Rubicon Formation

BETA PHOTO: Rubicon Formation

Description 

West of the Grand Canyon formation is a 100 foot high block; on it's east face is the namesake Rubicon (5.10c) a stunning zig-zagging crack which starts at the formation's right side, traverses almost the entire face to the left, and continues to the top via a right-arching finger crack. There is a convenient rappel station atop the rock directly above Seizure (5.12c) another suberb route which climbs the difficult face directly right of the upper portion of Rubicon.

Directly across from the formation is the route For Peter (5.11c).

Getting There 

Heading southwest from the Split Rocks parking lot, you'll see the obvious cracks on the east side of the Grand Canyon formation, as well as the Isles In The Sky formation further behind. Head down the well-worn trail around the north end of the Grand Canyon, following a wash at this point. Once west of the Grand Canyon formation, head left (south) along another small wash. Rubicon Rock is now visible, just in front of you on the right. The approach from the parking lot takes no more than 5-6 minutes, 10 if you are really slow.

Featured Route For Rubicon Formation

Rubicon 5.10c  CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Rubicon Formation

This is my personal favorite 5.10 route in Josh. You can rappel with one 60 meter rope, but the route has at least 40 meters of climbing to it. The upper half of the climb is a sustained and exciting finger crack with excellent nut placements and lots of amazing edges for the feet. Think carefully about how you want to protect this route since placing gear along it's entire length would result in totally unbearable rope drag by the time the crux...[more]

Add Photo Photos of Rubicon Formation

Rubicon Formation profile. Photo by Blitzo.