Joshua Tree Part 2

Monday morning, I was considering taking a rest day, but Kara, who I'd met on Saturday, came by as I was finishing up breakfast, so I decided to do a few climbs with her. We decided to go to The Real Hidden Valley, warm up on some easy stuff and then, maybe do Sail Away (5.8). So, we got on a 5.6 called Leaping Leaner, thinking it would be casual. I started up a crack that appeared to be the obvious start to the route, got one good piece in and started to move above it. Outside of the finger slot where I placed my gear, the crack was shallow and flaring. With a long reach, I got to a halfway decent handhold, and started working my feet up in the flaring crack. I need to get to a stance with my feet on the afore-mentioned handhold before I would get gear again. With my feet maybe a foot above my gear, my foot slipped and I fell. For a second I was just kind of sliding down the rock, but had no way to stop myself. I wondered if my gear would catch me before I hit the ground. As the ground approached, I felt the rope go tight. My feet hit the ground. I felt a slight twinge in one ankle. I had hit the ground, but only with rope stretch...the rope had taken the brunt of the energy out of the fall. I became aware of Kara and saw that she had been yanked forward and scraped her shin. She almost definitely saved me from a sprained ankle, or worse, though. It was the first time she'd ever caught a lead fall.

After further consideration, I cleaned my gear, and down-climbed. I started further left, kind of chimneying up behind a boulder, then traversed back right into the climb. Even without the sketchy start, the climb felt awfully hard for 5.6. Later, I looked it up on Mountain Project, and the consensus grade is 5.7+, with a note that, if you start on the right (as I did initially), it has “ankle busting potential at 5.8+”. It was not quite the mellow warm-up I was looking for.

After that, we, somewhat apprehensively, got on a 5.7 called Jumping Jehosephat. It was distinctly easier than Leaping Leaner. At that point, we decided it was cold and a cup of hot chocolate (perhaps with a shot of peppermint schnapps) sounded nice.

Leaping Leaner (The 5.6 that isn't) on the right, Jumping Jehosephat on the left

Tuesday, Brett, who I had also met on Saturday, and another girl, Patsy, joined Kara and I in our campsite. Brett and Kara went into town to do some shopping and such, and Patsy I went to Hemingway Buttress to do some climbing.

White Lightning (5.7)

Dung Fu (5.7)

We had awesome chicken fajitas for dinner. Unfortunately, I woke up in the night to a severely deflated air mattress. I aired it back up, but it quickly deflated again, and I ended up sleeping (poorly) on the hard, lumpy floor of my car. Perhaps the added weight from all the fajitas I ate was too much for it. I don't know. I got up early, since I was uncomfortable, and couldn't really sleep anyway. I eventually found the hole, and made an attempt at patching it, then decided to take a rest day, get a shower, and generally relax. Brett, Kara, and Patsy went to climb Hands Off, a climb you can see from our campsite which seems to always have people on it.

Brett on Hands Off (5.8), as viewed from our campsite

That night, the mattress leaked more slowly...with one re-inflation, I was able to keep it reasonably comfortable. In the morning, I made one more attempt at patching it.

Thursday, we decided to go to Lost Horse Wall and do some multi-pitch climbs. We started out on The Swift, a pleasant 5.7. The book has it as three pitches, but we climbed it easily in two.

Kara following the first pitch of The Swift

Kara at the first pitch belay on The Swift

Brett leading the second pitch of The Swift, while Patsy belays

After we all got down from the walk-off, it was blazing hot in the sun, and we decided to seek some shade. We headed for Dairy Queen Wall, got two more climbs in, hiked out in the dark, and headed back to camp.

This morning, Kara and Patsy headed out. Brett is going to hang out and climb with me through the weekend, then we are going to head down to Tahquitz and do some climbing down there.

I gave up on my air mattress today and bought a new one. I'm not sure if my patch is still failing, or if there is another hole. Either way, I didn't want to screw with it any more, when I could just spend $20 and get a new mattress.

Route List for 10/12-16:

• Leaping Leaner (“5.6” Trad) (Fell on one start, onsight with alternate start)
• Jumping Jehosephat (5.7 Trad) (Onsight)
• White Lightning (5.7 Trad) (Onsight)
• Dung Fu (5.7 Trad) (TR clean)
• Feltonian Physics (5.8 Trad) (Onsight)
• The Swift (2 pitches, 5.7 Trad) (Onsight)
• Frosty Cone (5.7 Trad) (Onsight)
• Mr. Misty Kiss (5.7 Trad) (TR Clean)