the left, on the FA of Monument Peak.
Gary Cifra following 'Black Face' 1970
[Hide Photo] Gary Cifra following 'Black Face' 1970
Gary Cifra on 'One Armed Swordsman'? 5.7 1969
[Hide Photo] Gary Cifra on 'One Armed Swordsman'? 5.7 1969
Alan fighting the war on graffiti at Crystal Lake Crag.
[Hide Photo] Alan fighting the war on graffiti at Crystal Lake Crag.
The Crystal Lake Cafe in all its glory.
[Hide Photo] The Crystal Lake Cafe in all its glory.
Slogging up the scree slope to Crystal Lake Crag.
[Hide Photo] Slogging up the scree slope to Crystal Lake Crag.
Keith Leaman on winter ascent of 'Black Face' (left of 'Conveniently Sexy') 5.9 plus A1-one or two rurps/knifeblades, 1970.
[Hide Photo] Keith Leaman on winter ascent of 'Black Face' (left of 'Conveniently Sexy') 5.9 plus A1-one or two rurps/knifeblades, 1970.
Numerous graffitied boulders mark the path up the scree slope to Crystal Lake Crag.
[Hide Photo] Numerous graffitied boulders mark the path up the scree slope to Crystal Lake Crag.
Finding the way to Crystal Lake and Crystal Lake Crag.
[Hide Photo] Finding the way to Crystal Lake and Crystal Lake Crag.
The sign commemorating the naming of Crystal Lake (eg. Sycamore Lake), by Benjamin Eaton, on the east shore of Crystal Lake.
[Hide Photo] The sign commemorating the naming of Crystal Lake (eg. Sycamore Lake), by Benjamin Eaton, on the east shore of Crystal Lake.
Crystal Lake
[Hide Photo] Crystal Lake
CLC Topo. Behold the awesome!
[Hide Photo] CLC Topo. Behold the awesome!

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

a d
Los Angeles, CA
[Hide Comment] Any beta for the approach time from the car? Moving to Pasadena soon and looking for some new spots. May 2, 2012
Eric ORafferty
Altadena, CA
[Hide Comment] It will take your 15 to 20 minutes to drive from Pasadena to the 39 in Azusa. I've not been up there yet, but it will probably take at least that much longer to get to Crystal Lake. I've lived here for years and just found out about this area recently. Will check it out soon. May 27, 2012
Benjamin Chapman
Small Town, USA
[Hide Comment] Indeed, the drive time is 15 - 20 minutes from Pasadena to Azusa, but with the winding mountain road and all the congestion at the turnouts for swimmers/picnickers the drive up San Gabriel Canyon Road to Crystal Lake will take at least another 45 minutes. So you're looking at 1 hr to Crystal Lake from Pasadena. Aug 5, 2012
Benjamin Chapman
Small Town, USA
[Hide Comment] Agd......the approach time from the car (2nd/higher parking lot) is likely 20 - 30 minutes, provided one can locate the best access up the scree slope and you can navigate efficiently to the base of your desired route. There isn't a well defined trail up the scree slope beyond the lake. Aug 5, 2012
Benjamin Chapman
Small Town, USA
[Hide Comment] Many many kudos and the upmost admiration for Keith Leaman, Gary Cifra, and Dale Leaman for their vision and for pioneering many of the routes at Crystal Lake Crag in the 1960s!!! Aug 5, 2012
Jeff Edge
Bend, OR
[Hide Comment] Anyone ever tried to climb those discontinuous and probably chossy cracks running up the much higher (compared to Ace Dick area) walls on the walk down from Conveniently Sexy towards Ace Dick?
I realize this is a very non-specific question, and really I'm just trying to ask if anyone's tried climbing anything between the two routes before. Was out there this past weekend for the first time and didn't do much exploring due to it being very cold in the shade! (About 4in of snow on the ground still by the base of the walls) So I thought I'd ask about exploring here first instead. Mar 13, 2013
TacoDelRio
All up in yo bidniss.
[Hide Comment] Jeff, not yet. Was thinking of it but haven't tried it yet. Mar 20, 2013
Marcus Kelly
Santa fe springs ca
[Hide Comment] I was up this past weekend cleaning routes and putting in some new trail, with all the rain this year it is almost washed away.
Any else been up lately??? May 29, 2017
TacoDelRio
All up in yo bidniss.
[Hide Comment] Not in ages. Jul 4, 2017
Michael Brown
Santa Ana, CA
[Hide Comment] I just moved to the area and don't have my trad rack over here yet. I was thinking about taking some of my co-workers out to this crag and hopefully setting up some top rope and belaying them so they can get a taste of what outdoor climbing is like. Is there an approach to the top of the climbs so I can set up a top rope? Are there bolts at the top or do I need to make my own anchors? What is the recommended rope length for this crag? Just trying to get some info so I can come prepared.

Thanks all Sep 20, 2018
TacoDelRio
All up in yo bidniss.
[Hide Comment] Michael,

I do not suggest this crag for showing people outdoor climbing. Too loose. Would probably be a bad experience for them.

There are no bolted anchors in the area. All anchors are gear, or webbing.

I would suggest setting a toprope on the big boulder off the road to Crystal Lake Cafe instead, as that has the only bolts around, and is solid. Look at the Crystal Lake Bouldering page for info on the big boulder. Cheers. Apr 14, 2019
Jeff Kane
Los Angeles, CA
[Hide Comment] Visited this crag this past weekend. The approach was class 2 scrambling, possibly even class 3. A scree slope is a mass of small loose stones that form or cover a slope on a mountain. The loose rocks were constantly moving and care had to be taken to ensure you don't set off a rock slide onto your climbing partners. Once you get up to the wall, the ground is really unstable and our group was uncomfortable trying to belay from the base of the routes. May 4, 2021
Bryan B
IE
[Hide Comment] Good crag for adventure climbs kinda people. Hit this place solo today and enjoyed the nice views and exposure. I found stuff to climb the shade with mountain breeze to me it’s well worth the talus approach. Cheers to Taco for posting this place. Jul 29, 2021