Matt and I kept ourselves entertained for our last few days at Joshua Tree. By leafing through the guidebook, Matt found a secluded crag three or four miles from the road. One of Joshua Tree's main advantages is its short approaches; many stellar climbs only require a two minute walk from camp. After getting lost two or three times and endless scrambling, we arrived at the Fortress crag. Wanting to build on Matt's onsight of Coarse and Buggy (5.11a/b), I found a four-star 11a called Natural Selection. After getting stuck at the crux for a while, I monkeyed up the climb and claimed my own onsight! With a crack that slowly widened from tips to hands and a couple of small roofs, the climb certainly deserved its stars.
Walking back to the Truck
Fresh out of enthusiasm for the area (as we had now accomplished all of our goals for JTree), we decided to practice aid climbing on Friday. The weather rolled in that afternoon, and the rest of the day was spent huddled in the truck avoiding the rain. While killing time in a coffee shop on Saturday, we found that Bishop CA had five days of sun forecasted! So off we went.
Mt Tom, Bishop
New Campground
In addition its world-class bouldering, Bishop boasts the Owens River Gorge, California's premier sport climbing area. The climbing here has been a world apart from Joshua Tree. While JTree's granite provides unlimited friction, the Gorge's welded tuff is quite slick. However, we are learning the local style and are really enjoying the area. Below is a quick list of our favorite climbs so far:
Sendero Luminoso 10b (Onsight)
Yellow Peril 10c (Onsight)
Love Stinks 11a (Flash)
Kung Pao 11b (Flash)
The Gorge (complete with power plant) from the top of Love Stinks
Have you guys been hanging out with Nalle up there? He could show you the beta for Evilution!
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