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Norm

5.10a, Sport, 70 ft (21 m),  Avg: 2.3 from 76 votes
FA: Todd Gordon, Dana Adler, Cyndie Bransford, Jim Angione, Brian Haslam, Susan Alford, March 1995
California > Joshua Tree NP > Lost Horse Area > Lost Horse Rdsi… > Dairy Queen Wall > Dairy Queen Wall - Le…
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Description

Start up a short section of smooth slab with a jagged crack to reach a small roof/overlap with a fixed pin about 15' up, above which is the first of five bolts. The climb moves slightly right after the second bolt to reach a shallow corner, which is followed up to a small mantleshelf and the third bolt. Above, climb through a lower-angled section before the wall steepens and enjoyable smearing and liebacking on the edge of the flake continues past two more bolts to anchors. The rock is a fine grained gray with the occasional knob, which is a pleasant departure from the more typical oatmeal-colored rock.

This is a fun climb that rarely sees traffic due to it's location on the less popular left side of the DQ Wall. A pleasant area to explore that has an easier and shorter approach than the more frequented right side of the wall. Two stars out of five.

Location

This route is located on the far left side of the Dairy Queen Wall about 50' left of Leap Year Flake, and is identified as a bolted face climb up the face/arete of a large flake lying against the main formation.

Protection

5 bolts (1/2" SS), fixed pin, bolted anchor/rap
Optional 0.5 inch cam to back up the fixed pin

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Nathan Fitzhugh just passing the last bolt. 10-29-11
[Hide Photo] Nathan Fitzhugh just passing the last bolt. 10-29-11
Check out this photo...Where the 3 bushes are left of center...it starts at the lower one, and ends at the big dark green upper one....the climb ends paralled to the Pat Adams ledge, just to the left though.
[Hide Photo] Check out this photo...Where the 3 bushes are left of center...it starts at the lower one, and ends at the big dark green upper one....the climb ends paralled to the Pat Adams ledge, just to the le…
Nathan Fitzhugh  10-29-11
[Hide Photo] Nathan Fitzhugh 10-29-11
Very exciting lead.
[Hide Photo] Very exciting lead.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

[Hide Comment] awsome route!! well protected, fun moves. A .5 camalot could proctect the opening moves if you should need it. May 2, 2006
Murf
 
[Hide Comment] A undistinctive route not worth the 3 stars in JTWest. Sep 25, 2006
Chris Owen
Big Bear Lake
  5.10a
[Hide Comment] Fun but not as good as Leap Erikson IMHO. Dec 7, 2008
Todd Townsend
Bishop, CA
[Hide Comment] Climbed today. There is now a fixed angle piton driven up under the initial overlap, negating the need for a small cam. Higher up, the fixed rurp is gone. Looks like someone may have whipped on it and broken it out of the seam? Anyway, there is now a quite spicy and somewhat serious runout between bolts 3 and 4. Feb 14, 2013
[Hide Comment] I wouldn't trust my life or ankles to that fixed pin. I believe it's fallen out in the past.

Back it up. Feb 14, 2013
Sean
Oak Park, CA
[Hide Comment] small gear placements avail to protect the 1st bolt clip, for above the 2nd bolt, and just before clipping the 3rd bolt Mar 18, 2013
Russ Walling
Flaky Foont, WI. Redacted…
 
[Hide Comment] Did it today. Didn't think much of the route as it is sorta contrived and forced.

Besides that, the RURP is gone, the "runout" is not really a runout, and it is on easy ground. The clip at the end of the runout is sorta awkward and the bolt should be down a half move so you can clip from a secure stance.... the pin at the start should be backed up and depending on where you actually surmount the roof will dictate the grade. It seemed like you could make it 12b or 5.8 depending on how low you wanted to set the bar by moving right.

All in all it is an ok route for a forced, contrived, squeeze job that at some point got archaic points for having a fixed RURP. WTF. I'll go a full .68 stars on this one. Jul 21, 2013
Larry Graham
Boulder, CO
[Hide Comment] Mar 13, 2014 I just did this today. For the record, the route as shown in the Classic JT Routes book (Vogel 2010) is quite inaccurate. The written description is right on, but the line drawn on both pages 122 and 124 show it moving quite far to the left and finishing well above where it actually does--the tree that is level with the start of Pat Adams dihedral. Otherwise, this "new" guide to Josh is outstanding and though pricey, worth it. Mar 14, 2014
DJ Reyes
Northern Nevada
 
[Hide Comment] Interesting moves especially the move getting to the second bolt. Fun route with convenient descent anchors. If you're in the neighborhood you might as well jump on it. Mar 19, 2017
Andy Laakmann
Bend, OR
 
[Hide Comment] Fun route. Bring a cam instead of using the dodgy pin. Clipping the fourth bolt is a tad spicy. Nov 25, 2019
Bob Gaines
Joshua Tree, CA
  5.10a
[Hide Comment] All the bolts have been replaced with 1/2 -inch stainless. Mar 17, 2020
Andy Laakmann
Bend, OR
 
[Hide Comment] Thanks for the new bolts Bob! And I don't remember it, but below the fourth bolt there is now a very well placed rurp piton. Really fun route and if you don't want to clip the pin under the roof - there is plenty of good gear instead. Nov 22, 2021
Bob Gaines
Joshua Tree, CA
  5.10a
[Hide Comment] Hi Andy, I didn't replace the bolts, I believe it was Kevin Powell , Mark Wagner, et.al.

The RURP was placed by Todd Gordon on the first ascent. Nov 22, 2021
Jaime BB
San Diego, CA
  5.10a PG13
[Hide Comment] If there was a Rurp, it is no longer there as of today.
I got a marginally placed tiny nut in the flaring seam between the 3rd and 4th bolt and went for it. Little brass offsets might make for a better placement there.
I think that if the rurp keeps pulling out, it really just needs a bolt there or the 4th one to be lowered if the intention is to keep it well protected. I was debating whether I would hit the ground in a fall or not and decided it would be awfully close. Without the rurp, this route is PG Dec 24, 2024
Brandon Marshal
Victor, ID
 
[Hide Comment] Felt like a forced route to me, as I underclinged one move right and was able to grab the right side of the flake/arete and pull through the crux at far easier than 5.10a, and clip this second bolt from this flake/arete as well. My partner agreed. Cranking a 5.10 mantle within spitting distance of a jug, and choosing not to use that jug, just seems off. The good news? I think moving through the entire undercling using traditional protection lower, and up the entire arete, makes this a more appealing and logical line. Climbed this way, I’d say it’s a three star 5.9, with the crux shortly after the third bolt. The arete climbing higher on the route is spectacular and unique. Worth doing, and repeating! Jan 29, 2025