Applied Magnetics 

I would disagree with the assessment that the pro is fine on this route and would certainly not recommend it to a novice leader. While a moderate grade, Applied Magnetics is a lead to be taken seriously. A fall before clipping the solitary bolt would likely result in broken bones or worse.

Agreed, this is NOT a beginner's lead--especially since the bolt that once protected the crux bulge was painfully removed in 2004. This route is once again a serious matter for the leader.

In 2005, the two-bolt anchor atop Applied Magentics was replaced with the following gear: two 14mm Petzl Bat'inox glue-ins and one 12mm Fixe Triplex expansion bolt.

The single lead bolt that protects the route was placed more than 20 years ago by Tom Adam and is not actually part of the original route taken by Chouinard and party. This bolt was part of an independent route known as "Brush Up Your Shakespear;" although, it is now universally held to be a part of Applied Magnetics. The bolt is overdue for replacement.

A very comitting lead for the grade. I would agree you may want to feel very solid at 5.10 or so before doing this one. A few decent pieces at about 15 feet. At 30 feet you get a couple really good wires which I equalized. The rest of the shit I put in wouldn't of held shit. The bolt is welcome up high as there are a few moves below the lip that you really hope everything sticks, thus the name. An all around miniadventure. Don't fall.

Applied Magnetics was a computer component manufacturing firm and was located in Goleta for many years. I worked there as an intern every summer during college. It is a fitting name for many of the moves on this scary route!

Scary for the grade as the gear isn't super and it's not rock solid/couldn't fall if you tried type 5.8 climbing.

Some small cams and wires give you the pro you can get. I think some people use a #2 BD down low.

There's no reason that bolt should have been removed, but there's also no reason it should have been placed in the first place. It's right next to a crack that happily accepts lots of wires and cams. The glue-in ring bolts at the top are suspect hough. Did the person who placed them actually use glue? One of them is loose to the touch and may even pull out.

There are 2 cracks/seams to the right of Rockocco. I think what is considered Applied Magnetics starts up the first, less defined one, and then moves into unprotected face climbing early on (after about 20 ft) and then continues up towards the only bolt up high (although the photo and writeup here seem to imply the original FA line followed this crack/seam all the way to the top).

I climbed the next seam over (before the flake on Face Lift), continued up this aways then moving left into the Applied Magnetics seam, and followed that until about 10 ft below the bolt then moved left again and up to the bolt. This route, which seemed slightly harder than the unprotected face/slab, had ample protection, although it was somewhat tricky and questionable in spots. You can basically place something every 5 ft, most of which seem pretty solid.

The anchors up top seem solid and don't wiggle at all.

Even if you were to do the unprotected face/slab, I don't see why you couldn't just traverse right every now and then to get some pro, that way making it a much safer climb (unless conquering the runout is your goal).

Edit: okay, I did the more direct version today up the first seam. It is difficult down low and difficult to protect (a crash pad would have been nice). There wasn't much good pro in the crack or on the face. I placed 2 questionable nuts, a questionable cam, and then got a bomber .75 C4 in a pocket below a huge dish. After that it was runout to the bolt. For the most part, a don't fall climb, but good moves. I definitely second the recommendation to be a comfortable 5.10 climber before leading this.