[TR] Joshua Tree- classics 4/14/2006

[Gary_Yngve]

Climb: Joshua Tree-classics

 

Date of Climb: 4/14/2006

 

Trip Report:

Lissa and I spent three magical days in Joshua Tree this past weekend.

 

Climbed:

 

The Eye (really neat-o rock with wild concavities)

 

 

Fote Hog (overhanging chickenhead crux!)

 

 

 

White Lightning (fun handcrack)

 

Overhang Bypass (balancy move down up-left of pod on 1st pitch felt hard, roof traverse burly -- I hauled my partner past the roof with a 5:1)

 

 

 

Toe Jam (fun friction and lieback)

 

 

Double Cross (fun, fun. I didn't see the big deal about the run-out bottom, as it's easy)

 

 

Sail Away (textbook oppositional nuts placement at the bottom)

 

Feltonian Physics ( i think there was a slightly wide section at the bottom that was a little awkward)

 

Gem (fun handcrack)

 

 

Fun Stuff (i was a little casual with my pro placing and was surprised by the slopey exit moves)

 

 

Continuum (burly start wasn't a big deal, as i chose not to place pro until about 15-20 feet up. diagonal part felt awkward)

 

Colorado Crack (easy huecos at the bottom then nice crack)

 

 

Count Your Fingers (more of a face climb with finger crack for pro)

 

 

Overseer (crux is like Outer Space's finger crack up high)

 

Touch and Go (walkoff is tricky)

 

 

Invisibility Lessons (bouldery start. key nubbins for feet to the sides of the crack)

 

Pope's Crack (fun varied technique in the bottom dihedral)

 

 

It was really great cruising the classics. It took a few pitches before I got used to the rock and how it protected, but then I really liked the options with passive pro. All of the routes were onsighted in "conversational style," as I'd be able to maintain a conversation with my belayer the entire time, aside from the rare, "let me place a piece first." It was fun to be climbing stuff that didn't make me shit in my pants.

 

We were amazed how friendly people were at J-Tree. Most everyone was not a local. We rarely had to wait in line.

 

Some cool Canadians (Peter and Nigel from Saltspring) invited us to share their campsite. They provided great company.

 

We got rained on as we topped out on Overseer. When we returned to our packs, we discovered that some kind climbers had put our sprawl into our packs and sheltered them from the rain. THANK YOU!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

 

On Overhang Bypass, we cleaned a 2-nut rap anchor from a party who got skunked by the rain; we returned it to them at the base.

 

On the final day, we were introduced to Pig Pen, a classic Bachar boulder problem behind and north of Cyclops Rock. It's a V4 or so, but the nice thing is I could do most every move -- just not in sequence. So instead of one of those boulder problems where things feel hopeless, I felt I was able to make progress. This was also the only time during the trip that my tapeless hands felt pain.

 

The desert bloom was bad this year due to the cold temps, but we still found the occasional flower and enjoyed identifying the various plants and trees.

 

Gear Notes:

Often HB offset aluminum nuts and mid-size hexes placed better than cams.

 

The 5.5-5.9 Trad Guide is really nice. Great approach / descent descriptions / pictures. Though the authors seem a little self-deprecating.

 

Approach Notes:

SHORT!

[catbirdseat]

Nice pictures. Your partner is quite photogenic.

 

I noticed sun shining into the Eye. When we did it is was early morning of winter and it was cold and dark.

[Gary_Yngve]

Inside The Eye:

 

[tlinn]

Oh...good old Jtree! What did you think of White Lightning? I didnt have any gear to protect the upper off-width crack and ended up running it out onto the 5.9 slab to the left.

[Gary_Yngve]

Oh...good old Jtree! What did you think of White Lightning? I didnt have any gear to protect the upper off-width crack and ended up running it out onto the 5.9 slab to the left.

 

I don't remember a wide part up top, but it was the first route of the trip, so if it didn't traumatize me, I wouldn't have remembered.

[catbirdseat]

I remember it having a wide crux near the bottom (where somehow I managed to scrape a shin). It was a bit of a bulge. It was easy after that. It got a little wide again near the top, but again very easy.

[DirtyHarry]

Dude, you fucking clash so bad it hurts. Just admit it. Looks like a cool trip though! Pope's crack is pretty fun, eh? My partner and I almost got in a fist fight on top of that climb with some dudes who thought they could lead it then toprope it all day afterwards.

[G-spotter]

I think the record for number of laps on the Eye you can run in a day is somewhere in the low hundreds?

[tlinn]

Oh...good old Jtree! What did you think of White Lightning? I didnt have any gear to protect the upper off-width crack and ended up running it out onto the 5.9 slab to the left.

 

I don't remember a wide part up top, but it was the first route of the trip, so if it didn't traumatize me, I wouldn't have remembered.

 

Ooops, I`m thinking of Lightning Crack a.k.a. Hex Marks The Poot in the Wonderland of Rocks. Yeah, White Lightning is great fun! Hemingway seems to be quite sheltered from the wind too which is nice.

[fenderfour]

Cool TR and great pics. Maybe I will get down there this year.

 

Gary, please, eat a twinkie for me. You are waaaay too skinny. Your leg is about as big around as my wrist.

 

Hand cracks yield knee jams for Mr. Yngve.

[catbirdseat]

Ooops, I`m thinking of Lightning Crack a.k.a. Hex Marks The Poot in the Wonderland of Rocks. Yeah, White Lightning is great fun! Hemingway seems to be quite sheltered from the wind too which is nice.

Okay, call me slow, but I finally learned what "poot" means. In addition to it's colloquial use to mean "fart", it refers to bailing off a route. A poot sling is one that was used to rap off. In this case, I surmise that someone started up the route and didn't realize it turned into an offwidth. Not having the gear, they bailed from a hex.

[lancegranite]

Fote hog!- one of my favorite 5.6's ( and a very exciting solo)