UKC

Hello UKC,

I will be in LA for a week and have negotiated a weekend in Joshua Tree.

I haven’t really decided about climbing yet as I am definitely out of form at the moment (maybe up to HS) and it is a lot of extra stuff to take for a weekend. But, having said that if there is an incredible must-do-route, I could be tempted!

If anyone knows of any good runs, and a good campsite that I can drive to, that would be ideal.

If you had one weekend in UKC what would you do? Do you happen to know of any good plans in terms of hiking, running, camping and maybe climbing?

Thanks!
James.

In reply to Jimmy O:


Yosemite!

In reply to humptydumpty:

I had considered that. But, I have been to Yosemite before and fancied something different. Unless of course the consensus is that Yoshua Tree is not worth bothering with?!

In reply to Jimmy O:

It is definitely worth a visit but at this time of year it could still be very hot. Just as in Yosemite you could get early snowfall. The camping in the middle of the park, big rock I think it's called, is amazing in that you are surrounded by amazing boulders and routes. The place is amazing just to scramble around to be honest without even climbing there. Between the heat and the Rock the place eats skin so try and build up your calluses if you do decide to climb. Anything on intersection rock would be cool there are also caving like scrambles to the tops of many formations. Definitely worth a visit

In reply to Jimmy O:

When are you going? You're long past the season when it will be too hot, but December/January can be very cold, especially if it's windy. In cold conditions the best climbing is probably Corral Wall, which is a little outside the main park, but is a 1000' lower and sheltered. This is in the Indian Cove area, which has some camping and again, is a little warmer than the main park

Weekend camping is a bit of a premium at this time of year, and finding a site can be a bit of a crap shoot. If you can head up on Friday afternoon and beat the after work rush you'll definitely have an easier time. The nicest camping area is Hidden Valley, which is pretty central and actually quite a few of the classics are in the campground itself. Obviously it fills up pretty quick, so you may need to keep driving and try the Ryan, Sheeps Pass and Jumbo Rocks campgrounds (getting progressively less convenient).

At your grade there are many classics (even more if you're willing to get on VS/5.8), but they often get crowded. Sail Away, Fote Hog and Toe Jam are the classics that spring to mind in your range, but there's a lot to do. I could give a list but it's easier and quicker to do a graded search on mountain project.com. Chase the sun and stay sheltered out of the wind and you should be fine regardless of how cold it is.

Be aware that a bolted route in California is NOT the same as a sport route. Any bolted routes that you are likely to be interested in were hand drilled on lead, so bolts can be spaced and their position defined by where the FA could find a hook placement/stance from which to drill, rather than safety.

For hiking, I would explore the Wonderland of Rocks/Barker Dam area. There is a ranger-led tour of Barker Ranch which I am told is very good.

Don't forget firewood in your camping kit….

In reply to Captain Fastrousers:

All those routes are solid VS and JT 5.8 is nearly always HVS (Sail Away being an especially easy one).

In reply to Jimmy O:

Head to Hidden valley campsite,remembering firewood and water, speak in your very nicest English accent and then pimp yourself out to the queue of willing partners that forms shortly thereafter. Loads to go at round the campground - toe jam is good, dogleg is excellent and doublecross a step harder but amazing.
A weekend spent hiking or biking would also be a fulfilling experience. J Tree is a top destination.
Jim

In reply to Hephaestus:
Mountain Project is the place to get info... UKC databases should look more like this (in particular with climber votes identified to stop anonymous prats, incompetants and sandbaggers distorting votes):

https://www.mountainproject.com/v/hidden-valley-campground/105720573

Dogleg (5.8) is harder IMHO than Double Cross (5.7+) and both require good jamming skills at top end VS.

The best route below VS in the park is Right On, a big multi-pitch 5.5/6 at Sheep Pass with some run-out 5.4 at the bottom and some jamming and chimney skills required in the middle (solid if not top-end HS most of the way).

Around Hidden Valley Campground The Eye is the best sub-VS route (single pitch Severe 4a) followed by The Bong (HS 4 ish from a distant memory). Upper Right Ski Track is good at VDish. There are still loads of sandbags even in such a popular area so be careful with routes having few stars and not many ascents.

Miles Books is popular at 5.6 but has a sandbag start which should be 5.6R or 5.8 direct (in UK trad terms its scary-scrittly or tough safe VS for the start and easy VS for the last few moves)

In reply to Offwidth:


Mike's Books you mean? I've done that. I think it had well protected 5.8 start (which I couldn't do), or a poorly protected 5.7 start (maybe 5.6 like you say, it was a while ago), which I was forced to do. For that, I got a 5.6 tick. Also seem to remember bumping a #4 Camalot all the way up an awkward chimney with a sharp boulder at the bottom. Not sure I'd recommend it.

