Type: Trad, 250 ft (76 m), 3 pitches
FA: Roy Naasz and Chris Wegener, January 1970
Page Views: 54,367 total · 206/month
Shared By: C Miller on Jul 3, 2002
Admins: Greg Opland, Mike Morley, C Miller, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes, Gunkswest

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Take the Walk Suggest change

Walk on the Wild Side takes a sweeping line up the right side of Saddle Rocks and with it's deceptively moderate grade, multi-pitch climbing and the fact that nothing more than quickdraws are needed make it one of the most popular routes in all of Joshua Tree.

 The climb starts by scrambling up to the base and starting off the highpoint of stacked blocks.

P1) Climbing slightly left and up to start, work your way back right to belay in a natural hole at bolt anchors. 6 bolts on this pitch

P2) Climb up and left to another bolted belay past 3 bolts.

P3) This pitch climbs past 2 bolts to an anchor. This last pitch is a little run-out, but much easier. It's possible to combine pitches 2 and 3 together for a rope stretching pitch (a 70 meter rope works well here).

The descent offers several choices: 

1) Rap the route with (2) two 60 meter ropes (or a single 70m, or maybe a single 60m - see comments). The first rap is close to 100' and will take you straight down to the first anchor of Dial 911 (the next route to the left of WOWS). From here one more rap leads you to the ground.

2) The other option is to continue past the last bolted anchor and walk/downclimb the ramp to the climber's right. At a certain point it will be best to traverse improbably out to the top of a slab to access a bolted rap anchor - this is the anchor for Presto In C Sharp). 

A rap from here takes you to a ledge where you will find another rap anchor that will take you down a faint waterchute and to the ground. 

Continue downhill through rocks and a faint trail to the base of the rock, and back around to your packs. 

  • Please note that this descent is much longer, and slightly more involved, but has the advantage of only needing a single cord.

Lastly, if you are looking for some adventure on a long moonlit night, and couldn't make it on the route that day, do what the locals do and climb it by the light of the full moon.

Which way to the Wild Side? Suggest change

Found on the far right side of Saddle Rocks Skirt and is the third route from the right. Please note that the climb starts by scrambling up to the base and starting off the highpoint of stacked blocks.

Protection? Suggest change

All bolted with bolted anchors, but for the grade not a sport climb.

 All bolts and anchors are 1/2" with the exception of the 3rd pitch belay which are 3/8".

Photos

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