UKC

Hello all,

I'm visiting the States at the end of March to visit some family. I would like to add on a week or so of climbing.

I'm keen to get shutdown by some American splitter cracks so I'm weighing up Yosemite, Moab or Joshua Tree. My concerns are conditions, temperature and ease of finding partners. I have a British trad rack, so I would be looking to meet people to share gear with. I'm also going to be carless for a fair portion of the trip so somewhere I can hitch to/get public transport to would be great.

Anyone have any experience on these areas at that time of year, and logistics.

Do everything you can to get a car for the climbing bit of your trip, especially given that your time is relatively short. America is very large and totally car orientated. Last time I went was in May, in theory an ideal time for Yosemite but it got very cold and a bit wet, and the nearest place with a consistently decent forecast was Joshua Tree which is over 400 miles away. So even for Yosemite, where you can get away without a car, having one really is a good idea. 

I have tagged climbing trips on to work trips in the US many times and have found it very easy to find partners. I haven't been in March, so can't comment on conditions, but have been to all three of the areas that you mention. The places you list are very far apart. I assume that you wouldn't be travelling between them.

If by British rack you mean half ropes, then they are almost unused in America.

I would second the comment that the US is not well set up for climbing carless.  Moab would be very hard without a car, as the climbs are spread around. Yosemite would be the most doable without a car if you were at Camp 4. A mobile phone helps a lot in hooking up with people. I think you need to make it easy for people to contact you for climbing. 

Mountain Project has a good lifts and partners section and it's usually possible to pick up partners in the main climber hostels and campsites at such popular venues. Mountain Project gives an overview of the best time of year to climb (towards the bottom, of the main area pages). Not peak time for any of your venues but all should probably be OK. Joshua Tree will be the best guarantee as you can climb straight after any rain and there is good choice of shade or sun depending on temperature. Remember a lot of the high passes will still be closed in April. You will really benefit having a car.

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105720495/joshua-tree-national-park

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105716763/indian-creek

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105833388/yosemite-valley

Sorry, I may have made that needlessly confusing. I am only intending to go to one destination. 
 

By British rack, I mean, I have a good set of cams and nuts, but not multiple cams in the same size for the splitters. It was my assumption that a lot of the desert stuff required a good number of the same size cams, or am i being overly cautious?

I should have a lift to an area, but my friend will only be staying for a portion of the trip and sadly due to a medical condition, I can’t drive. I was hoping to find an area to camp in and explore. I had thought Hidden Valley in Joshua Tree may fit the bill.

Indian Cove is a really good place and the cracks tend to be protectable with a UK lead rack. The campsite is where the climbing is, so is popular with climbers.

Colorado might be an option.You could get an Airbnb in Eldorado springs.Theres no camping hub but it's a hugely popular climbing area.Easter is early-ish next year they'll be loads of travellers around  Perhaps network on mountain project and local social media climbing groups explaining a lack of a car.El Dorado canyon isn't granite but it is one of the best tradding areas in world imo.Great sandstone.Single pitch to 5-6 pitches. 5.7(VS) upwards.

You might need to keep an eye on the weather. I tipped up to Yosemite in early May ‘95 to be faced with a foot of snow on the valley floor!

Yes, many of the Indian Creek style splitters require many of the same size cams, but there is a lot of sharing cams there. I don't think having a small rack will be a problem. 

Camping would increase your chances of finding partners. It's easy to ask around the campsites. I think J Tree would probably work, it's less risky weather wise than Yosemite at that time of year. The bouldering in J Tree is very good too. 

Joshua Tree doesn’t have a ton of perfect splitters but the crack climbing is superb and easier to protect with a British trad rack. Doubles in mid-sizes are handy but it’s easy to mix and match with other climbers. 

Just be aware that Hidden Valley doesn’t have any water and you have to bring it up from town which is a twenty minute drive away, but when I’ve been there are always people coming and going so it’s perfectly doable. It’s a wonderful place to stay, camping out in the desert is just mega. I found the sites on the outside loop a bit quieter and you can really soak up the atmosphere. It isn’t warm at night so pack your duvet. 

A week in your designated destinations without a car and reservation logistically would reduce the number of climbing days. Better still, fly to Vegas, rent an Airbnb, get on Mountain Project for partners, have them come and pick you up, pay them for their trouble (gas, a meal etc), and excellent climbing in generally stable winter sun conditions. It's not impossible to climb in Joshua Tree with a willing partner from Vegas, for a few days or weekend. All of the above I have done over two winter seasons. I'll be there next winter. 

Joshua Tree!

End of March / early April. Definitely Joshua Tree for me and it should be busy then. Get your self established at Hidden Valley and you'll easily be able to hitch into town for supplies. You'll find partners there too and when you can't the bouldering is ace.

E

where's Indian Cove?

