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Sphincter Quits
5.9+ PG13,
Trad, 70 ft (21 m),
Avg: 3 from 233
votes
FA: Dave Evans & Randy Vogel, December 1978
California
> Joshua Tree NP
> Hidden Valley Area
> Real Hidden Valley
> Sports Challeng…
> Sports Challenge Rock…
The Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent's Compendium states that: 1. Vegetation is not allowed to be used as an anchor. 2. Only neutral or rock colored bolt hangers are allowed.
This route is the most popular route on the West side of Sports Challenge rock. You can probably find it by just getting in the longest line, but in case you arrive first...Find the left hand end of the W face of Sports Challenge Rock, this will require a small amount of scrambling to reach. P1: Climb up a curving crack and up left onto the top of a small tower, which at the top is not attached to the cliff. A fist-sized cam can be placed as the "last good pro" before reaching this point. Step up and right off of the pedistal to seams out on the main face. Some protection could be had here (S) but placing it out of the crux seems sillier than just running it out a little more to reach a better stance. Most of the holds here are positive, but the climb is not suited to pushing your limits. Continue up this crack to a horizontal rack, then right to another crack and up to a lege just below the summit. Climb onto the summit and belay.To descend, rap from the bolts on the summit (above Rap Bolters Are Weak), or scramble down to the south.
Note- the old guidebook (1992 edition) misnumbers the topo/photo, so beware...
[Hide Photo] Working into the crux after just placing a little brass nut in the attempt to psych myself into the belief that I was protected.
[Hide Photo] The west face of Sports Challenge Rock as seen from the vicinity of Gateway Rock.
[Hide Photo] The wind was howling and the entry to the thin crack felt very tenuous. Fun as all get out, though, and I made it to the top!
[Hide Photo] Considering the scary and committing move onto the face, having plugged my first useless C3 into the seam... Also, I did not realize the initial crack was so easy November 2009
[Hide Photo] Ginger on Sphincter Quits, Joshua Tree
[Hide Photo] Larry Hamilton on the intitial 5.8 crack. Photo by Dave Hamilton.
[Hide Comment] I found that a red lowball protects the crack well. I can place it in the crack before making a move out on face. Great Climb!!!
Apr 8, 2003
[Hide Comment] On the FA Dave lead up the initial crack, then placed 1 bolt on face up and left of the thin crack and climbed this (10a/b). I followed by unclipping the bolt and then climbing up the thin crack (the way it is most commonly done now). Not really sure who did the first lead of the thin crack.
Dec 2, 2003
[Hide Comment] I used a #4 Ballnut to protect the crux on the upper crack today, and it worked fine. I tested it with my full body weight. It did twist out when the second came up due to the angle of the lower rope pull. Sling it to avoid this. Be sure to place pro under the capstone at the top of the first crack just in case. The upper crack is most definitely 10a.
May 7, 2005
[Hide Comment] I got on this climb expecting a mellow, fun 5.9 up a pretty section of rock. Though the pretty part was true, I found that I severely underestimated this one. The pro at the start of the seam was very bad (a small HB offset) and it took me a while to commit to the moves. Once on the seam, however, the pro gets better, and the climbing remains thought-provoking until the top. This was a great route that really pushed my comfort level.
Mar 27, 2007
[Hide Comment] aptly named, especially if you find yourself trying to wiggle in wires at the crux (did not work for me). Blue aliens and blue TCU worked towards the middle of the seam, a little higher you can get a yellow alien in. Feels a bit harder than 5.9 with the gear wankery.
Apr 28, 2007
[Hide Comment] I guess I'm the only one who didn't think this was a sandbag. I felt it was no harder than 5.9. The move out onto the upper crack is nicely protected with a solid #4 BD micronut. I felt the climbing was thoughtful, but never very strenuous. Protects well with small stoppers/cams.
May 4, 2009
[Hide Comment] I'd agree that it is no harder than 5.9. The pro off the ledge is not inspiring in the least though, perhaps leading to a perception of the climb being harder. Personally, I would not want to test the protection there in the least, but you can call it well protected if you want.
