[Hide Comment] Right On is a excelent route! Three Stars rating. I have been climbing in Joshua Tree since 1977. Tri- Cams work great on the second pitch on Right On. I use to climb Right On and switch cracks into Orange Flake ,a crack Left of Right On. Try the Rappell routeat the top of Right On, not the standard one put up by John Wolfe. You must walk down a steep ramp to theRappell bolts; a excellent 150 foot Rappell and closer to you car.I installed rhe bolts their in mid 70s Jul 22, 2003

[Hide Comment] I finally hauled my butt over and did this climb last Saturday. I wouldn't call it a mega-classic, but it's a lot of fun -- especially the last pitch, even though it's probably the easiest of them.

There are two-bolt anchors at both the first and second belays (both unnecessary, but mighty convenient nonetheless), for those who want to climb this in four pitches. This is a climb that screams for linking pitches, though. The second "pitch" can't be more than 40-50 feet long. With a 60m rope, you can easily link pitch 2 with either pitch 1 or pitch 3. We linked 2 and 3, but if I did it again I'd probably try to link 1 and 2, since the belay ledge on the top of pitch 2 is much roomier and more comfortable than the cave at the top of the first pitch. Mar 24, 2004

[Hide Comment] I linked P1 and 2 together with a 60m - had about 10' left I think.
P1 can definitely feel spicy if your head isnt into it yet. There are 2 cracks on the right on the first easy (5.1/5.3 maybe) 30' of the face to put in semi crappy tiny nuts. They might or might not hold a fall and if you fall theres no way getting around bumping into stuff on the way down, so its really all about getting to the bolt. The 10' getting from the crack to the bolt on P1 is more like 5.5 but pretty polished. The next 15' or so up to a crack is polished and made me think a bit - first tried going right of the bolt but got shut down on the traverse to the crack and downclimbed to go left of the bolt which worked a lot better. The rock there is pretty polished from so many climbers and few big foot and handholds so I would probably rate that 15' from bolt to crack more like 5.6 - similar to the move on double dip getting into the bowl 1/2 way up. P1 and 2 are very protectable after that.

P3 (chimney) was nice - beginning could be akward if you dont have much experience with it. Knee bar with the left leg or straighten the right when you want a rest. Pro kinda runs out 60 feet up but the angle lessens a lot (maybe 65 degrees) and you wouldnt go anywhere but get stuck in the chimney if you slid. You can sling a flake or two on the way up. Hand size pieces work well the first 50 feet. Near the top of the chimney there is an arete to the left of the chimney you can face climb for 15' as the chimney deepens. On the right side of the arete is a gulley past some boulders you are aiming for. There is a flake on the right side of the arete you can undercling to get there.

P4 is nice cruiser 5.0/5.3 knob climbing for the most part. Lots of chicken heads to sling off or tuck the rope behind. As you get about 120' up, you need to go leftish about 15' instead of heading up the blanker face. When you get over a little you'll see the notch with a boulder stuck near the top of it. Drop over and behind it, belay. Then you downclimb (3rd/4th class) 15 feet and anchors are just to the north (climbers left) 15 feet. Apr 30, 2007

[Hide Comment] Climbed this thing yesterday. Was hoping to get some longer multi-pitch experience to prepare for Tahquitz. This fit the bill perfectly. I would say that Mark's comments are dead-on. The only thing I would add is that his description of the fourth pitch seems to avoid the exposed slab finish, which nobody should miss. After leaving the crack system and moving left on the 4th pitch: instead of heading for and belaying in the notch with the bolder, you should continue up the face past horizontals to the very top slab, where chicken heads and lumpy rock make for easy and fun 5.1-5.3 climbing to the finish. you can put a few pieces in behind some of the horizontals but the last 30 feet or so is largely unprotected. There are rappel anchors on the left of this top ledge. Nov 17, 2009

[Hide Comment] Lots of different types of climbing. The chimney is way fun but much too short. It's over so fast. I agree with Tyler, don't blow the moves above the bolt on the 1st pitch. Like Ron says, I shouldn't have problems with it, but I always do. Lends a serious air to the route, at least for me. Jul 17, 2011

[Hide Comment] It's questionable if I've done this route before. If so, it had to be 15+ years ago. I was looking forward to no crowds and a quick dash up this classic 3 1/2 star route. We ran into some friends at the base and probably didn't rope up until at least 4:30pm. So for time and ease I didn't even attempt the lead. Thank GOD as not only did I find the 1st pitch challenging but 2 & 3 as well. Don't get me wrong, great climbing, fun and varied but the 1st pitch is kinda run and the chimney albeit terrific kinda awkward. I'm not certain that I wouldn't have lost my wig on the sharp end. I'll say this, if you're a budding .5 leader..... heads up!

