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Friendly 5.11s in josh

Original Post
Spear · · ca · Joined Jun 2015 · Points: 10

Wondering if anyone has any route suggestions to break into the 5.11 grade in josh. Would prefer face/slab climbs and easily topropable. Thanks in advance!

plantmandan · · Brighton, CO · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 85

Big Moe may be a good starting point (not for leading, however). It's easy to set up a TR and has some fun steep face moves.

Rusty Finkelstein · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2014 · Points: 0

Runaway is fun and well bolted. Climb "Run For Your Life" to get up there if you don't wanna lead it.

Spear · · ca · Joined Jun 2015 · Points: 10

Thanks for the input! Runaway looks amazing only thing that puts me off is a comment about decking at the 3rd bolt. Looks like there might be a decent walkoff/walkup though.

Rusty Finkelstein · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2014 · Points: 0

If you pull off the bottom you won't fall there.... hopefully. Good luck!

Will S · · Joshua Tree · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 1,061

Blackjack 11a, not hard, not sustained, not runnout. Short approach.

Bebop Tango 11a, first bolt is kind of high off the deck on easy climbing, might want a stick clip if you're not comfy soloing 5.7, pretty easy access to the top.

Silent but Deadly 11b, low crux followed by easier climbing, not sustained, short approach.

Physical Graffiti 11a, long pitch, good climbing, bakes in the sun.

That should get you started. I've climbed all these and they are all pretty good. Bebop tango is steeper than the others with a bit of a dyno at the crux, Blackjack is probably the easiest of the bunch.

Benjamin Chapman · · Small Town, USA · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 18,818

Alf's Arete, Coarse & Buggy, and Swept Away are all great.

Guy Keesee · · Moorpark, CA · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 349

Hi, Russ what are you doing posting at 2:30 am? Close down the bar????

Not to derail, but all the "friendly" 5.11 are at Red Rocks.

LOL

Drew Marshall · · Squamish, BC · Joined Nov 2013 · Points: 627

Heart of Darkness 11a
and the Grit Roof 11a
are both not too hard, really fun, and safe! One of them might even be in the shade...
both are cracks though...

Fat Dad · · Los Angeles, CA · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 60

Good list from Will S., though I have yet to do Physical Graffiti.

Alf's Arete is a great climb, but I think it's borderline a/b (to me at least), and the top part might feel a little run if you're newer to the grade. Swept Away is even more classic, but I would not suggest that if you're breaking into the grade.

Keep in mind that just about everything is going to be a lot friendlier on a TR. Not sure if you're looking for something to TR first in preparation of leading?

Also, like Russ mentioned, not sure when you're planning on visiting, but if it's this summer, just head to Idyllwild. If you can do the first pitch of Valhalla clean, then hop on the second pitch. Down and Out (5.10c) would be a good warmup as well. Well protected at the tricky parts.

Rusty Finkelstein · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2014 · Points: 0

All good routes listed above. If you're only stoked on face/slab than a few of those will not be very fun... Good call on swept away, although it would be pretty scary for somebody breaking into 5.11... physical graffiti is an EXCELLENT route and quite obtainable for a beginning 5.ll leader, but definitely not good for TR. If you get to it early it will be in the shade too. Oh another cool one is "Unknown Soldier" on the shady (north)side of the north astro dome. This is a high-quality under-rated route. Both pitches are slabby and have a fair amount of spiciness, but are completely doable and actually not too hard for the grade.

Chris Owen · · Big Bear Lake · Joined Jan 2002 · Points: 11,617

Good list from Will S.

The Bamboozler (5.11)
Airy Scene
Runaway
Buford's House of Liver

IMHO Suicide is too hot for the thin stuff this time of year, the winter months have always yielded better results for me.

Jon Clark · · Planet Earth · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 1,153
Chris Owen wrote:Good list from Will S.
The Bamboozler (5.11) Airy Scene Runaway Buford's House of Liver IMHO Suicide is too hot for the thin stuff this time of year, the winter months have always yielded better results for me.
Had a great day at Suicide in early/mid June on some harder stuff. Sunshine Faces get shade in late afternoon. Perhaps not ideal, but plenty cool for thin cranking.
Chris Owen · · Big Bear Lake · Joined Jan 2002 · Points: 11,617

Good for you Jon! You're more than likely a steadier leader than I. In the spirit of the post perhaps Season's End would be a reasonable 5.11 to try at Suicide, it's not easy but quite well protected for Suicide Rock, Electric Razor too I think.

