Aiguille de Joshua Tree (aka The Finger of Hercules)

Definitely a must do before your Josh days are over.It was three or four 5.6 moves once on the ledge for me. The mantle and standing up is the mental crux as the top is sloping downward. Bring a camera. Apr 4, 2005

OK, so we wimped out by throwing a rope over the notch and top-roping :o) The climbing is very easy, but then so is falling off Feb 23, 2007

Short, but also in a field of large talus/boulders that wouldn't be nice to fall on (most pics don't show that). This climb would be rated less than 5.6 if it were located elsewhere. Mar 7, 2007

I could not walk by this without climbing it! Jun 23, 2007

Friends don't let friends throw a rope on Aiguille de Joshua Tree. Jan 18, 2010

Walked by so many time that I finally had to do it. Easy ascent, but the descent is more problematic. Used a couple slings to help shimee down; then no problem. Don't fall. Jun 30, 2013

I don't agree with the X. I guess if you fell off the high side for sure. It just seems so improbable to fall off that side (unless you were trying to pimp out your facebook by hanging off that side for a photo and fell)and a fall on the shorter side would certainly not kill you. Perhaps I should revisit the definitions of PG13, R and X. I always thought of X as you can die and R you'll likely break something. Feb 10, 2014

Super fun. A must do and easier than it looks, with great holds Nov 29, 2016

I'd been wanting to climb this since I first saw it in the guidebook. The first time I tried, I couldn't find it. Every other time I was with friends who wouldn't even look for it with me because it was too dangerous for them to be a part of. I'm happy to say I climbed to the top of this yesterday and sat in satisfaction. Rating? Super easy. Huge holds, 3 or 4 moves and you're up. Freak factor raises rating I suppose, but I found it way easier than I anticipated. Give it a go if you get the chance. Jan 1, 2017