It's a great route but IMO harder than .5! YMMV

Side note, we did it in good time. Russ left the rack of 4 pieces on the ground so it was done with only the bolts, 1 slung horn and a fixed nut at the 2nd pitch. "RIGHT ON"!!!! Oct 16, 2011

[Hide Comment] First pitch isn't too bad. There are multiple options: 1) straight up from the bolt up steeper slab with some good edges and crimps. 2) From bolt go left, up, then right diagonal up; this is less steep, but risks a larger whipper/pendulum. 3) Up and right past the bolt through a couple of cracks and some smaller slab moves. Option 2 seemed most appropriate, and most parties I saw vied for this option. Once in the left leaning crack, fairly straight forward. good hand jams and minor OW technique (elbows and stacked hands, but low angle once in the crack); takes camalot #'s 1-3.

Second pitch (if passing the first bolted anchors since it is easily combined with the first pitch with a 60 m rope): very run out once in the flaring chimney, but very low angle. I found this to be very doable and not heady, even without placing any gear. Make sure you have basic chimney technique down. Stay in the chimney until the end of it and the gully appears. I set up a belay here, but it is best to climb up a little higher to better prep for the final pitch.

Third pitch: Up the gully, and either up the hand crack bulge (fun if you love jamming) or traverse left, away from the bulge. Then up the notch, and continue past the large horn, climbing up onto the right hand side. This takes you to the top of the formation. There is about 15-20 feet of slab, but it's very positive. A 2-bolt anchor is at the top.

Descent: Rap about 30-40 feet to the next large ledge, where you'll find another rap anchor. Rap a second time; this rap, with a 60 m rope will take you to within 5 feet of the base, but the final 5 feet are very easy to downclimb (4th class).

Scramble down the side toward the trees near the start of the climb.

All in all a fun day, but not to be taken lightly if you're thinking 5.5 will be a gimme. Most pitches are easily and confidently (if not necessarily) run out with many jugs, but require some route finding. Feels more like an alpine climb than a normal multipitch route.

Enjoy! Dec 31, 2011

[Hide Comment] Bring no bigger than #3 and don't forget some small TCU's for the first pitch which is slightly R rated. Rope drag on the last pitch is an issue. A full body workout for sure. Next time I'd link 1 and 2. Pretty burly first pitch: Make sure your head is on straight. Mar 24, 2012

[Hide Comment] Nice route. First pitch is 5.5 if done right. At the first bolt go left about 20 to 30 feet and then up a diagonal ramp heading back to the main crack. The opening moves on the third pitch would be the physical crux and they are not 5.5 or 5.6, but you are standing on very big ledge and your going to have to work to get off the ledge. Great climb for beginners to follow or lead if they have the head for long runouts. Its popular! Oct 24, 2012

[Hide Comment] Here's a photo for the far right OW crack.


Jan 8, 2013

[Hide Comment] vimeo.com/72302479 Aug 13, 2013

[Hide Comment] Fun climb. Recommend against attempting a mysterious 3 bolt slab to the right of the final pitch. We`d been climbing friction for a couple days anyway and I figured, how bad could it possibly be? Whatever it was it wasn't pleasant, nor was my effort entirely successful. Oct 26, 2014

[Hide Comment] Revisited this route while teaching a newish leader this last weekend. P1 is a typical runout "welcome to JT" slab section, with which you should take your time. I also agree that the traverse left to finish out Orange Flake is well worth it. Great route to get some miles in on. Feb 10, 2016

[Hide Comment] I've spent some time on Chapel Pond slab in Keene Valley leading and following on Regular Route (5.5PG13) and Empress (5.5X), plus plenty of trad leads in the Daks on 5.7 slabs and friction climbs. I expected this to be slightly more difficult than Regular Route. It is a lot more difficult and demanding than either route I mentioned above, with this route being only 1/2 as long (350' vs 700'). Also Empress (P5) has an X rating versus Right On's PG13 (P1) but I'd say they are comparable (maybe both should be R).

I successfully led the first pitch and was able to place 3 pieces before the bolt. Granted none of them would prevent a hard landing on the ledges and bulges, but I'm guessing the bolt is about 80' off the deck so worth it to take the extra time. Keeping left after the bolt led to easier climbing along a crack system (per the route beta). This pitch felt harder than a 5.6 friction climb, but that being said, I didn't really feel like I had to pull any difficult moves.

P2 is very exposed and my partner led it. Following it wasn't too strenuous, but definitely felt harder than a 5.6, taping up probably would be good because you need some hand jams to stay on.

