J Tree Advice for Novice Sport Climbing?

I haven't been lead climbing in a while and will be meeting friends in Joshua Tree in a month. A friend and I hope to do some sport leading and set up TRs for the rest of the group. Some have never touched rock before. I'll of course be looking into guide books to see what I can find. I've got a couple of ideas from looking through the areas and routes here on Mountain Project. But as yet I don't have a strong feeling that one place or another might be a better bet for a fun day of easy-to-moderate sport climbing. If anyone has advice I'd love to know! The ideal would be single-pitch, 5.7 - 5.10d, less-then-typical (for J Tree) run out, and preferably taller than a rock gym wall (I see a bunch of 25-40ft. low-end routes). We'll make due with what we get and will surely have a fun day. But if anyone has advice for areas that fit the description and might be more fun than others, I'd love to hear.

Thanks,

Duffy

If you have gear to make anchors, there are lots of options. Easy sport with bolts at the top? Not much in that realm.  Echo or Indian Cove maybe. 

New Jack would be perfect for newbies of all levels, but not really the Jtree experience, lol. 

What the heck is the name of the popular sport place out of Key's Corner/Boy Scout Trail? I can't remember...easily found though. Outer Mongolia, Siberia? ...urgh old age..

TR options are endless. However, a lot of the time you'll need some long runners to get your master point over the edge. 

Todd Gordon was working on his sport guide, wonder if it ever was published? 

Lizard Rock is popular with groups. Ez access to the top.

Good luck, I miss it.

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105800933/siberia

Good luck with JTree for early May.  Pay as much attention to exposure as anything else, you want to be in the shade, 'cause it will be getting toasty.

Thanks all! I really appreciate the advice. I'm TOTALLY aware that newbie-level sport climbing is not what J Tree is all about, so i appreciate the help identifying spots. And the comment on exposure is definitely a great reminder. The desert is no joke.

I don’t recommend Siberia for groups of newebs..... #1 it’s a long hike. #2 some pretty stout scrambling just to get to the climbs. #3 almost zero shade.

I recommend you go to Belle Campground.... Outward Bound, NOLS and others find the climbs left of Belly Up to be perfect for folks with little experience. On MP the spot is “Castle Rock - N”

Diagnostics is one of the best climbs to teach crack climbing on .... and there are easy face climbs about 10 -40 feet right.

And as a double bonus, I think it’s in the shade in May.

Have fun

EDIT to add.... Roots. How do you like Oregon? Redmond?

This area is pretty beginner friendly and very easy to access the top. Bolt anchors for many of the lines. Gets morning shade. 

The Solarium -- SW face I believe. Tims Valentine & a few nearby routes!

Sharon Saltoon wrote: The Solarium -- SW face I believe. Tims Valentine & a few nearby routes!

And just around the corner on the North Side Right Wall: Incandescent 5.7+ and Electrolux 5.9

Tims valentine bakes in the sun. Hence the name solarium.  On the north side if that formation will be cooler(incadescent,electralux) also the buckets to Burbank wall is great place to easily scramble up and set up a bunch of TR's but not really sport climbs.  Even the "easy "routes can be spicy I would reconnect sticking to areas with  known easy scrambles to the anchors. This niche request you have of wanting easy sport that you can set up tr for a groups it's doesn't really exist in concentrated routes , they're all scattered all over te park

Thin Wall has some fun options for TR, easy to set anchors from top of the wall. No sport leading though. Beware that you'll likely have a lot of company there.

Another option worth considering is bouldering. It's everywhere and easy for a group of noobs to get some time on the rock. All you need is a crash pad or two. I really like the bouldering areas out behind cyclops rock. Super fun.  

Check out the routes next to Ryan campground (Cryptic was super fun). Also, I believe Siberia in the wonderland of rocks has several easy to moderate lead routes, all pretty closely bolted with chains on top.

EDIT: yeah, it will get sun all day, but if the weather is fair, I wouldn't hesitate to make the scramble there - it's well signed and pretty straightforward. The view from there is gorgeous.