Guy Keesee · · Moorpark, CA · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 349

SPEAR.... all kidding aside, what 10s have you done?

Spear · · ca · Joined Jun 2015 · Points: 10

I'm a Josh local and try to get out once a week even in this crazy heat, were starting to check out big bear a bit but haven't been up since the fire.

I haven't gotten back into leading since decked a few years back, I'm gonna hop on the horse again shortly though.

a few 5.10s
The Shank
Harrell-Turner
Noriega Does Panama
Rodeo Doggie
Private Eye
Fresh Step
Exhibit A

Trying to round out the 5.10s with some c/d routes soon. The to do list includes.
Old soft shoe
Out of Order
Broken Hearted
Count Dracula

Just mainly want a few 5.11 to project. Our goal is to hopefully break into the grade by October.

Thanks for all the input/suggestions really appreciate it!

Will S · · Joshua Tree · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 1,061

Ok, if you're looking to be on them in the warm weather, I'd probably change my recommendations a bit.

Best thing in that case might be Say No to Jugs 11a, in the Cling or Fling Corridor. Not TR accessible as I remember (been many years since I climbed at that crag), ,but it's in a pretty tight corridor so should get shade some or most of the day. I remember it as a pretty tightly bolted (for JT) and straightforward sport route on positive holds. No sloping grain in the sun, which would be nightmare in the heat as Russ said.

No anchor on top when I did it, slung blocks for a rap anchor. Take some webbing, those routes don't get done a whole lot and I wouldn't expect to find rap slings in place.

Guy Keesee · · Moorpark, CA · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 349

Hi, I would suggest you go and try Bendix Claws .. and Misfits. Both have really good climbing and they are in the shade in the AM.... not face/slab climbs though, sort of all around climbing skillz testing.

Good luck , enjoy...

Will S · · Joshua Tree · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 1,061

Come on fellas, Bendix Claws? Swept Away?...no offense intended, but WTF? The OP is trying to break into the grade. Both are, IMO, not suitable for that.

Bendix Claws is possibly the hardest 11a in JT, is fairly sustained, and is predominantly crack climbing. It does have about the easiest access to the top for TR that you'll find, and it's in the shade. It is a really good route, but that's not the point.

Swept Away is hot, overstarred, has fiddly small gear at the business, and the crux is funky JT face climbing (ya'll know what I mean by "funky" it's not straighforward pulling, it's slightly awkward and not the easiest sequence to read).

If you do want a crack route on the list, I'd suggest Wedlock, 11a. In a shady corridor, not too hard for the grade, not super sustained, predominantly a splitter finger crack that takes good gear, is underappreciated/understarred,and has a cool ending on a giant chockstone spanning the corridor. You can access the top by scrambling up a chocolate colored face and then onto the chockstone. Probably 4th class to access the top, but we downclimbed it rather than rapped off the 3 times I did the route.

If you are tall, another crack route you might add would be Erotic City. It's a 2 move reachy face crux after some mellow locker handcrack. The two move sequence is 11b-ish, the rest of the route is about 5.8. It has a walkoff, so you can scramble up and set your TR. Not that shady from memory.

Finally, Dimp For a Chimp 11a, might work. Crack route, VERY short, in the shade, easy access for TR. I've done it a couple times, but cordless, so no input on how well it protects.

Rusty Finkelstein · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2014 · Points: 0

Most of the routes suggested so far are either cracks or somewhat inappropriate for a new 5.11 leader. I would recommend getting to the hidden valley campground real early and hit up the "Decompensator Of Lhasa"(in Steve's canyon) and the 84' Olympics route on the cyclops.
Neither are quite 5.11, but pretty close. They're also not particularly dangerous routes (in the cruxes anyway! lol). These might be good routes to see where your head's at on awkward slabby 5.10s.
Good luck!

Rusty Finkelstein · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2014 · Points: 0

Good call, Russ! Overnight sensation is a great route. I can't decide if the the giant black hueco looks like an old-school VW Bug, or if the whole face looks lke an alien skull and the hueco is the eyes. Is there another Bikini Whale?? - thought that thing was 5.12?

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Southern California
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