P3 chimney is awkward. The first move is a bit tricky but not horrible. I made the mistake of trying to jam up this too, and got super pumped after about 30' (and placing 4 pieces), my partner finished this pitch too. The trick as others mentioned is to wedge your back against the right wall and keep your feet high and just run it out. The crack will eat any gear you want to put in, but its deep and strenuous to stay on while messing with gear. The exit has a super cool undercling rail over a deep crevasse that is totally bomber.

P4 easier climbing up the trough. The traverse left feels very exposed but the views are incredible. I opted to use a small but bomber ripple to hand traverse but there is a decent blackish ledge a bit lower but the hands aren't as good and the pro was better a bit higher.

I'd been drawn to Saddle Rock and this climb for a while now. Saddle Rock looms over the valley and can be seen from all over the park, beckoning you to explore it. I'm super happy to have done it with much props to my partner John McMullin for sending the tough sections. We had a very windy day, perhaps 35-45MPH, which made things spicy especially on P1 where I had to hug the rock a few times to let the gusts pass. Unlike most climbs I've done in JTree, this feels like a real alpine route, a real opportunity to get lost in the nooks and crannies of the mountain. Nov 19, 2016

[Hide Comment] I've climbed a lot in J-tree, and even downgraded a fair number of climbs. But a 5.5 rating on this is very sandbagged, and really not consistent with most of J-tree grades. Yeah, maybe back when Kronos was a 5.7 (5.9 consensus now) this could be called a 5.5+, but those grades are no longer used. Right On is plenty frightening for the leader, too. Sep 21, 2017

[Hide Comment] Excellent! Sure, some sections are arguably a little sandbagged, but I really enjoyed climbing this route. I would NOT recommend climbing this as an intro to lead climbing. I feel that the rating may make some climbers think "sweet, lets sink our teeth into this 4 pitch 5.6 to learn trad" but I feel this would be a mistake. Superb views and a nice mix of climbing techniques. Super fun! Apr 6, 2018

[Hide Comment] This is a great route -- one of the best in J-Tree, but not a good choice for newcomers to Joshua Tree, folks looking for a mellow moderate, or gym climbers who don't understand what 5.6 trad in J-Tree can mean. This route is dangerously runout and demands real skill on slab, OW, and chimney. If you aren't solid on 5.8 trad in J-Tree, I'd hold off on this one. If you are, have a great day! May 15, 2018

[Hide Comment] Maybe the most Tahquitz-ish route in J Tree. As stated before, not really a route for those looking to break into the 5.6 grade--you'd better be at least competent in slab, lieback, and chimney climbing before trying this one. To the 5.6 climber it will feel like 5.8, to the 5.8 and above climber it will feel like 5.6. Oct 9, 2018

[Hide Comment] Recommendations: Pitches 1-2: Bring a single 70M and link pitches 1 and 2. This will allow for a more comfortable belay and yield better communication/visibility between climber and belayer on pitch 3. Pitch 3: Choose your spice. If you bring 1 or 2 piece(s) 4" and up, it will lessen the spice. Pitch 4: Make sure to take a minute to enjoy the view. We down climbed through the notch at the top and rapped off the back with a single 70M. From what I recall, a single 70M barely made it. Great adventure route. Nov 20, 2018

[Hide Comment] 60m is just fine for linking P1-2 and rapping. Dec 4, 2018

[Hide Comment] Saw folks behind ud today pitching out on the first bolt on the bottom slab, as they were over-faced. That bolt twirls. Not a good anchor by itself. They finally bailed at the first real anchor. Maybe 5.6 moves for the well-rounded veteran, but given all of the strenuousness and odd gear placements, it is a sand-bag at 6. Be ready. Jan 7, 2019

[Hide Comment] 1st pitch is runout slab, kinda scary. I placed some small pieces down low and a hand sized piece up high and right (rather off-route) before traversing to the bolt (long runners on everything) to at least have some gear in before committing moves to the bolt. Yellow Metolius after bolt. 5.6 is a sand-bag. Probably 5.7+ ish and rather insecure & a bit polished from traffic. After p1 it's all a fun romp to the top. 2 bolt anchor with gear options too.

p2 was an awesome hand crack in a left facing book. Bomber jams. Short pitch to standing ledge with 2 bolt anchor.

p3 was a flared chimney that is rather physical (I liked it, Wendy did not). You may be able to get a #2 and #3 in down low, but the crack gets bigger and I opted to place no gear on the pitch so Wendy would have the option of climbing left to a crack on an adjacent route and avoid the chimney if she wanted. Gear anchor in left flake above chimney, Orange to Black Metolius (BD 0.5-0.75).

p4 if you head right, is a gully on jugs (really fun) to a left traverse then easy crack system to the top. Long runners. Climb behind block at top and body belay or, what I did, sling 2nd block behind you as anchor.