Aug 24, 2012
[Hide Comment] A blue ball nut protects the move out right into the crack from the first ledge beautifully and without run out. Nothing else I tried to put in worked. I would have felt confident whipping on the blue ball nut for sure!
Jan 2, 2013
[Hide Comment] I dont think this is pg13 or R rated at all. Protects well, did not need any ball nuts or slinging a chicken head to move to the right crack after the first ledge. I was able to place a nut on a shallow crack down low before the main part of the crack starts...think knee/ankle level when standing on the ledge
Oct 28, 2013
[Hide Comment] Re: "The move out onto the upper crack is nicely protected with a solid #4 BD micro nut." That was not the case for me, but the wire on my #4 BD micro nut was bent, so that may have affected its ability to seat well. Fortunately, you're on a big ledge at that point so you can take your time. I also recommend bringing a long sling to tie off the chicken head there; I was glad to have it since I ended up running it out after not finding any worthwhile gear at the first pod in the seam.
I agree the climb is an honest 5.9, but not a good one for a 5.9 leader.
Apr 1, 2014
[Hide Comment] I thought this was an awesome climb that actually protects fairly well. Like others said, a BD #4 nut wedges in nicely on its side edges, which I know isnt the ideal way to place a nut but it felt fairly bomber to me. This can be done from a safe stance on the tower with long enough reach. Or you can sling the chicken head(or do both like I did). If you really wanted to, I think a #5 or #6 BD cam could be placed at the top of the tower. The moves also were not harder than 5.9 but felt harder mentally because of the "R" rating getting in my head and the precision needed to place gear. Bring lots of small gear and some aliens if you have them.
Apr 19, 2014
[Hide Comment] Really fun climb. If you have climbed enough, making this climb not "R" rated shouldn't be impossible. I put like a #2 or #3 and a sling under the block up on the ledge and felt good with that. !00% confident it would not have gone anywhere if I did fall.
Oct 22, 2014
[Hide Comment] If you are a 5.11 (or stronger) leader it may be difficult to differentiate between the grades of easy climbs...and 5.9 or .10a is butt easy compared to 5.11 anything. I think this route is a sandbag 5.9, and I say that based on a comparison of other routes of that nature in the Park. I've always been leery of a route when I see a "+" tagged on, and many route with this clever bit are sandbags that are -clearly- harder than their rating would suggest.
IMO....10a...and not for the newbie 5.9 leader....I even thought this was a pretty stout .10a...just sayin'...That opinion is based on having led hundreds of routes in the 5.9 to .10a grade over the past 40 years...but that is beside the point...
Just know that if you lead this climb, be prepared for cool movement, provocative gear and a route that is a little stiffer than the grade would indicate.
Apr 18, 2015
[Hide Comment] Great climb, with distinct crux. Solid 5.9. Fun bottom section, and well protected climb all around. I only wished it was longer.
Dec 27, 2017
[Hide Comment] Really fun route a little spicy placing that first piece of pro on the lower part of the upper crack. Other than that really great line.
Jan 22, 2019
[Hide Comment] I did this back in 1987, when I was leading 5.9 and easy 5.10. I remember thinking the upper part of the route looked more like 5.11 when I was at the base. I don't remember any issues with pro, other than kicking out a stopper in the lower crack that left me with ground fall potential until I got another piece in. When I climbed through the crux, 5.9 seemed appropriate, but it may have been one of my good days.
Aug 1, 2019
[Hide Comment] I don't think this route is PG at all, although YMMV. Protects great by josh standards IMO.
You can hang out for days on the ledge/stance halfway up and place a nut before committing to the move. Yes I do recommend a nut (I used BD #3 micronut slotted deep) -- not a cam. I grabbed a jug out left and just peered over to the right, fiddled nuts, return to the cozy ledge ; repeat until bomber placement achieved.
Both lower and upper cracks jam really nice too! Oh the fingerlocks up high, took me to my happy place fer sure.
