Routes as trad in Eastern California

One of the most blank and impossible dihedrals out there. First climbed by Randy Leavitt with pre-placed pitons and hand jammies worn on his palms in 1997 and has seen possibly only two ascents since then.

An incredibly striking overhanging finger crack that serves as the only line up an imposing tomb stone. All time!

The short and intense splitter running up the centre of the boulder. Interesting and fun finger crack moves lead to an absolutely desperate crux at the top.

Start up the hand crack as for Rubicon but then quest out on to the blank face above passing 5(?) bolts.

Creme de la creme. A glorious left leaning finger splitter that is about as good as it gets anywhere. Many small cams up to 0.5 and bolts on top to lower.

Variant of trapeze.

Up easy corner with a big rightwards traverse to clip a bolt with a very long runner. Commit to the eponymous move back left and then battle your way up the sharp tips crack to the anchor. Brilliant, boulder crack goodness.

Follow a thin red dike.

No gear, 2 bolts, gear for anchor. Very run-out.

Another variant of Trapeze.

Needs a small-med cam around half height.

Mostly a sport route but take a sling to girth hitch the fixed pin and also a small cam (black totem or green alien) for above the last bolt. From that cam it is easy but very run out to the chains. Quite cruxy and reachy for the grade but with some of the best rock Joshua Tree has to offer.

One of Joshua Tree’s more classic offerings. Pumpy, funky sport climbing all protected by trad gear. Truly an artistic piece of stone.

Straight up the slashed face into Rubicon’s finger crack.

Almost sport -- takes a medium cam near the start.

One of Josh’s more splitter splitters. Excellent crack climbing with a good bit of weirdness thrown in to keep it interesting.

Climb the tenuous slab past one bolt to some bouldery crack climbing and some glorious vertical hands above. Doesn’t get much better. Take extra #2-4 cams for the top as it’s otherwise very slim pickings for an anchor.

A start up a sensational thin stemming corner leads to excellent steep jamming and lie backing. A brilliant entry to J-Tree 5.11s.