Aid Climbs

Cyndie Bransford on Goof Proof RoofJump to A0/A1      A2/A3       A4+

In the first guide to Joshua Tree "A Climber's Guide to Joshua Tree National Monument", Copyright 1970 by John Wolfe, many of today's classic campground free climbs are listed (and were climbed) as aid climbs. Most of the climbs listed in the guide are located in Hidden Valley Campground. Today, I suppose, these free climbs could be aided like they were back in the 60's and early 70's. Remember that aid climbing is slow, tedious, and ties up a route so free climbers have to go to one of the other 6000+ climbs to choose from in the Park. Remember that many and most of these ratings were with stoppers, hexes, and pitons. With today's modern gear and newfangled aid goodies, most of these routes will go clean. These are the ratings they received in the 1970 guidebook, so keep that in mind.

 

54 Routes as of 22 November 2004

 

 

 

 

  1. Half track A2
  2. Left Ski Track 5.4 A3
  3. Right Ski Track 5.4 A4
  4. North Overhang 5.6 A2
  5. Bongledesh 5.7 A4
  6. East Xing Direct 5.5 A2
  7. N.E. Pillar A2
  8. Lower Band A4
  9. Middle Band A3
  10. Treinte Anos 5.4 A4
  11. Spider Line 5.8 A3
  12. Buissonnier 5.4 A1
  13. Ballet 5.7 A3
  14. Flue Right 5.4 A3
  15. California Crack 5.6 A3

In 1978, John Wolfe and Bob Dominick came out with the 2nd guide to Joshua Tree. This was a large guide with most of the aid routes of the 1970 guide now as free climbs. Still, there were some new climbs listed in this guide that were aid climbs, and not listed in the 1970 guide. Some or most of these have since been freed, but still could be done today as practice aid climbs. Here they are for the Big Wall fools. (listed are climbs not in the 1970 guide, and not listed in my main list of aid climbs.)

  1. Datura A3 (5.11)
  2. Nail "N Gravel A3 (5.11)
  3. The Castrum 5.5 A2 (5.10c)
  4. Step 'N Out 5.5 A3 (5.10a)
  5. "V" Cracks A2 (5.10/5.11)
  6. Are You Experienced 5.10 A4 (5.11R)
  7. Rainy Day, Dream Away 5.6 A3 (5.11+)
  8. Where Eagles Dare 5.8 A3 (5.11+)
  9. Scared Bare 5.10+ A3 (5.10+/5.11)
  10. Not for Loan A2 (5.10+)
  11. Dick Enberg 5.6 A2 (5.10+/5.11)
  12. Not Forgotten 5.5 A2 (5.10-)
  13. Hidden Arch 5.10 A2 (5.11+)
  14. Danny Gore 5.6 A3 (5.11)
  15. Schnurrenuff 5.6 A3 (direct seam to Bearded Cabbage)
  16. Fang 5.6 A4 (5.11R)
  17. Iron Man's Traverse 5.6 A2 (5.10+)
  18. Hot Rocks 5.8 A4 (5.11)
  19. West Face Traverse A2 (low nail up traverse of Chimney Rock)
  20. Ajax 5.5 A3 (nail up on N.E. Face of Cyclops)
  21. Fractured Fissure 5.5 A2 (5.10+)
  22. Hyperion 5.6 A2 (5.11+)
  23. Tragic Kingdom 5.8 A1 (5.10)
In 1986, Randy came out with his own guidebook, taking the torch from Wolfe and ushering in his generation of "freeclimbers'. Free climbing standards were high, and the emphasis was mainly on hard free climbing. Still, a few new aid lines were added to the guide, giving the aid climber even more options to practice his/her trade. Many of the aid climbs in past guides were now and forevermore free climbs. The few aid lines in the 1986 book were carried over to Randy's latest (but now outdated) 1992 guide (Have no fear; the new double guides will be out soon!) The Bartlett Series added a few more aid climbs, giving the Big Wall Wannabe plenty to work with at Joshua Tree. These aid climbs are documented in the main body of this aid web section. Each year, a few more tasty aid tidbits are added to the selection, so there's always something new and exciting to entertain the El Cap hopeful. I plan on keeping you up-to-date on the newest aid climbs on this website, so keep checking!