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Southeast Corner

5.3, Trad, 200 ft (61 m), 3 pitches,  Avg: 1.5 from 44 votes
FA: unknown
California > Joshua Tree NP > Hidden Valley Area > Hidden Valley C… > Intersection Rock
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Description

Admins:  With all due respect to Roger Linfield - RIP, I believe his descriptions and other comments have missed the actual second pitch and so probably some of the third as well.  My description below includes those.

This route is billed as the easiest route that goes up the full height of Intersection Rock and as reasonable way to downclimb from the top. The below description is based on Vogel's  "Joshua Tree West" Falcon 2006 guide including the P3 exit details as drawn in the photo on page 451.

P1:  Move up and left across a slab, go up a chute, and move right into a pod on a ledge just below a vertical chimney / crack.  Belay here. Or for better P2 lead protection, just pro for the follower and traverse right into the dark tunnel. Don't exit the tunnel.  Belay. Headlamp may help.

P2: Move the belay if P1 ended at the pod.  Climb straight up into the chimney and stand on easy ledge that is outward from formation's center. Find good pro in the darkness.  Traverse the ledge back in the direction of the P1 pod.  At ledge's end, make one or three chimney moves up to good hands. Follow vertical crack (ish) up until breaking out onto a non-typical ledge-like area with obvious crack heading up and right at the back of the "ledge".

P3: Make some moves to climb the crack up and right until on easy terrain. Continue right (30 feet?) until can finish up a short, easy, vertical chimney / crack. Near the middle of the traverse, to keep things low 5th class, move away from the cliff face onto boulder-y terrain to then finish the rightward traverse to the chimney.

I have not tried to downclimb the above.  Also, we made a few moves straight up from the P1 pod but it felt quite a bit harder than old school 5.3.

Location

It starts about 50 feet right of The Waterchute, on the southeast side of the rock.

Protection

Standard rack

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

"Southeast Corner".<br>
Photo by Blitzo.
[Hide Photo] "Southeast Corner". Photo by Blitzo.
Anchored across the P2 tunnel just outside the farside exit.  A literal walk across the tunnel ledge, and spacious enough for a family of six if campground full.  Able to link P1 and P2 as depicted in JT West with manageable rope drag.  Photo by Robert.
[Hide Photo] Anchored across the P2 tunnel just outside the farside exit. A literal walk across the tunnel ledge, and spacious enough for a family of six if campground full. Able to link P1 and P2 as depicted…
A quick run up intersection rock before sunset
[Hide Photo] A quick run up intersection rock before sunset
picture of the second pitch we did 12 jun 17 up to the second bolted anchor
[Hide Photo] picture of the second pitch we did 12 jun 17 up to the second bolted anchor

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

[Hide Comment] I did this climb and thought it was a fun adventure.

I took a different route than said here. 1st pitch was the same, but then I tunneled right(off belay) until I reached another short pitch of climbing. This section was dirty and grovelly and harder than 5.3 (IMHO but not worse than 5.6). Then some more gophering through passageways to a quick move to the top. I roped up for the last move just because of the fall potential. It was easy but grunty.

The way I took was more or a belly crawl/back at the playground good time than this route listed here, but fun nonetheless.

Cheers Mar 3, 2008
[Hide Comment] We did this in 5 pitches! (long story) We also tunneled right from the end of the first (our second) pitch. Then up a really nice hand crack that was fun jamming. Then easy terrain to a short chimney to the top. The move to get in the chimney was fun and easy to protect. Mar 5, 2008
Tara Anne
WA
 
[Hide Comment] Confusing to get out of, don't go directly up after first pitch! Apr 24, 2009
nathanael
Riverside, CA
 
[Hide Comment] We ended up going all the way left after the first pitch into the second pitch of Mike's Books. Initially intended to go up behind the large boulder just right of Mike's Books but it didn't look very inviting. Jan 25, 2016
Dan Ecker
Annapolis
  5.3
[Hide Comment] Climbed it 12 Jun 17 with my buddy after work. First pitch is as described in the route guide. The second pitch was super hard to figure out. we went up the main slot directly in front of the belay. I climbed up the wall right in front of the belay to clip the bolt. Then went into the chimney/slot and went up to the top of that. The anchor was on the right side of the chimney as you look up it. I tried to figure out how to get to the top from there and only came up with a trust fall/jump and some weird moves to get to a short but super flared crack to get up further. Eventually made it all the way to the top of the rock but couldn't find the rap anchors so I decided to down climb the whole pitch (wouldn't recommend it) back to the anchor. Rapped in to sections using both the bolt anchors. Fun but I wish i found the rap rings on top :/ Jun 12, 2017
Bill Lawry
Albuquerque, NM
[Hide Comment] Suggested an update to describe the route as interpreted from Vogel's 2006 guide . The old MP description and comments indicate that P2 and some of P3 are being missed - assuming my interpretation of Vogel is correct. If Vogel's guide is not mentioned in the description, see the "Updates" link. Nov 5, 2021