Dec 1, 2020
[Hide Comment] This is not even close to PG! You can get in a cam AND sling the horn before stepping onto the face. As soon as you step onto the face you can plug in a blue mastercam and then many more after. I kept waiting for the “PG” section but it never appeared. I kept off this climb for years because of the comments but once again MP comments were much more fearful than reality. Climb this without any of the fear of it being unprotected because it’s just not true. Enjoy the well protected climb.
Jan 17, 2021
[Hide Comment] Jon, It is rated PG13 by consensus here because at a margin of 3:1 the community rated it R or PG-13. I guess you are a hardman?
Jan 17, 2021
[Hide Comment] Tony B. I am not even close to a hard man. I’m actually extremely risk adverse. I don’t think people’s opinions should be based on their emotional fear when rating the actual physical construction of a climb. The fact of the matter is that there was a bomber chicken head, a move onto the face while standing on a very large foothold with a great sidepull and a bomber cam placement at chest height with many more right after. I understand that many people rated it PG but the gear was so textbook that I had to let people know that others led them astray. Not trying to be contrary but the gear was solid and plentiful.
Jan 17, 2021
[Hide Comment] i climbed this one again last year, after climbing it in the late 90's. i think pg-13 is a pretty good assessment of the risk on this route. it's not r-rated, but the gear is kind of finnicky and i wouldn't really want to fall on it. i am not sure if i didn't have exactly the right gear or not, but i didn't feel that my first piece stepping out right was that great. i generally think of pg-13 in terms of - would a climber who is somewhat entry-level at the grade have a significant chance of getting into some trouble on the route? if a friend of mine who is entry-level at the grade asked me if i thought it would be a good route for them to jump on? i think this route meets that qualification. my $.02 anyway...
Jan 18, 2021
[Hide Comment] Slim, while I respect your interpretation of the PG-R rating system, if that was the way safety ratings were used then the Safety rating of every climb would be subjective dependent on the level of the climber. A 5.9 could be rated R for a 5.8 climber, PG-13 for a 5.9 climber and completely safe for a 5.11 climber for example. In my opinion the Safety rating should be used to show the actual availability of gear placements. Next time you do that step across I think you’ll find that you can use a Red Ballsnut, an offset stopper, a sideways placed #4 BD nut or any brand of small cam in the Blue Mastercam range. I understand that small gear freaks people out but any of those gear placement (placed from a solid stance) would indeed hold a fall. Am I out of line thinking this way? Edit: Great point in the next comment down Slim. I stand corrected.
Jan 18, 2021
[Hide Comment] hmmm, i think most use of the PG/R ratings does take into consideration the climber's ability. for example, take a 5.11 route with an R section that is 5.7, it probably won't get an R rating. at one time richard rossiter's books would have a split grade, like 11c(7R). i liked that - as i enjoy hard climbing, but i don't usually enjoy runout climbing (unless it is pretty easy/secure).
i will have to climb the route again to see if i can get better gear.
Jan 18, 2021
[Hide Comment] In my opinion, if you are relying on offsets or Ball nuts for protection, that is already PG, as are small nuts sideways. A majority of climbers don't even own Ball nuts, let alone regularly carry them. So perhaps one can stitch this climb up. I wasn't able to on the rack I had, and I'm not bragging, but I am and was well into the 'Journeyman' stage of trad climbing. So when people testify that they had a similar experience, I believe them. I'm satisfied by the fact that 75% of users think it is R or PG. (refer to the 193 Votes tab by the grade) One person's subjective experience on a route does not decide what it is rated, nor should it. It also occurs to me that it is possible that you over-estimate the quality of the gear you got or the consequences of a fall. The other route you poo-pooed the PG rating of the same day has a lot of notes/comments on the page about gear pulling or zippering, or not being there at all. (Ride a Wild Bago)
I respect that you had an experience and an opinion. I'm just befuddled as to why, amongst 100 voices, you would expect to be the voice of authority and the arbiter of what is or is not PG, rather than just casting your vote?
Jan 18, 2021
I'm already on the record that I agree with Jon on this one.
One of the best parts of MP is access to people's opinions to suss out a climb if desired beforehand.