Flip rope over block and make short simul-rap to large ledge with rap rings. Simul-rap to ground: 1 single rope rap.

I think you can do the whole thing in 2 pitches w/ 70m rope linking 1+2 & 3+4. 1+2 for sure, 3+4 could be close, but anchor options exist lower. Also, 2+3 would link. It could be a good route to practice simuling using micro-traxions and try to do it all in 1 pitch.

An adept traddie could probably do the route on a single set of cams to #3. I used some Peenuts and small offset nuts on p1. I brought double set of cams to #3, not knowing what to expect. Feb 2, 2019

[Hide Comment] Great route with awesome runouts. Pitch 2 is well protected and by far my favorite pitch. Feb 12, 2019

[Hide Comment] The lead bolt on pitch one has been replaced with a 1/2” stainless steel bolt and rock colored stainless steel hanger courtesy of the ASCA.

The belay bolts at the top of pitches one and two were also replaced with 1/2” stainless steel bolts and rock colored hangers, as well as equipped with rap rings. Once again, courtesy of the ASCA. Apr 5, 2019

[Hide Comment] Description is not accurate, would be a shame to stop climbing in the notch... continue to the top via easy but exposed slab to one of the coolest summits in JT then descend via two single-rope rappels. This route is also more like 7+ and 450-500' than 350': p1 (to second anchor) 190', p2 150-175' (many ledgey belay options, some with better gear than others), p3 150-175' to the nice airy summit. Super classic! May 24, 2020

[Hide Comment] A fun but very sandbagged route.
The first pitch is not for novice leaders. Very heady and a 5.7. Definitely an R/X unless you do a variation and go up the flake and place pro before the first bolt. Even then it is ran out. Anyone who says otherwise is full of sh**t and should put their ankles where their mouth is, climb up to the first bolt and let go before clipping. You will fly 25 or whatever feet down the slabs to your belayer and right pass them another 25 ft to the boulder field below, taking the belayer with you. You two definitely won't be walking after that. The route right next to it is a 5.9, same slab, same angle just less features, and has 4 bolts in the same span vs just 1 here. Why? Because you do not want to fall there.
Pitch 3 offwidth /chimney is fun and although somewhat run out it is safe because a fall almost anywhere there will simply wedge you in the crack. We only used #1, 2, 3, 4, and a 6. You can easily walk your large pieces.
Pitch 4 is just fun great face climbing. At the top of pitch 3 do not go right the gully. Go up and left. Jun 9, 2020

[Hide Comment] Definitely a super fun route but certainly fairly sandbagged. I've done lots of JTree routes in the 5.7 and 5.8 range that didn't have as much spice or pump as this route. The runout slab is definitely hairy but I don't think it's as bad as everyone is making it seem. Plug a #1 cam in the crack right above the belay to prevent a factor 2 fall and then plug a .2 into the little flake to the right. There's still healthy runouts but you're just going to get scraped and there's nothing to hit with a fall. After the bolt, it will be helpful to move left a bit to get to a couple of juggy seams. Definitely skip the first bolted belay. After the interesting chimney, it'll be easy to head left. Don't. Go down to the right and then set your gear anchor somewhere in there or a little farther. The final pitch is pretty fun and there's a few ways you can go. Don't go through the notch because that's lame. Go to the very summit which will be a bit runout but it's like 5.2 slab. This is the info that I wish I would've had when I started the route so good luck and have fun! Aug 20, 2020

[Hide Comment] Super awesome route. Highly recommend. The first pitch is definitely a bit run out and sketchy and I would not recommend to someone new to leading. I fell 10 feet above the bolt on P1 and got a bit scraped up, but it was more of a sliding, scraping than a massive whipper. Pitch 2 is very offwidthy and pitch 3 is a super fun and unique chimney. Last pitch was about 100ft or so and the easiest of the 4. One of the 2 bolts for the rappel off seems weak and it was moving a lot when we descended. The bigger bolt above seems bomber though. Sep 26, 2020

[Hide Comment] I think a 60M rope might be a little short for the rappel. A 70M definitely works. Oct 8, 2020

[Hide Comment] Shout out to Travis Soares for hitting this car-to-car in 23min, 4sec
strava.com/activities/49023…

For those that like flying up these easy-mods here is a link to this route on fastestknowntime.com
fastestknowntime.com/route/…
just include gps data and some photos...have fun!

