Top Twenty Cracks in Joshua Tree...

caughtinside wrote: Have you redpointed that splitter rig yet?

I'm still projecting The Bong. ToeJam will have to wait till 2011.

Fat Dad wrote:A few of easy 5.7s: False Smooth as Silk (either 5.4 or 5.7) Classic Corner Bushcrack Popular Mechanics (5.9) is really clean. You'd almost swear you're in the Valley.

I don't know about False Smooth as Silk, but Smooth as Silk is great for 20 feet or so.

+1 on Popular Mechanics, and the one to the left of it - Ace of Spades?

I really liked Bird on Fire and Rubicon.

Fat Dad wrote:A few of easy 5.7s: False Smooth as Silk (either 5.4 or 5.7) Classic Corner Bushcrack Popular Mechanics (5.9) is really clean. You'd almost swear you're in the Valley.

Bush Crack!

I thought about adding that one, but figured anyone who'd done it would think it silly to include here. Fun, tricky start (for 5.7) into just a perfect beautiful hand crack. Too bad it's so short, and most would probably say the approach is excessive for what you get, but for the short trip up it's a joy. I think it's worth it.

Along the same lines (great 5.7 crack, but short):

Life's a Bitch and Then you Marry One

My vote for some good (some classic) moderate/easy cracks:

Double Cross
Sail Away
Mental Physics
Double Dogleg
Mr. Misty Kiss
of course...The Bong

never did understand the popularity of mental physics.

i think bambi meets godzilla should be on the list. a ton of good, moderate climbing. not something you see a lot of at jtree...

x15x15 wrote:never did understand the popularity of mental physics. i think bambi meets godzilla should be on the list. a ton of good, moderate climbing. not something you see a lot of at jtree...

Each time you post in this thread, I agree with you more and more...

Mental Physics is way over-rated and Vector and Crack Queen are two of the best cracks in the park.

There could be a whole different thread on unknown/under-appreciated, quality cracks in the park...

I really like Mental Physics, but it's really the sum of all it's parts: the location out in the Wonderland, it's more than one pitch (which is nice for Josh), you get both crack and face, and you also getting that nice hanging belay where in the winter time you look over and see San Gorgonio plastered in snow. All that in a 5.7. Good stuff.

caughtinside wrote:My favorite 20 that I can think of of the top of my head, in no particular order: Rubicon Perpetual Motion Touch and Go Scary Poodles Coarse and Buggy Sail Away Pope's Crack Cedric's Deep Sea Fish Market Bird of Fire Prepackaged Mental Physics Overseer Anacram Invisibility Lessons Continuum the Bendix Claws Right V crack Double Cross The Rattler Tax Man I haven't done these, but I've looked at them and they look sick: Wangerbanger O'Kelleys Vector Equinox

the Exorcist doesn't make your list?

The Bong 5.4
Mental Physics p1 5.7
Double Cross 5.7
Popular Mechanics/Ace of Spades 5.9
Touch and Go 5.9
High Strung 5.9
Illusion Dweller 5.10
Bird of Fire 5.10
Rubicon 5.10
Imaginary Voyage 5.10
Between a Rock and a Hardplace 5.10
Perpetual Motion 5.10
Coarse and Buggy 5.11
Heart of Darkness 5.11
O'Kelley's 5.11
Wangerbanger 5.11
Vector 5.11
Castaway 5.11
Equinox 5.12
Throbbing Gristle 5.12

caughtinside wrote: 12 feet of 5.8 OW one of the best cracks in Josh?

What can I say? I like groveling.

I can attest to that Matt...I have seen you grovel up some interesting stuff. Stoked for Tahquitz...

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Firewater Chimney. Chimneys count as cracks too don't they?... even if it is bolt protected.

Some others that I haven't seen mentioned but would maybe be on my top 20 are Hex Marks the Poot, Room to Shroom, No Self Respect, and No Self Confidence.

Does nobody else enjoy Gargoyle as much as me?

Bussonier or whatever, fuck that is a hard 5.7.

Every crack on The Old Woman. Touch and Go and Popes.

No Gem or Colorado Crack? Those are pretty good yet challenging for the grade.

Agree on Sail Away and Classic Corner though Sail Away is a bit more flared than some other 8's and is face rather than crack at the upper crux.

Double Dogleg has some pretty sweet jammin' for 5.7 too, especially near the top.

Nathan Manson wrote:Does nobody else enjoy Gargoyle as much as me?

Right! Another excellent moderate! Very similar to Gem in terms of roughness of the granite though - you definitely want to tape up for both of these.

Kevin Craig wrote:No Gem or Colorado Crack?

Well, this originally started as a "Best 20 crack climbs in Jtree" discussion, not any crack climb in Jtree.

Ryan Kelly wrote: Well, this originally started as a "Best 20 crack climbs in Jtree" discussion, not any crack climb in Jtree.

Well, both are 3 stars on this site whereas Double Cross and Sail Away are 3.5 stars. That extra half star puts the others in the top 20??

Kevin Craig wrote: Well, both are 3 stars on this site whereas Double Cross and Sail Away are 3.5 stars. That extra half star puts the others in the top 20??

I'm sorry, I didn't realize this discussion was ultimately governed by the database star count. In that case, why are we even discussing this, just do a search for Jtree by stars and take the first 20 cracks that come up.

I just don't think that Gem is very good, not worth of mention in a best of discussion. It's an ok climb, worth doing in the area, but nothing more. Colorado is much better, but the rock quality keeps it from a 4-star route; that and some of the movement. I don't like the large crystals in that part of the park, especially for handjams, especially that climb. They're both notable because they're "long" by Jtree standards, but that's it, IMHO.

Is it a decent climb? Sure. Is it one of the top 20 cracks at Jtree, not in my opinion, not by a long shot. Would it have 3 stars and more than 10 votes if it wasn't in the 5.5 to 5.9 guidebook? Probably not. There seems to be a mass of climbers with a blind faith that would make a Baptist feel inadequate, believing that any climb published in that book is a fantastic climb.

Gem is like 15' of perfect hands, with some of the biggest gnarliest flesh eating crystals in the park. Not even Top 50, IMO. I'd rank all those 5.9 and 10a cracks in the corridor behind Bird of Fire et al as waaaay better than Gem or Colorado crack. Most of them are just numbered...Crack #6, Crack #3 etc, but they're longer, more sustained, equal or better rock quality, and I've never seen other people there.

I think of Gem as something roughly on par with the right sawdust crack (very short, even by JT stds, perfect hands, super aggressive crystals, do it once if you're already in the area and afterwards wonder why it gets hype).