Spooked by bolt-protected climbs in J-Tree: is it just me?

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Brokedownclimber

Trad climber

Douglas, WY

Feb 21, 2012 - 06:06pm PT

"Don't let fear stop you..."

Layton Kor, to any number of people...(myself included!)

pud

climber

Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia

Feb 21, 2012 - 06:55pm PT

You're right on Dos XX.
A lot of the climbs here will f*#k you up if you fall before the 1st bolt or the 2nd.

The good news is, 6000 + climbs in the park allows you to be choosy.

surfstar

climber

Santa Barbara, CA

Feb 21, 2012 - 06:56pm PT

http://www.supertopo.com/forumsearch.php?v=0&cur=0&ftr1=&ftr2=slab+falls&ftr3=&ftr4=&scope=all

Just tell yourself that the bolts are where you need them and if its runout it must be an easy section.

AlpiniPete

Social climber

and a social drinker...

Feb 21, 2012 - 07:36pm PT

I had a similar experience my first "real" trip to Josh. With no trad skills/equipment we decided to wander and look for bolted routes. We found a nice slab in Wonderland with visible bolts and geared up. After several attempts to reach the first bolt (similarly about 30 ft up) ended in skin donation (I still have scars), I handed the sharp end to my buddy. He gains the first bolt, then the second as the pucker-factor continues to increase. Then a kind voice from behind me asks, "You don't plan to lower off that, right?" My blank stare prompts him to suggest that my friend, mid route, bail off immediately. Turns out the top anchors were about another 40 feet beyond the last bolt, completely out of sight and would require my partner to bring me up; something he didn't leave the ground equipped to do. Our savior was even so nice as to clean our draws for us on his way up. Needless to say the day would have ended much differently without this gentleman's interjection.

I learned several things from this little outing:
-Bolts in Joshua Tree do not equate to a "sport" route.
-Bolts in Joshua Tree are spaced VERY far apart, and rightly so.
-Don't jump on a route assuming the presence of bolts translates to a technically simple climb.
-Read the beta FIRST.
-Slab rash sucks.

Edit: in reference to Todd Gordon's reply below, I certainly threw myself into that 99%...

StahlBro

Trad climber

San Diego, CA

Feb 21, 2012 - 07:54pm PT

Josh has amazing friction on the good rock. Once you are used to it and have your wig on tight you will feel comfortable. TR some routes and get comfortable and confident. It is like any new area. It has it's own personality. Be careful until you are "feeling it".

Cheers and have fun.

Todd Gordon

Trad climber

Joshua Tree, Cal

Feb 21, 2012 - 08:13pm PT

There are about 600 bolted sport climbs, and most of them aren't too scary. I'm not talking about Figures on a Landscape, Stick to What, EBGBs, or even Walk on the Wild Side. I'm talking about G rated sport climbs that the gym climbers won't even let out a lil' squirt of pee on......climbs that have enough bolts to be safely lead by 99% of the world's goobers........people just don't know where they are;.....educate yourself, get out your quickdraws, and have at it......but don't hop on anything you see with bolts on it........you may skip peeing your pants and advance to pooping in your pants........These actual sport climbs are all over the place and rated everything from 5.4 to 5.14.......what do I have to do;...write a sport climbing guide for you all.......OK;...maybe I will..............Oh yeah;....they aren't all lined up in a row, like Shelf Road, Owen's River Gorge, New Jack, or The Quarry;......they ARE all over the place, and you MAY have to walk 20 min or more.....(that's the bad news......sorry...)...

Matt Gay (5.10-)

Fat Dad

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Feb 21, 2012 - 08:15pm PT

Surface Tension is a good route to look at.Look real carefully....

Yeah...I remember both me and my partner backing off that. It's all of what, .10c. This was back when I was leading hard 11/easy 12 trad. I think we went and did Hidden Arch after that.

Ksolem

Trad climber

Monrovia, California

Feb 21, 2012 - 08:19pm PT

You bailed on surface tension and then went and did hidden arch??

wow.

I think it was Chas Cole (didn't he do the fa of surface tension) who told me that they got up on it and got a bolt in the first day, and when they came beck the following day to finish someone (he blamed Largo) had thrown a bunch of sand in that hole you have to party with at the start which created a problem.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Feb 21, 2012 - 08:20pm PT

Sounds like you need to get accustomed to slab climbing on bolts. I was initially freaked out at my first leads at Josh, "just don't fall".

