Joshua Tree at your fingertips
Far from the chicken-scratch mimeographs I’ve used, this new climber’s manual on Joshua Tree National Park gives you what you really want from a guidebook: where to climb, how to beat the heat, available Plan B destinations and road or boulder side attractions.
Asking the locals to point out routes may cut into your climbing time while they guffaw for half an hour. It’s better to whip out a photo of the wall and see what’s possible. The book features large color maps and photos, with the routes brightly overlaid on the formations. Each of the 60 climbs selected includes vital points such as anchor spots and descent routes.
The table of contents helps weekend climbing parties target easier and more difficult sections of the park and find alternate climbs next to busy spots. With 5,000 climbs at Joshua, choosing the best way up can make all the difference.
Emmett Berg
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