Planet X Area  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  4,200' Lat, Long:  33.9966, -116.156 Map Page Views:  8,318. Good page?    Administrators:  C Miller, Adam Stackhouse, M.Morley, Sam Vanderhyden, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  C Miller on Aug 26, 2008 Make this area a Favorite What's New  Printer View Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

A good look at the thin start. Photo by Tony Sarti...

Description 

The open area north of Cap Rock is home to the Planet X Area which contains a number of quality routes as well as the popular Planet X Bouldering.

Notable areas here include the sunny The Love Nest which is home to a handful of quality sport routes in the 5.11 range, the free-standing Planet X Pinnacle which has a great 5.8 crack/face route as well as some other face routes in the 5.9-5.11+ range and The Crypt, a more recently developed area with routes in the 5.7-5.11 range.

Getting There 

Look for a dirt pullout about 1.4 miles from Hidden Valley Campground and 0.3 miles before Cap Rock that's on the left (east) side of the road if coming from Hidden Vally CG.

A well-defined and marked trail leads across the desert to The Love Nest which is visible from the car and on the approach. Hiking east a bit further will get you to Planet X Pinnacle as well as the Planet X Bouldering area. The Crypt lies a bit further east still, although it can also approached from the vicinity of the Hall of Horrors.

Approach times vary from 5-20 minutes depending upon the area.

The Classics

Featured Route For Planet X Area

Planet X 5.8  CA : Joshua Tree National Park : ... : Planet X Pinnacle

Start above a cactus and climb a steep, juggy hand crack until it narrows to thin hands, then fingers and then finally dies out at a bolt. Clip the bolt and make some face moves using patina edges and smears to reach up and left to a short flared crack that leads to the summit.Enjoy the view of the surrounding desert - Saddle Rocks, Headstone Rock, The Astro Domes, King Dome/Hall of Horrors and the Loose Lady Buttress are some of the formations visible from the summit of this formation, and then...[more]   Browse More Classics in CA

Photos of Planet X Area Slideshow

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The first sunset of 2010, Joshua Tree NP	An overview of the Planet X Area, Joshua Tree NP	Checking the guidebook...
Jessy Kronenberg on Planet Y	Planet X Area, Joshua Tree NP