Recommendations for good climbs in Joshua Tree?

[TheNumberNine]

Hi Folks,

 

Me and some mates are headed down to Joshua Tree for a few days of climbing next week. We have two pretty experienced trad climbers, one intermediate (me), and a noob. I was down in J tree over winter break and did some fun climbs in real hidden valley, headstone rock, and saddle rock.

 

Anyone have any good recommendations for some good 5.7/5.8/5.9 (J-tree sandbagged) rated climbs? Some multi pitch would be great but we're just looking to have a fun and relaxed climbing trip.

 

Spray me with your knowledge juice!

[curtveld]

Boy, with all the great JTree moderates, you've got lots of options, though the multi-pitch is pretty scarce. If you didn't do Walk on the Wild Side (5.7), it's the all-time easy multi of the park. Other long-ish favorites in the main area are Cyclops (mid 5th) and Fote Hog (5.6+).

 

If you want a break from crowds and cheese-grater rock, hike up Queen Mtn and get on some of the finer-grained brown rock up there.

 

If you've ready to break the 10 barrier, Solid Gold and Can't Believe it's a Girdle are world class 10as, though both solid for the grade.

 

The "Trad Guide to JT" is a really nice book for the type of climbing you're looking for, with color photos to get the psych going. Enjoy!

Edited March 18, 2012 by curtveld

[123tom]

I was there a few weeks ago, such a great place. My favorite climbs were white lightning and touch and go. I did the 5.5 or something like that multipitch by walk on the wild side that climbs the crack and chimney it was rad and pretty run out like most of the climbs there.

[obwan]

As mentioned, multipitch are hard to come by - for moderate and fun trad routes, The 60 Trad Routes book is the best one and saves a lot of time searching around.

"Where two Deserts Meet" easy 5.8 is short and fun.

"Mental Physics" 5.7 at Lenticular Dome is the best at it's grade, forget the 2nd pitch ( take two ropes)

"Touch and Go" is a hard 5.9 IMO

One cannot leave the Park without doing "Sail Away" a hard 5.8, but fun.

Easiest 5.6 in the Park "Ain't Nothing But a J-Tree Thing"

And of course "Rainy Day Women" at 5.7

"Fote Hog" is a 5.6 sandbag (more like 5.8/5.9)

Just some of my favorites.

I may be up there next week, look for WA plates (Yakima Sky Box on Top of my KIA).

 

 

 

 

[Crillz]

If none of you have ever been there before, the 60 climbs book that a couple others have mentioned is the ticket. It will help you not get too lost.

[ajpederson]

If none of you have ever been there before, the 60 climbs book that a couple others have mentioned is the ticket. It will help you not get too lost.

 

Completely agree. We were there a week ago and used the 60 climbs book to get us in areas there was stuff we could climb. Then we used the big book to find other climbs in the area. That seemed to work really well.

 

We climbed some stuff in the Atlantis area one day that was pretty fun. There was a multipitch that looked really cool out there, and I don't think it was too hard, we just didn't have time.

 

[obwan]

There are two fun 3 pitch routes in the '60 TRAD CLIMBS" - 'The Swift' 5.7 and 'Dappled Mare' 5.8; they are in the Lost Horse area. A nice place.

[kevbone]

"Mental Physics" 5.7 at Lenticular Dome is the best at it's grade, forget the 2nd pitch ( take two ropes)

 

No way....if you hike your butt all the way out to this climb....please do the second pitch and walk off.

 

 

 

 

 

[tanstaafl]

Orange Flake on Saddle Rocks is a 3-pitch 5.8

 

Lost Horse has several 2-pitch 5.7/5.8 routes: Roan Way, Dappled Mare, and the Swift, and a sweet 10a called Bird on a Wire.

 

Ball Bearing on The Sentinal is another fun 2-pitch 10a -- technical and balancey rather than burly.

 

I really enjoyed High Strung on Foolproof Tower. Rated 5.9, it starts with really thin fingers and gradually gets wider and wider. Lots of fun. Like many JTree climbs, the crux is right off the ground.

 

Indian Cove also has some really nice climbs, but I can't remember the names of any of them.

[markwebster]

Bat Crack, and Mikes books 5.6, Intersection rock

Tip Toe, 5.7, and a bunch of others at Quail Springs picnic area

Overhang bypass 7, and north overhang 9, Intersection

Dog leg 8, double cross, 7, Old woman rock

 

Popes crack and stick to what, echo rock, 5.9

 

Indian cove, La Reina 5.9, plus a dozen others that are easier.

 

Bunch of closely bolted routes up in the draw left of Feudal wall, Indian cove. All in your price range.

 

Hand Jive, 5.8, up at the far end of Hidden Valley campground.

 

There are a couple 8 and 9's (trad) on the front and back of outhouse rock.

 

This is my favorite Jtree guidebook:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Joshua-Tree-Climbs-Robert-Miramontes/dp/0982615442/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332222566&sr=8-1

 

I have them all, going back to the seventies and it is the best by a landslide. Awesome collections of routes by type, grade, trad, sport, offwidth, etc. And it's in color. It's comparable to the new smith book in quality.

 

 

 

[Drederek]

I'd recommend a trip into the wonderland of rocks, just getting around and finding the dome you're looking for is a blast. Its not the way to get a lot of pitches in but it can be very rewarding nonetheless. Hike the Astrodome, cross the Barker dam, find Lenticular Dome, go to Siberia, find the Bighorn Mating Grotto.

[Off_White]

In addition to the above, also consider:

 

The Flake 5.8 - Intersection Rock

 

Leaping Leaner 5.6 - Real Hidden Valley (5.8 if you climb from the pit because the leap is too scary)

 

Hands Off 5.8 - Hidden Valley Campground

 

Colorado Crack 5.9 & Gem 5.8 - Conan's Corridor

 

Buckets to Burbank 5.8 - Hall of Horrors (pro in the horizontals isn't everything you hope it will be)

 

Breakfast of Champions 5.8+ - South Astrodome

 

Moosedog Tower 5.8 - Indian Cove