Olympic Dome

Olympic dome from the wash.

Description 

Olympic Dome is simply one of the best crags on Queen Mountain, featuring excellent rock and high quality routes. You will find both steep, hard face routes such as Black Diamond (12a) and Red Cross (12a/b), as well as fine crack routes Icon (5.10c) and The Bloodline (12a). Most routes face south or southwest and are sunny most of the day.

Getting There 

Make your initial approach as per the Happy Hunting Ground area (Frontier Wall, etc), but continue north along the main wash until it begins to veer a bit to the northwest and become a bit rocky. At this point, you should head right (east) into a tributary wash that opens up and eventually angles a bit to the northeast. Where this wash finally takes a distinct right turn (east-south-east) you will see Olympic Dome pretty much straight ahead (to the northeast); it is the right-most and higher formation on the hillside.

Turn somewhat left (leaving the main wash) and head over a rise and boulders into a small wash system that heads up and to the right of Olympic Dome. You will pass the Shark Fin while heading up this wash. Soon, you must scramble up boulders to the base of Olympic Dome, ending up near its right end, almost directly below Black Diamond.

Featured Route For Olympic Dome

The Bloodline 5.12a  CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Olympic Dome

Begin at the same spot as for Red Cross (5.12a) and clip the first bolt for that route. Traverse left past two more bolts until reaching the base of the left-slanting seam. One more bolt and a piton are at the base of the seam (11c to this point). Brilliant climbing on exquisite rock exists to the top. You will encounter a distinct crux (12) half way up the seam where a fixed #1 camalot is located. An ancient cactus is located on the le...[more]