Joshua Tree Scrambles

What are your favorite scrambles in the park?

I am looking for recommendations for the best or most adventurous hikes/scrambles that I could do with some non climbers.

Thanks!

Class 4 "scrambles" for non-climbers?

Class 4...... you know that’s a free solo grade.

Hike to the top of Ryan Mt from over by Sheep’s Pass. Great views.

I really don't recommend taking non-climbers scrambling, especially class 4. When I lived in Joshua Tree I scrambled significantly in my non-climbing time. Scrambling up Intersection Rock was my favorite, and I did it frequently. However, I think the routes I took probably involved some low 5th class. The most adventurous scramble, by far, that non-climbers (and climbers) would enjoy is the Chasm. You'll have to make some friends in Hidden Valley for that to happen.

Whatever class! Let’s not digress! I’m just looking for suggestions of scrambles or hikes or whatever you think could be fun for non climbers but maybe more adventurous than a trail.  

Truth is that anywhere in the main part of J-tree that isn't a formal trail turns into a great scramble. It's hard not to scramble there.

Paris T wrote: What are your favorite scrambles in the park?

The descent route for many climbs.

Chasm of Doom is a scramble, of sorts.

scrambling is everywhere....

Sentinel Rock in Real Hidden Valley: go up the southside slab walkoff for Fote Hog, Ball Bearing, etc if familiar with those climbs. see tourists scramble up that all the time. nearby Tumbling Rainbow makes for a photogenic backdrop (photo taken at about halfway)

Cyclops Rock at edge of Hidden Valley: scramble up the backside to a popular scenic summit. prob easier than Class 3, more like an inclined walk

those are walkoffs for the taller formations that we often encounter tourists scrambling up.  not long nor too strenuous.  even allotting for loitering up top to take in the views, prob up and back down within an hour.  plenty of others too

as mentioned, Chasm Of Doom if looking to do some tight squeeze squirming too.  more exciting to do at night, but can do that in broad daylight.  many don't know, but partway down, you could squirm the other way to exit toward the parking lot too.  pretty wild inside the belly of that formation

Two items Paris, if you are looking to burn calories.  Super Dome.  Hike into Willow Hole and scramble up a large boulder gully on Super Slab's west end.  Several hundred feet in elevation gain scrambling up this gully lands you at  the base of one of the larger and more pristine domes in the park, Super Dome.  My go to climb there is a route named the Great Unknown, 5.10b**.  As you face the south face on approach, it is located on an attached tower on the left side.   The rest of the wall is quite intimidating featuring one of the finer 5.12+*** routes in the park, Warpath.  The walls are steep, clean (void of many features) and beautiful by Jtree standards.  Circumvent the formation to the left walking below the tower I mentioned.  Follow the north side around to where it meets up with Super Block at the far east end.  There is an exposed scramble opportunity there.  Once you reach the ridge, it is 3rd class scrambling to the summit with incredible views.  If you bring a 60m rope, you can rap down between Super Dome and Super Block via an infamous sport route named Hydra, 5.13+***.  This scramble gives a first hand look at some of the finer hard routes in the park.  The return, to form a cirque of sorts, is to head west for the Atom Smashers which possess some crazy good and unusual climbing (not to mention great lighting at sunset).  You will get the name when you come across them.  This is as deep as you can go in North Wonderland before having to lose elevation down into Indian Cove.  This area is quite a bit higher in elevation than the Helmet or Bighorn Dihedral.  The return to Boyscout trail head is pleasant and mostly flat at that point.

There is an area named Johnny Lang crags.  You hike up a remote drainage to the west and behind Baskerville Rock.  This drainage had ice in it several weeks ago.  Follow this drainage as it curves back east.  You will now be out of vision of any of the main park.  The uniqueness of this hike, besides the remote feeling, is that you will see tons of evidence of the old timers trying to repair and direct the banks with rock walls to capture the drainage at lower elevations.  This is one of the few hikes you can get well over 1000' of gain out of in the park.  I go up there to climb the Fissure King Formations which are significant granite walls sitting down from the summit several hundred feet in elevation.  By pass them on the left and scramble to the top of the hill which resembles as much of a peak as Queen or Ryan, minus any humans.   Some of the few sheep left in the park are up in this area along with a mountain lion den.  The climbs at Fissure King are outstanding.

Good luck with your trip.

Boy Scout trailhead to barker dam trailhead could take a day. A loop around the Astro domes is a fairly long one too. Around the backside of Ellesmere Island and up the low angle rockslide then down past hidden dome is a fun half day. 