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:
I wasn't recommending it for the OP, said it was VS. There are loads of good routes at VS quite a few of which are bold or sandbag graded 5.4 to 5.6... Circe 5.6 R is probably my favourite of these, nice route but for full on brutality its hard to beat Bat Crack 5.5. SE Corner at 5.3 going on 5.6 so far still stumps me at the top: can't work out where to go right so I've finished up Mikes Books and the final pitch of Jumbo).

The other stuff I forgot to recommend was the multi-pitch, lower-grade stuff 5.3 to 5.7 on Turtle Rock over the road. Bisk is a bit sandbaggy but the rest are lovely.

In reply to Jimmy O:
I had one day in Joshua tree. Stayed at Hidden Valley Campground. Climbed on the pinnacles around the campsite and a crag called the White House just up the road and a two pitch crag in a sandy arroyo just behind it. That gave a good, full day with no driving of VS/HVS crack and slab climbing. Also drove up to a viewpoint in the centre of the park for a sunset view of the Badlands.
A pretty memorable day and equally as inspiring as the previous week spent in Yosemite.
If you like deserts.

In reply to Offwidth:


Fote Hog is 5.6, Toe Jam is 5.7; both are fair grades, absolutely not harder than VS.

In reply to Captain Fastrousers:

I said all those routes you recommended by name were solid VS IMHO (and the OP asked for maybe up to HS).

In reply to Jimmy O:

Rent a pad from one of the shops in J Tree town. Camp at Hidden Valley campground...great place where you should find partners without any trouble.

I thought the routes were OK, but to be honest preferred wandering around bouldering. Might be an option if there are any probs finding people to climb with. Within a short walk of the campground there are some great problems of all grades. With a car, there are so many out of the way areas that can make for a great few hours hiking/bouldering.

In reply to Jimmy O:
It's an amazing place to spend a day or two, just wandering about is enough. There's a decent sized hill past most of the climbing (easily visible from the Hidden Valley area, along the through road) that's worth going up.

If you like deserts.

In reply to Jimmy O:

Thanks everyone - it sounds like there is a lot to do and certainly worth the effort. Thanks for all of the great suggestions!
J.

In reply to humptydumpty:

Um
a) Yosemite is a long way from LA
b) At HS grades, there are few really great routes thta Yosemite is all about
c) You'd have to go past several other venues - mentioned above - that are much better at those grades

In reply to Jimmy O:
A few more links... these people hire pads and do repairs:

http://www.joshuatreeoutfitters.com/

Great climbing shop (take any cams with frayed cables for cheap repairs);

http://www.nomadventures.com/

The motel we use who will normally do a deal for climbers:

http://www.highdesertmotel.com/

Loads of great places to eat:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurants-g32544-Joshua_Tree_California.html


If you are really on a tight budget remember Indian Cove doesn't require a park fee to enter you can climb from your camping pitch and has more good routes at lower grades than anywhere else in the park.

In reply to Jimmy O:

Hi James

Sorry I did not get to chat before you left. If Urban is going, get him to lead you up Loose Lady (5.10a) on Houser Buttress (close to Hidden Valley campground) but don't (whatever you do) let him tempt you onto Figures on a Landscape (5.10b)! Run for Your Life (5.10b) is another one to be on the right end of the rope for. Gunsmoke (V3) is brilliant if you are out bouldering.

Have a great time. Unique area!

In reply to Ray Sharples:

Agreed...I thought Loose Lady was brilliant. Totally memorable experience leading it in January in snow flurries, with gale force winds. Had to time my movements between holds when the gusts died down. My wind proof kept blowing up over my head and my wife - belaying below - claims she was hit by a snot bomb that was blown out of my nose. There was a huge amount of slack out as the wind was catching the rope with so much force that my wife struggled to take in. All in all, it became quite an adventure. We quit with the rope and went off bouldering after that, including Gunsmoke....superb. We then drove over to a HUGE boulder in a really deserted area called "Slashface" which was even better, before a run to a disused goldmine somewhere in the heart of the JTree area. Totally magical area in these conditions. The whole time we were there we had intermittent sunshine and snow flurries. Spent loads of time just wandering around with a pad bouldering and in the end had so much fun doing this that we left the ropes and gear in the car for most of the trip.

In reply to 1234None:
Thats impressive! LL is pretty tricky at the delicate friction crux and sustained balance small-edge slab work above: doing that in strong wind and snow beggars belief... pretty safe of course as long as you don't slip off the start slab and fall down the hole. I've been about 8 times now over Xmas and never been there when its too cold to climb... sometimes you need to seek sun and shelter but other times shade. Ive been there once when the tops were scary for a couple of days after a foot of snow; the roads were scarier though as the locals had little experience of driving on snow and slush.