Thanks, everyone, for your input. We ended up at Indian Cove, baked our brains in the sun, and had a good day. We had not planned on the logistics required to get a bunch of newbs moving and motivated, so ended up doing very little climbing. But the highlights, should any other folks be looking, were a TR route and a low end sport route:

1) The Return of General Noriega (TR) - Indian Cove/Indian Cove Campground/Feudal Wall ( mountainproject.com/route/1…)
Getting to the chains to set the TR was a well protected crawl up an off-width v-shaped crevasse of rock on the west side of the crag. Once the TR was slung it provided access to General Noriega and the two climbs to its right (note: this causes a bit of rope drag, so be forewarned). But that was great for a newbie group because folks could try whatever section of the wall they wanted. The starts of Noriega and the two routes to the right were pretty blank and General Noriega actually starts IN a prickery bush, so it can be a bit frustrating here for inexperienced folks. Most success was had climbing an un-noted line up the very right end of the wall where there is a nice lie-backy crack. About 20 feet up you can span to the left to another crack system and top out. Good fun for the group. EDIT: we clipped a directional biner that is part of Noreiga Does Panama to limit swing once it was clear people wanted to take the rope waaaay right of the anchors. YMMV

2) Some random climb up the gully behind campsite #3
We found Willit Pillar and decided to scramble through the gully to its right hoping to get to Indian Palisades Corridor. We stopped at the first bolts we saw: a pair of routes on the east wall of the gully. The left route appeared to be 80-90ft and about 5.7-5.8. The right route was four bolts, and 40-50ft. Hard to say on the rating. The bottom felt like 5.8+-5.9 due to the crimpy, balancy climbing. But after the second bolt crux, it's easy 5.6 moves up the arete and some flakes. This was gold for the folks I had along. Once the TR was up it the beginning provided ample challenge for those who wanted it, or the climber could go off-route to an easier scramble up a trough to get past the crux. Confidence-inspiring and fun for all involved. Unfortunately I cannot possibly say what routes these were. From the map view they look to be between Indian Palisades Corridor and Willit Spire. The two climbs don't match any of the descriptions for IPC climbs very well, and certainly none of the photos (in fact, it looks like 3-4 of the climbs for IPC have the same exact photo of a blank slab attributed to them). Whatever the case, these were some nice low-end climbs that didn't require pestering campers to get to. As noted, though, it was HOT. There was some shade in the gully, which the crew was thankful for. But the wall was fully exposed. By early afternoon we were cooked and spent.

Anyway, thanks again! I'll definitely be back when I'm not shepherding neophytes!

Duffy Gillman wrote: 
2) Some random climb up the gully behind campsite #3
We found Willit Pillar and decided to scramble through the gully to its right hoping to get to Indian Palisades Corridor. We stopped at the first bolts we saw: a pair of routes on the east wall of the gully. The left route appeared to be 80-90ft and about 5.7-5.8. The right route was four bolts, and 40-50ft. Hard to say on the rating. The bottom felt like 5.8+-5.9 due to the crimpy, balancy climbing. But after the second bolt crux, it's easy 5.6 moves up the arete and some flakes.

sounds like those could be The Sand Donkey (aka Will It Or Won't It) and Willit Hold? (named in the former's comments)

that portion sticks out to seem like a diff rock, but it's just the extended right side of the Willit Pillar formation, located above and right of Call Of The West, as indicated by the MP photos.  prob why that's listed under Willit Pillar.  it's the last decent rock face before the Indian Palisades Corridor

Maayan L wrote: Check out the routes next to Ryan campground (Cryptic was super fun). Also, I believe Siberia in the wonderland of rocks has several easy to moderate lead routes, all pretty closely bolted with chains on top.

EDIT: yeah, it will get sun all day, but if the weather is fair, I wouldn't hesitate to make the scramble there - it's well signed and pretty straightforward. The view from there is gorgeous.

Yup, Cryptic and Southwest Corner are both on Headstone and worth checking out.  SW corner is rated 5.6 but if you’re not familiar with JTree grades you may find them a bit steep, even the sport routes, and especially the runout slab ~sport routes.  

...just realized you already went but I’m going to add some tips for others...

Bear Island is 1mi in en route to Outer Mongolia.  No sport leads, but quality chains you can easily hike up to and set toproped from with no extensions needed.  It’s also in the shade most of the day - we actually hammock camped at the base just a few weeks ago.

I second the note that most of Outer Mongolia will be scorching this time of year; we headed to Asian Fever Wall as well and were cooking.  Outer Mongolia is dreamy but this is a tough time of year for it as I think most/all routes are in the sun, at least the moderates we were searching out.

Sean wrote:

sounds like those could be The Sand Donkey (aka Will It Or Won't It) and Willit Hold? (named in the former's comments)

I got a direct message from a J Tree local that makes me feel like I was on Hippo Paradise. We had definitely looked at The Sand Donkey on our way past. It looks like an awesome route!

Thanks!