I've been to Yosemite in late March, it definitely wasn't climbing weather, cold, damp and often misty.  We camped in the main valley (which was near deserted) and did some walking.  We also spent two days skiing at the nearby Badger Pass which says quite a lot about general conditions.

It’s an area of Joshua Tree:

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105720570/indian-cove
 

If the OP goes, I suspect they will spend more time at Hidden Valley:

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/119538702/hidden-valley-area

Sorry if an unsolicited extra option adds confusion, however I would consider adding Red Rock to your list. Although it doesn't have the same reputation for cracks as somewhere like Indian Creek, I would've thought it comparable to Joshua Tree (someone may disagree)... but there is definitely a lot of very good cracks there.

See a few routes on MP:

https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/121390556

https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/108432241

https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/112406152

The climbing area has got to be one of the best in the world, the area is stunning. I have only been once in January, but I would've thought April would be perfect conditions. For long moderate multi-pitch (some with cracks) it's an absolute dream! But importantly to fit your bill it's so close to Vegas finding partners and logistics would be straightforward AND you can always travel to Joshua Tree if you wish (I think its about 3 hours).

Otherwise an extra vote for Joshua Tree, just prepare to get spanked (only speaking from experience)!

March is perfect time for J Tree, although I have no idea how you would do it without a car. Even getting to Joshua Tree (the town) would be very difficult in my opinion, then you've got the half hour drive through the desert to the campground- I second Hidden Valley, its the place to be, and if you're alone people are often happy for you to join their camground, as it is first come first served. I assume you'd meet people, I remember there being a notice board for partners and the hidden valley is where all the climbers are based. I think there's probably a fb group as well.

There is months worth of climbing within walking of the campground, however you won't find many classic American splitters but the bouldering is world class. Can hire pads from the town if I remember correctly, and there is so much granite for your trad itch. I was fine with my Peak District trad rack, the routes weren't too long. 

You need a car.

If it rains Red Rocks (vegas) closes for 48 hours, but its only a few hours to Joshua Tree across the desert. The campsite is a bit of a lunar landscape. (as are the ones in JT).

Hidden Valley Campsite (JT) is almost always full (depite the 14 day rules), but notice board is the meetup board of choice for climbers.

The "Free Coffee" meetings most Saturdays & Sundays 08:00-10:00 at Hidden Valley (Intersection Rock) Parking. https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/climberscoffee.htm are also a good meeting point.

A JT pass is $30/week, a US National Parks pass in $80/year. I nearly always go for a years pass.

Vegas is my airport of choice:- Red Rocks, JT, NewJackCity, Alabama Hills are all across the desert, better than the queues out of Los Angeles.

A UK based Joshua Tree "local" (1000+ routes)

Aha, right. Gotcha. I was wondering if he was referring to The Creek for a minute but thought there is no way a standard UK trad rack ( or even three SUTRs) would suffice there

So yep, I'll pretty much vehemently agree with most other people...

J Tree is a great option, you'll find loads of people and won't have gear problems.

Indian Creek is my favourite climbing in the whole world, but you will need to hook up with others to get anything near enough gear.  I think we took triples and still got laughed off anything parallel until we hooked up with some guy who had emptied the gear rooms of pretty much every climber in Jackson before he drove down.

Red rocks is great, but imho not as good as the others. YMMV.

There are weeks worth of climbing at Indian Cove single to three pitch and that's without counting longer walk-ins to the back of wonderland etc, with a fair number of good cracks. I've been there nearly ten times and still have plenty left on a tick list (to the low 510s). It's way more accessible than Hidden Valley (a better venue with a car) for someone without a car (albeit a contact on Mountain Project might drive him in to camp and meet to climb) . There is no fee for Indian Cove beyond camp fees (which can be shared). It meets the OPs needs as far as I can see.

Yosemite valley is better in good weather but that's a gamble. Suicide Rock at Idlylwild is another possible (with a local with a car).

I'd say Red Rocks is a non starter without someone reliable for lifts.

If you can get there, Hidden valley would fit the bill - some climbs are so close you could belay out the back of your tent!

Typically Indian Cove climbs are even closer to tents... so much so I've had to negotiate at times to climb them.

Thanks for all the responses. It’s all been incredibly useful. It’s looking like Joshua Tree is going to be the one. My friend is going to drive me in and climb for a few days, then with a bit of negotiation and bribery, is going to return the following week to pick me up.

Any recommendations would be great. I’m going to be probably sticking to HVS-esque lines until I’ve worked out how hard everything feels. Also, just very excited to climb some classics in the States

The top pitch of Geronimo (5.7) is good fun, make sure you lead it and your belayer has a camera of sorts.  If you can't jam you'll find the crack routes there hard for the grade. Loose lady 5.10a at Real hidden valley was a good bolted face/slab route.  Don't leave any water/food containers out or the ground squirrels will nab them or chew their way through them. Tent pitches have a fire pit, so buy firewood to take with you for evening socialisation.