PRINT: Rock Climb Coarse and Buggy, Joshua Tree National Park

Coarse and Buggy

5.11a/b, Trad, 80 ft (24 m),

Avg: 3.9 from 459 votes
FA: FA: Bill Mikus and Bob Dominick, December 1970, FFA: Spencer Lennard, February 1978
California > Joshua Tree NP > Hidden Valley Area > Rdside Rocks > Rdside Rocks -… > Dihedral Rock > Dihedral Rock - E Face

Access Issue: Climbing Regulations/Seasonal Raptor Closures Details

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.

For a complete list of climbing rules and closures visit:
nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/…

Description

This route is among many people's favorite climbs at J-Tree.

The route is located on Dihedral Rock, which is about a quarter mile west (toward the town of Joshua Tree) from Hidden Valley Campground along the main park road. The route's stunning left-facing dihedral faces the road; you can't miss it. If you are driving, you will need to park in paved pullouts either to the east (by Watanobe Wall) or west (by the Milepost) and walk roughly 150 yards.

The climb can either be started on the left by climbing easily in from the boulder or via a direct start (5.10). The stemming crux (5.11-) comes right away within a very technical stemming corner with little in the way of hands (RPs, black alien). Stem up the amazing corner to a section of good hand jams and rest as best you can. A second crux comes at the top pulling around a small roof that caps the dihedral (10+). Continue to the top of the formation where a good anchor can be set with large nuts and hand-sized cams.

Scramble down climber's left, picking your way down ledges to circle back left to the base.

Protection

Nuts, including RPs. Cams up to #2 camalot. A black alien or equivalent is helpful.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

clipping another micronut on the crux section

Climbing Course and Buggy<br>
Photo by Darshan Ahluwalia<br>
<br>

Climbing Course and Buggy Photo by Darshan Ahluwalia

Stemming it out on C&B. Photo by Frank Dolan

mellow mike cruisin the course

Chris Trudeau climbing Coarse and Buggy like it's nothin'!

Matt Oliphant leading Coarse and Buggy, 1980

Mr. Pena gets the night time tronsight of C&B.

Will taking off his shoe mid onsight to warm his toes.

Getting up to 1st crux of the climb.

The snowflake leading C&B on a cool evening as the clouds move in.

Looking up at Coarse and Buggy (5.11a), Joshua Tree NP

Lee onsighting Coarse and Buggy

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

C Miller
CA

5.11a

The direct start is superior and definitely recommended. Take care when placing pro at the start of the lieback section as there is a section of hollow-sounding rock regularly used to set gear. Also, if much gear is placed in the middle section be mindful of rope drag. Once I watched a leader pitch off the upper crux and as the rope came taut several pieces in the middle popped. Mar 21, 2003

Chris Owen
Big Bear Lake

5.11b

Did the hand-traverse start. The smooth dihedral section was delicate and technical and the crux in my opinion, thin fingers would certainly help. Middle section was a relief but I remember the pump encroaching as I hit the grand finale. Power very helpful here.

Purity, Line, position, technicality, varied technique Mar 21, 2003

Randy
Lassitude 33

5.11a

On the FFA of this route, the entire climb was rife with loose rock, but was still obviously a great route. The crux section (the stemming down low) had one fairly large hold on the right side of the corner. It was probably an inch wide and a few inches long, but composed of layer after layer of potato chip rock (as was much of the right wall). Near the top layback section, I cleaned a large stopper, by pulling it through the ball-bearing filled crack!

I did this route most recently about a year ago; it is a testiment to what traffic can do to totally clean the rock of loose flakes and ball-bearings. A classic. Mar 21, 2003

Andy Laakmann
Bend, OR

5.11a

What a line!

The stemming corner is pretty straightforward (if you can stem :). BD micronuts, a green Alien, and purple and green C3 sewed it up. C3s go in the top of the stem section like a knife through butter! The middle section is cruiser thin jams with big rests - including a no hands stem rest.

The finishing crux isn't that hard, but don't get suckered into a rush layback like I did! Instead square up to the crack and work the crack (and dodgy feet) until you can get the positive crimps that allow you to hit the finishing rail. A purple camalot (#0.5) protects the final crux perfectly.

Truly one of the best lines in the park. Apr 11, 2007

Spencer Lennard

Well as Randy noted, the route was extremely loose before and on the first free ascent. Though I top-roped the route (without falling) the weekend before the FFA, I was quite unprepared for the experience leading the thing.

My protection consisted entirely of standard 70's era hexes and stoppers, and at the crux I must have stuffed 4 to 6 pieces in close proximity. Randy also remembered that he removed one of my best pieces by pulling it with a downward force. I suspect that had I fallen, pieces would have pulled resulting in a long fall or a even a groundfall. I came back and led the route in the mid 80's with cams and it was still scary, more due to my own loss of cajones (now that I'm past age 19) than quality of protection or difficulty. Oct 7, 2007

Chris M
Hailey, ID

5.11a

Rowdy!! One of the best routes in the park. Done via the Direct Start this climb throws a bit of everything at ya. Black Alien and BD #4 stopper protect the stemmming corner and a Red Alien at the top crux helps keep you sane. Oct 14, 2009

nathanael
San Diego

Direct start is worth doing, it fits really well with the rest of the route. The rock is a bit crumbly right at the very bottom but no big deal.

Really fun cerebral route. Puzzling out the moves and getting gear in the dihedral took me a long time; the calf pump was more threatening than any forearm pump during that section. A juggy middle section that leads to a pumpy overhanging finish makes for a really great climb overall.

youtube.com/watch?v=fEg6X6F… May 12, 2016

master gumby

Techy, balancy, thuggy and fun. Really quite safe with small modern gear. Save some juice for the top, which I thought was the Crux of the route. Maybe I am just weak. Nov 17, 2018

Miguel Castro
socal

This pitch is what rock climbings all about. 4 star route guaranteed to put a smile on your face Nov 15, 2020

Orion Marini
Joshua Tree

The 1st jug rail on the left after the hand crack section was on the floor today. It is now harder to get a no hands rest when standing where this jug used to be. Dec 22, 2022

A.Eaton
Estes Park, CO

Was pretty shocked at the rock quality on the upper section before the final crack. That flake seems to be pretty detached and it’s impossible to avoid seeing as it makes up the left side of the crack. I don’t think I could (in good conscience) ask someone to belay me on this pitch again. Dec 6, 2023

Thomas Kofron
San Luis Obispo, CA

Climbed it yesterday, direct start. All the rock seemed pretty solid except for the very first move off the ground. Placed 2 small nuts, rest were cams. Great thought-provoking and surprisingly pumpy route. Feb 26, 2024

Orion Marini
Joshua Tree

The flake below the final section is more loose than it has ever been. It's still on the wall, but it flexes a lot. Big warning to lead belayer, it would be hard to get out of the way if that massive chunk comes flying down. Sep 29, 2024

Cosmic Hotdog
Southern California

5.11a/b

Climbed it on 12/29/24. There's a palm sized piece of rock rattling around in the top layback. Seems trapped in place but it's loose so take care not to pull it out. Dec 31, 2024