In this case I think we established bringing small gear (and being familiar with it) to place before entering the upper crack will make this route safer. Perhaps this is a skill developed with experience, as Tony says, and the PG rating warns people you can't just plug great gear mindlessly on something like Sail Away.
Edit: I'm also remembering on my "not quite onsight" burn on this, my partner gave me advice what type of gear goes in the tricky spot and made sure I was well-equipped. This influenced my whole perception of the climb. What a difference a great partner makes!
Apr 15, 2021
[Hide Comment] Nothing about this route is PG-13. It's just a 5.9+ climb with 5.11 gear placements, psychologically demanding but totally safe. Come armed with an assortment of small wires and micro-cams. It's pretty easy to move back and forth from the no hands ledge rest and evaluate your blind placement before continuing on with confidence. Stepping around the corner and throwing long reaches to sinker finger locks feels totally exhilarating and very unique for Joshua Tree, something every Joshua climber should experience.
Feb 6, 2024
[Hide Comment] A red ball nut with a sling on it, placed at the bottom of the thin crack at the transition felt alright. You can also likely place an offset stopper a few inches above that - all from the good stance and side pull/jug. Still felt some heat at the transition though. Good climb.
Apr 14, 2024
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I agree the climb is an honest 5.9, but not a good one for a 5.9 leader. Apr 1, 2014
Los Angeles, California
IMO....10a...and not for the newbie 5.9 leader....I even thought this was a pretty stout .10a...just sayin'...That opinion is based on having led hundreds of routes in the 5.9 to .10a grade over the past 40 years...but that is beside the point...
Just know that if you lead this climb, be prepared for cool movement, provocative gear and a route that is a little stiffer than the grade would indicate. Apr 18, 2015
SLC, UT
Los Angeles, CA
San Diego, CA
You can hang out for days on the ledge/stance halfway up and place a nut before committing to the move. Yes I do recommend a nut (I used BD #3 micronut slotted deep) -- not a cam. I grabbed a jug out left and just peered over to the right, fiddled nuts, return to the cozy ledge ; repeat until bomber placement achieved.
Both lower and upper cracks jam really nice too! Oh the fingerlocks up high, took me to my happy place fer sure. Dec 1, 2020
Ojai, CA
Around Boulder, CO
It is rated PG13 by consensus here because at a margin of 3:1 the community rated it R or PG-13.
I guess you are a hardman? Jan 17, 2021
Ojai, CA
Ojai, CA
Edit: Great point in the next comment down Slim. I stand corrected. Jan 18, 2021
i will have to climb the route again to see if i can get better gear. Jan 18, 2021
Around Boulder, CO
So perhaps one can stitch this climb up. I wasn't able to on the rack I had, and I'm not bragging, but I am and was well into the 'Journeyman' stage of trad climbing. So when people testify that they had a similar experience, I believe them. I'm satisfied by the fact that 75% of users think it is R or PG. (refer to the 193 Votes tab by the grade)
One person's subjective experience on a route does not decide what it is rated, nor should it.
It also occurs to me that it is possible that you over-estimate the quality of the gear you got or the consequences of a fall.
The other route you poo-pooed the PG rating of the same day has a lot of notes/comments on the page about gear pulling or zippering, or not being there at all. (Ride a Wild Bago)
I respect that you had an experience and an opinion. I'm just befuddled as to why, amongst 100 voices, you would expect to be the voice of authority and the arbiter of what is or is not PG, rather than just casting your vote? Jan 18, 2021
San Diego, CA
I'm already on the record that I agree with Jon on this one.
One of the best parts of MP is access to people's opinions to suss out a climb if desired beforehand.
In this case I think we established bringing small gear (and being familiar with it) to place before entering the upper crack will make this route safer. Perhaps this is a skill developed with experience, as Tony says, and the PG rating warns people you can't just plug great gear mindlessly on something like Sail Away.
Edit: I'm also remembering on my "not quite onsight" burn on this, my partner gave me advice what type of gear goes in the tricky spot and made sure I was well-equipped. This influenced my whole perception of the climb. What a difference a great partner makes! Apr 15, 2021
Victor, ID
CA