Toprope some sh#t first, like some 5.8-5.9 stuff in Echo Cove (generally good landing too) and get your footwork and friction-palming (run with that, Locker) all worked out and then jump on Double Dip (need one #3 Camalot initially) and then cruise over to Stichter quits (Black Tide).

After that you can jump on RAF and The Sound of One Shoe Tapping. Fun Stuff is close too but takes gear.

And if you're sketched out on lead a bit, isn't that why we climb??? If it was tame it would suck!

Learn to climb slabs!!!!

TGT

Social climber

So Cal

Feb 21, 2012 - 08:45pm PT

If Josh freaked you out, avoid Suicide Rock, Middle Cathedral, Glacier Point Apron, and then there's Tuolumne...

Just about any bolted slab route put up pre 90 was done by someone that earned their slab climbing credentials at one of those places.

Modern routes, especially those put up by balding geezers with children are much more gentrified.

Doesn't mean you still can't take a fifty footer and crash on those too.

CrackAddict

Trad climber

Canoga Park, CA

Feb 21, 2012 - 08:57pm PT

Surface Tension is a good route to look at.Look real carefully....

Yeah...I remember both me and my partner backing off that. It's all of what, .10c. This was back when I was leading hard 11/easy 12 trad. I think we went and did Hidden Arch after that.

Haha I remember the first time I did Rubicon I wanted to do a face climb to warm up for it (I was better at face then), so I picked Surface Tension.

Terrifying. And it doesn't let up after the mantle/hole thing. Needless to say Rubicon added comical lightness to the day.

Spider Savage

Mountain climber

The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles

Feb 21, 2012 - 09:20pm PT

My favorite part of climbing is when it's too hard to climb and falling is NOT an option.

I mostly avoid these positions but when I get into them I'm living.

It takes the right partner.

You know it was a good climb when you get through it and tell yourself, "I'll never do that again."

Breakfast of Champions on Astro Dome is kind of like that. It's a moderate but boy is it run-out whooooowheeeee. Fortunately, the first ten feet of the route is the crux. If you can make it through that, you'll probably survive the route.

Kalimon

Trad climber

Ridgway, CO

Feb 21, 2012 - 09:38pm PT

At least there is a first and second bolt . . . yadda, yadda, yadda. A real death route will require you to place your own, sometimes marginal protection. You must work hard to acquire the necessary skills to avoid maiming yourself. If your mind and body are not up to the task you can find plenty of safe alternatives.

johntp

Trad climber

socal

Feb 21, 2012 - 09:41pm PT

There is a reason for "R" and "X" ratings. Plus one on what the earlier poster said about Suicide and Tahquitz.

Ground fall/ledge fall/edge cutting potential are risks that one has to assess their abilities to climb through; either accept the risk or move on to another route.

klk

Trad climber

cali

Feb 21, 2012 - 10:12pm PT

"I've only been on one climbing outing in Joshua Tree"

This would be the problem.

Climb a lot and push your level up and you'll never sweat about that first bolt.

actually, no, the original sentiment is pretty sensible.

short routes, blue skies, and cheap beer sucker folks into feeling like climbing at jtree is more casual than climbing longer sierra stuff.

leading at jtree is a serious business, as you are constantly looking at high impact force falls with groundfall potential.

drop yr lead number expectations.

stacks of jtree climbs i'd rather (have) solo than lead. nice place for bouldering, soloing and top-roping. not so nice a place to lead at or near your limit.

rincon

Trad climber

SoCal

Feb 21, 2012 - 10:30pm PT

Leading trad routes at Joshua Tree is the kind of climbing you have to practice for. "Practice" should include such things as bouldering, top-roping, leading well protected cracks, and climbing sport routes. Also, you should know the difference between sport and trad, and that just because a route has bolts, doesn't mean it's a sport climb.

powderdan

Social climber

mammoth lakes

Feb 21, 2012 - 10:58pm PT

dos xx
it is important to remember that j tree is a monument to 5.12 climbers putting up 5.9 routes from the ground up.
come to think of it... its not that important