Ascents in Joshua Tree National Park by Will Vidler

For Gus.

not jugs

50% grease 50% acid. And then I flew to London. So endeth my time in Joshua Tree.

Final night shenanigans. This was an experience.

Why oh why did i leave it till my last day. So much fun. My onsight ended fairly quickly and then i did it with two hangs on TR. A truly brilliant rock climb and one I will no doubt come back for. Bring on Cold Trip 2020!! (x3)

Seconding Mary Grace on her super proud onsight. Such a glorious glorious rock climb.

One of the better pieces of rock i’ve climbed. Incredible, heady face climbing that is as outrageously good as it is sandbagged. I’ll remember this day out for quite a while.

Pretty rad for what it is. Glorious team solo.

Woohoo! Very psyched to get this done. A very very fun piece of rock climbing with an incredibly committing crux a decent way above your last bolt. This is followed by some very tenuous moves up a dihedral past a tiny cam (that i placed on lead) to some easier stuff all the way to the anchors. Really worthwhile!

Went straight up it for the warm up which was encouraging. Cold cold cold conditions help.

This is really fucking cool and really fucking hard. Some heinous crack bouldering after the eponymous baby apes move makes for quite the sandbag i think. Prith added a direct start which was cool.

Another catastrophic 12a sandbag, and with a very dangerous runout through the crux. Super funky moves though which require some good technique as much as some pull down. Worthy of being resurrected with a rebolt.

Probably the hardest 12a I have ever tried, it definitely the hardest move I have ever done on a 12a. I rapped over it to equip it and then tried to flash it but came up short on the crux. Figured out the move on top rope afterwards.I think it might be easier if you’re tall but at least 5.14 Fann validated my struggle.

Afterwards I got to go back to camp and hear that Prith had sent Stingray which is one of the coolest things ever. So psyched!!

Arghhh! Couldn’t pull it together. Not enough skin, not enough fitness, too much drive to climb other things. I shall return for you!

Finally got someone to belay me and led the bloody thing. Totally sublime. I love this climb!

I went up and took a whip on my tooth brush, Eric whipped on a beer can. Then I seconded it. Fucking burly!

Ropes tied around our waists, simul climbing, many points.

In big wall style... We clipped other people’s gear and hauled.

“We’re trying to do this in a day, do you mind if we pass you?” Double Cross in a day with Eric, many shit list points were gained!

Very psyched to have tried this. I did quite well up to the crux but i couldn’t figure it out as a complete sequence. Rad intricate climbing the whole way though with a sequence that starts at the ground and doesn’t end until you’re standing on top.

Second Ezra’s stylish send. I shouldn’t have worn approach shoes though.

Brilliant easy finger and hand crack. Totally sublime.

I think this is the route we did but i’m definitely not sure. Quite fun

Laps laps laps at the end of the day to make it feel like I did some climbing.

Well it turns out this is the most difficult. I don’t really understand. That being said I did a lot more moves than i expected to, but the ones I couldn’t do I couldn’t even conceive. Wild.

Well it turns out this is very hard! Completely amazing steep finger crack climbing. I did all the moves bar two of the three main crux pulls (albeit probably with some rope assist. It’s probably solid 12+ with some very tricky moves to start you off. So stoked to have tried it and seen what all the fuss is about.

Another two burns and the usual somethings feel much better, somethings feel much worse. Very frustrating. It was nice to watch Tom and Fann both float it though.

TR to warm up for Equinox. Still totally magnificent but I was glad to not have to risk the fall again!

Seconding Britney. Marvellous route but it was oh so cold and I couldn’t muster the try hard for the very tricky crux down low. I did everything else with good linkage.

Tried and tried and tried but I suck at dynos.

I tried very hard on this but ultimately the top out was much too scary for me. No one sent. Excellent rock climb.

Progression and regression. This thing is properly hard! And quite sharp!!! (x2)

Beyond stoked with this. Just another perfect boulder problem in Joshua Tree.

Second go on top rope. Cedar was on it so i thought I might as well join in as I wasn’t doing anything. Very fun, bouldery, intense crack climbing. A sandbag.

Doing a bit of a fitness morning and getting it fully dialled in. I think I did it twice clean placing the gear on rope solo, clearly the best style ascent.

This was so so excellent. It’s just like a campus board. Probably a bit of a sand bag, especially if you’re short. My onsight ended at the crux but i did all the moves and had some really excellent linkage. I’ll be back one day for sure. Also the scene of us nearly getting beaten up due to other’s absurd machismo. Hilarious. (x3)

A really excellent and interesting slab. I was certain I was going to fall off but then I didn’t.

A pleasant evening on this. Figured out the crux properly this time.

The move to get off the deck on this was truly one of the hardest I pulled in Joshua Tree. Completely insane, especially if you are short. After this sure it’s 10+ ish to the top but it is undeniably a colossal sand bag at 10c for that first move.

Accidentally fell off on the onsight when I forgot to try hard. Went fairly easily second go. Awesome rock!

Completely nails. People trying this as a run and jump has made the feet at the start so glassy you can barely stand on them. Very unfortunate. Still a classic line up a classic feature though.

Second try from the start. A very very fun piece of rock climbing.