Perpetual Motion Wall  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  4,000' Page Views:  11,615. Good page?    Administrators:  C Miller, Adam Stackhouse, M.Morley, Sam Vanderhyden, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  C Miller on Aug 5, 2002 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

Perpetual Motion
Photo by Darshan Ahluwalia

Description 

The Perpetual Motion Wall is a long, southeast-facing wall located about 400 meters northeast of The Volcano Formation and slightly southeast of Star Wars Rock. Located atop a rubble pile, and the highest summit in the area, it's southeast face looks out over an enclosed valley guarded by large boulders which makes the approach somewhat tricky.

The gem of the area is the namesake splitter handcrack of Perpetual Motion (5.10d), although several other enjoyable routes are in the area and worth doing, something to consider after making the somewhat rough approach which will take 20-30 minutes depending upon the approach taken and other factors.

Getting There 

Several approaches are possible, but the easiest is to head east past the south side of The Volcano Formation until the formation comes into view and then scramble up boulders into the valley below the southeast face, where you'll find the route Perpetual Motion (5.10d). This approach is longer, but has the advantage of getting a visual on the wall as you near the formation.

Another approach is to come from the north past the north side of the Diamond Clump, head south along the east side of that formation and then once past Raker's Hatrack (a distinctive spire in the midst of a rubble pile) head east to enter the high valley with the Perpetual Motion Formation.

Lastly, it's possible to head east along the south side of Star Wars Rock, which faces the north side of the Perpetual Motion Wall, and then duck into a narrow corridor with the routes Knick and Knack to come out on the southeast side of the formation. This is perhaps the easiest approach, but is tricky as the distinctively cleaved southeast face is not visible until the very end.

The Classics

Featured Route For Perpetual Motion Wall

Perpetual Motion 5.10d  CA : Joshua Tree National Park : ... : Perpetual Motion Wall

An absolutely classic overhanging hand crack. You'll wish it were three times as long. Toward the right side of the Perpetual Motion Wall two cracks form a giant "V". The left crack is Perpetual Motion, the right is Gross Chimney. A bulging thin hands bit at the start gets the crux out of the way early. Plug perfect hands (and occasional cams) up the overhanging wall while the pump clock ticks away. It widens just a bit at the top, but that means you're almost done with it. The view from ...[more]   Browse More Classics in CA