Who's next? Mar 16, 2021

[Hide Comment] A fun, adventurous climb.

P1- Take your time up the slab. There are micro holds and dishes everywhere, trust your feet.

P2 and P3- Very protectable chimney, gets easier the wider it gets. If you're wearing a backpack, this might be in issue.

P4- Go up the gully until you get to a bulge with room to go left. A little exposed at the top. Continue up until you see a notch with a boulder wedged in it. Climb over the boulder and belay from behind. There's a smaller boulder that has a horn feature, throw a sling on it and belay from there.

Descent: The rappel rings are located about 15' below the horn boulder on a giant ledge. It may not look it, but you can downclimb to the rap rings. We chose to rap down instead. We threw the rope around the boulder and rapped to the ledge. From the rings, its a long rap down with a 60m that reached the ground with about a meter to spare -- tie knots. Nov 21, 2022

[Hide Comment] The P1 slab feels harder and more serious than Double Dogleg (5.6). DD is good practice for it though. The chimney was mega awkward and grovely the first time I did it and super fun and cruiser the second time. Depends how you climb it. Sep 15, 2023

[Hide Comment] Only lead the first 2 pitches. When starting p1, the left seems more straight forward and it seems as though if no one else is over there, you might be able to use some other bolts on the wall for additional protection. However, we started on the right side based on Cody Robinson's photo but decided to use the crack and then move over left to the face. I think this beginning gives you more options for pro, getting up that crack is pretty burly though.

Once you're up and over on the main wall, the next opportunity for protection is the very thin crack others have mentioned. There is one deep beautiful spot in this crack that gobbles up a 0.2 Z4.

We ended up bailing after P2 because I was leading everything and it was a little more demanding than I expected. I just didn't have the technique or burst of strength I needed to properly get myself secured in the chimney. If you are unsure if you can complete it, BRING A 70M. The 70 will make linking pitches more comfortable and if you need to bail, to rappel from the P1 rap station, 60 seems a little short to get to the ground. Nov 13, 2023

[Hide Comment] Took the start shown in the Cody Robinson topo photo and was able to link 1-2 with a 60m rope. On the first pitch I was able to reasonably protect up to the bolt with gear, after the bolt comes the crux just before reaching the crack, I found the friction to be better than some comments lead me to expect. Awesome climb! If you wanna go to the true summit just make it to the saddle and step out right up another 20 feet of easy slab. Rappel rings are available there that lead back to the standard rappel. Jan 8, 2024

[Hide Comment] Led the alternate start up the crack to the right of P1. Curious what others think of the grade - it protected much better than the slab, but took some work before I escaped onto the face. I popped out about level with the bolt, but hadn't extended enough earlier and had heinous rope drag traversing left. That also made the moves above the bolt pretty spicy, but (eventually) you can get good gear in the crack before the anchor.

Getting off the ground on P3 was the other physical crux. The P3 leader ran it out a bit in the chimney, but on follow I was able to stay deep and foot-jam up pretty securely. Really enjoyed the second and fourth pitches, too. A worthwhile adventure for sure. Jan 14, 2024

[Hide Comment] This route is mega cool, but I think some grade/beta issues need to be straightened out. The first pitch slab is very runout and much more difficult than 5.5. I clipped the bolt and climbed straight towards the crack on solid 5.8, or maybe even 5.9 friction, some 20 feet up and 15 feet left of the bolt, and unlike Walk On The Wild Side quite a few of the dishes were reasonably grainy... maybe I didn't quite nail it? The first ascent may have meandered quite a bit to reach the crack at "5.5" but this is not obvious in the least. The chimney pitch (three) takes some gear in the very beginning (crux) but quickly flares out and unprotectable for about 100 feet. I managed to fiddle in a weird piece here and there, but they were very uninspiring. If you want to reach the top of the formation, moving right onto the slabs at the end of the fourth pitch crack will get you there on 50 some feet of 5.6/5.7 dishes with no protection. If you're expecting a gentle 5.5 multi-pitch outing while waiting for walk on the wild side, I would think twice. I have an affinity for runout routes and have climbed many R rated routes up to 5.10 in other areas, and this thing tested me - or maybe I just had a bad day.

Consider some big cams (#5 or #6?) for the chimney if you're timid. I also think climbing in four pitches would have been best, or at least linking 2 & 3 instead of 1 & 2. We linked 1 & 2, and I found the rope drag substantial. I also had a pretty light rack (expecting a gentle 5.5), so I only had two pieces that fit the last relatively uniform pitch two hand crack - spicy. Jan 26, 2024