Looping the Astro Domes is a good one. Try to reverse the walk off from Lenticular Dome (Mental Physics). Hike east-west from Lost Horse to the Real Hidden Valley loop (mostly walking), or north-south across the Lost Horse areas (lots of scrambling).

took photo from atop Ancient Kingdom at Indian Cove.  squint to see a tiny scrambler topping out with raised arms just left of center.  heard them in the distance and sounded like they were having a good time. they prob scrambled up an entire rocky slope.  maybe around Wonder Bluffs above Condor Rock, judging by the background cars at the Short Wall visible to the right

Sloppy Second wrote:

The descent route for many climbs.

Chasm of Doom is a scramble, of sorts.

Why the eff do people always blab about this online?  Are you going to start posting pictures on instagram too?  It'll be the next Potato Chip Rock.  

Back on point, I don't think there's really an established scrambling circuit if you will.  You can find interesting stuff to do in Hidden Valley, the Real Hidden Valley, etc.  Just head for someone (edit: oops, "something") that looks cool and have at.  If they're non-climbers, just about any generic Josh scramble should be plenty satisfying.

Do an "approach" and get lost - I've scrambled unplanned many times.

Locker wrote: I don't think anyone is aware that you own it...

Ok Locker, clearly I don't.  My concern is that advertising brings crowds and the inevitable abuse.  Think of the Park.  Back when it was just monument, so one cared and so few came.  Less impact, less pavement, less trash, etc.  I was out there yesterday, and at 10 am the line to get in was almost a mile long.  We found one of the last few parking spots on the road near Intersection (and that was after trying to park by Hidden Valley and the lot by Intersection, both of which were already full). I ended up going to that place which shall not be mentioned with my 8 and 12 yr. old and there were crowds of people milling about looking for it.  We went through with another group of about 7 or 8 and then met another being (illegally?) guided in the opposite direction.  If you do a search on google or social media you will find LOTS of photos and videos.  So in many respects the word is out, and once (or now) that the genie is out of the bottle its going to be like other social media hotspots where you wait for an hour just to take a selfie.  People more interested in a tick or post will trash the place because they don't value it.  Soon, it will get bad enough where regulars and locals won't want to bother and we'll wonder how it happened.  Bottom line, you can do what you want.  Totally up to you, and I respect that.  I'm just speaking for me.  I like to think that some places are special or best kept within our little community and that there's nothing wrong with making others work to find them. 

Fat Dad wrote:

Ok Locker, clearly I don't.  My concern is that advertising brings crowds and the inevitable abuse.  Think of the Park.  Back when it was just monument, so one cared and so few came.  Less impact, less pavement, less trash, etc.  I was out there yesterday, and at 10 am the line to get in was almost a mile long.  We found one of the last few parking spots on the road near Intersection (and that was after trying to park by Hidden Valley and the lot by Intersection, both of which were already full). I ended up going to that place which shall not be mentioned with my 8 and 12 yr. old and there were crowds of people milling about looking for it.  We went through with another group of about 7 or 8 and then met another being (illegally?) guided in the opposite direction.  If you do a search on google or social media you will find LOTS of photos and videos.  So in many respects the word is out, and once (or now) that the genie is out of the bottle its going to be like other social media hotspots where you wait for an hour just to take a selfie.  People more interested in a tick or post will trash the place because they don't value it.  Soon, it will get bad enough where regulars and locals won't want to bother and we'll wonder how it happened.  Bottom line, you can do what you want.  Totally up to you, and I respect that.  I'm just speaking for me.  I like to think that some places are special or best kept within our little community and that there's nothing wrong with making others work to find them. 

Yeah it sucks and the internet is making it worse.

I was there too and saw a bunch of people, including some fat guy with his two kids. And then he wrote about it on the internet.

Someone should warn these folks what lies in the Chasm of Doom

Malapai Hill is a fun hike.

Sean wrote:
Cyclops Rock at edge of Hidden Valley: scramble up the backside to a popular scenic summit. prob easier than Class 3, more like an inclined walk

I can imagine this one becoming a favorite. Did the descent about a week ago for the first time.

Sloppy Second wrote:

Yeah it sucks and the internet is making it worse.

I was there too and saw a bunch of people, including some fat guy with his two kids. And then he wrote about it on the internet.

Ok.  I got a chuckle out of that (though I'm not fat).  And no I won't write about it on the internet.