Finally Climbing at Joshua Tree!

Chimney Rock at twilight from our our campsite.
(Left my camera in my pack with Beth so more photos to follow after I retrieve it)

I spent significant time at Joshua Tree in the early 90's, mainly camping and scrambling - felt like I was out there every weekend one year. Knowing what I know now, some of those scrambles would be considered "free solos" probably up to 5.5 in difficulty. Though I wanted to, I never did any technical rock climbing there. Yes, I've often wondered how different a climber I'd be if I started then. Fred and I went once a few years back but ended up only on a couple of scary, thin, and run out sport routes. We just couldn't find the climbs we were looking for in the Real Hidden Valley. The guide book directions are difficult to say the least! I've been hesitant to climb there since.

However this week, the stars aligned perfectly. A good friend, Beth, happens to be planning a trip to JT for the same week. It's one of her all time favorite places to be and knows the area intimately. Not only would she be a great climbing partner and guide, she's driving and could schlep all my climbing and camping gear, saving me a bundle on baggage fees!

I met her mid day Tuesday at Hidden Vally, camp site #3, in front of Chimney Rock and it's infamous "space pod". (You can see our camp site in the linked picture - the low rock near the middle with the rocks to the right creating an arcing border is our site.) It also brought back memories of a dude who climbed up the chimney and got stuck. He scurried up easily but was completely spooked by the down climb. First rule of scrambling, know how to get off the rocks too!

I found Beth napping comfortably on the low rock formation, soaking in the sun. It's great to see her so relaxed and content to just be there. Within a hour of my arrival, we have all our gear together and are ready to climb. Our first route is a short drive away to the North Side of Echo Cove, Fun Stuff. A spooky start for the leader, Beth, but otherwise nice. Then we headed over to the Real Hidden Valley for Sail Away. It's a classic and a wonderful climb. It feels like for every 2-3 hard moves you get to a nice stance with a bomber hold or jam. Honestly one of the first sustained crack 8's I've climbed and thought. 'yes, I could lead this!' Apparently I'm using my outside voice...and within ear shot of Beth. So I'm committed and it's a goal for this trip. My first day here goes better than expected. How could it not! With Indian Creek as my last crack climbing trip, nearly anything else feels "easy"!

We meet Beth's other friends also here for the week, Dave, Ginny and Jean, at camp site #1. I make a broth with napa cabbage & enoki mushrooms. Once hot, Is spoon it over wide rice noodles and roasted duck. I was just in LA that morning; of course, I was going to take advantage of easy access to such incredible ingredients! What a meal!

The next day, Beth leads 3 incredible cracks:
Flake and Bake - gentle start to the day with loads of face features.
Pope's Crack - another classic with a heady traverse near the top
Double Cross - Yet another classic long beautiful fun crack. So nice to have Beth as a guide and get on such great stuff. I think I can lead this too (inside voice)...next trip. Dave, Jean and I follow. Ginny comes by with the election results...Obama won...woo-hoo!!!

I also top British Airways, next to Pope's Crack (since our rap anchors are right over it). Beth complained that I wasn't tired or grunting enough following her leads, and wanted me to take a run on this. Holy Crap! It's the absolute hardest 11 I've barely gotten up! I literally flew off several times...hence it's name, I guess (as well as it's incredibly run out between bolts)! The start looks like a crack but is actually a corner that widens and becomes rounded as it goes up. You have lie back on this and smear thin to non-existent face features. I blow off fairly early on. Above the corner is just blankness. On this section, I successively take after a move or two. Talk about groveling for every inch! Well, Beth got what she wanted, I'm totally spent after wards!

After Double Cross, we head to camp with a nice hour of remaining light. I have so much left over ingredients, I make the same meal again and Jean joins our soup party. Dave and Ginny share a nice bottle of 10 year tawny. We burn a pack of firewood and call it quits with the final embers crackling around 10. With everyone off to bed, I lay out with my sleeping bag on the low rock at our camp site. The sky is still, clear, and occasionally dazzling with shooting stars...apparently the Taurid meteor shower at it's height. I savor my last evening as much as possible, recalling the many past nights spent sleeping out under the same stars over 20 years ago. Some rocks curve perfectly to coddle you and this one lulls me to irrevocable sleepiness around midnight. No longer able to star gaze, I head back to my tent and sleep dreamlessly until 7ish to yipping coyotes.

Today's the day for Sail Away...I'm leaving in the afternoon so this is it. I've been chicken shit this entire season and have to "man up" at some point. We get a late start since I have to strike camp this morning and it's noon by the time we get to the base of the climb. There's already a party there. The leader is nearly done and there are 2 beginner climbers waiting to follow. We decide to wait it out...there's typically a line on this classic so just one party is not bad. Beth attempts to lead the climb next to it. There's no way to protect it until you're already 25-30ft off the deck after having to make a hard layback move. She decides this is not worth it...she wants to save herself for her goal climbs she'll be tackling the next couple of days. So I rack up and wait and wait. Watching the beginners struggle up Sail Away makes me tense and nervous. I climbed this the first day and know it's not a hard climb for me. But watching them struggle makes me "see" the route differently. I turn away and just put my head down. Arg.

I definitely don't climb it as well as a couple of days ago. My feet get stupid and I wonder where those "great stances" have disappeared to, especially near the top. Typical for me, I recall basically nothing about the climb...so much for pre-lead beta! I apparently placed a couple of crappy pieces in the beginning but everything else is bomber. The top gets thin and I really had to work through nerves and harder stances while placing 3 final stoppers. Breathe! Ultimately, I top out clean. Phew and Yeah!!!

We pack up quickly and head back to the warmth of the car. We drive just outside of Jumbo Rocks for Conan's Corridor. With only a couple of hours left before I leave and Beth feeling worn out (work's been hectic lately), we decide call if for climbing and make a hike out of it instead. I've realize too late that I've left my camera in the car! What a shame, this is a truly beautiful spot. It's cinches down to a cool slot canyon then opens up to a handful of beautiful lines. I get to use my old scrambling skills for some sections and it's a blast. I must come back here next time.

Finally, we head over to where Dave's group is climbing, Atlantis Wall in Lost Horse Area (boy, I spent A LOT of time back in here! So many nooks and crannines for scrambling and getting away from it all). They were topping Ceremony. Thank goodness I didn't bring my shoes and harness. The start looks suspiciously like British Airways and I would probably hurt myself on it! We get to see Jean perform a slow and beautiful ballet on it. Amazing control and balance. After she finishes, everyone's ready to call it and have some beer. So we head back to camp and sit under Chimney Rock, hoping the sunniness compensates for the lashing cold multi-directional wind. No matter, I savor a Negro Modelo in great company before saying my farewells.

It's been a wonderful trip and I'm extremely happy how well it went. As you can tell from comments above, I'm already making plans to come back out. I foresee many years climbing here. I'm on the cusp of an interesting new relationship with a wonderful old friend, JT.