Outdoor Video Magazine

Seeing as I’m still preparing photos from my last hike in the Nordegg area, I thought I would fill today with a collection of videos featuring bouldering problems in Joshua Tree, California.

I like this one….mostly for the sound track. It features White Rastafarian, a V3 problem in J-Tree. One big, high boulder. A nicely produced video.

Here the Chuckawalla V6 with a sit-start is done. The video lacks atmosphere though….where’s the pumping climbing soundtrack?!

ANother nice looking V6, Rasberry..and again…no music! Just wind. Jeez guys…

Here is someone completing “Dark Matter”, a V10 rated problem at the Underground in Joshua Tree. Looks pretty hard to me…

This video features the Betty Jo Yablonski problem, rated V1 R. The video is pretty long and shot very plainly, not the best climbing video out there!

The “Happies” are part of the Volcanic Tablelands located just north of Bishop, California. The area contains hundreds of bouldering problems. There are lots of nice traverses and a lot of high problems too. Make sure you bring that extra thick crash pad. There are problems rated from VB to V14.

The video below is an extremely watchable bouldering video based in the Bishop area. Gives you a great idea of the best problems, and maybe a few tips for how to complete them too.

Also right by the Happies is the Buttermilks, at a higher elevation. In fact the name Buttermilks often refers to the Happies too. Bishop is just a bit of a climbing mecca really. Check out this awesome video by Momentum Video Magazine. Unfortunately the link won’t take you straight there (grrrr flash sites). You’ll have to hunt for it. I’m sure you’ll get distracted by the multitude of other awesome content though. Interestingly, despite the website being www.momentumvm.com, while we’re www.outdoorvm.com….there is no relation between us at all! I just came across their site the other day. Its a great site, keep it up guys.

Be warned….summer is very very hot for climbing. The rock is black, you’re in the desert, in full sun. Fall, winter and spring are considered the best times to boulder in Bishop.

Location
Getting there from Bishop: Go North on Highway 6 about a mile. Take a left on Five Bridges Road and continue until you get to the gravel plant, then take a left on Chalk Bluff road and go 2.3 miles. Park next to the kiosk and washroom.

Getting there from Yosemite: Take 395 south to Pleasant Valley Dam Road. Take a left on PVD and drive for a couple of miles until you hit Chalk Bluff road, just after the camping area on the left. Take a right on Chalk Bluff Road, parking is a mile or so further on by the kiosk and washroom.

Once parked the trail leading into the canyon is behind you going uphill.

Bishop Bouldering details more than 2000 problems at this internationally popular climbing destination, providing complete coverage of the Buttermilk Country (including outlying areas like Dales Camp and the Pollen Grains), The Happy and Sad Boulders, The Druid Stones, and Rock Creek and The Sherwin Plateau (north toward Mammoth). Bishop Bouldering also showcases the region s bouldering with hundreds of color photographs, including stunning action shots from pro shooters like Dan Pattitucci, Jim Thornburg, Stephan Denys, Simon Carter, and Wills Young.

I don’t know much about climbing, I only started in January. And I know even less about ice-climbing. So why am I writing on this topic you may ask? Well I’m not..it just looks like I am. I came across some cool ice-climbing videos on YouTube. They feature what is billed as the greatest ice climb in the Canadian Rockies. It’s the Polar Circus, located 27km North of Saskatchewan crossing in Jasper National Park. It’s a 700m V5 (that means its pretty hard I think, haha).

The videos linked below show some great climbing footage, and also a lot of background chit-chat and preparations. Something the avid ice-climber will probably enjoy. It is in 3 parts, each video around 6-8 minutes long. Enjoy!

Part 1 - Polar Circus Ice Climbing Video

Part 2 - Polar Circus Ice Climbing Video

Part 3 - Polar Circus Ice Climbing Video

Just another interesting video I happened across (isn’t youtube great?). Watch Dan Osman climb a vertical 400ft cliff in just over 4 minutes with no ropes or safety gear. Notice how he does a few risky looking dynos too? when about 300ft off the ground? Another one not to try at home kids.

Dan Osman is famous for his crazy free-soloing feats and also for ‘controlled free-falling’ (his record was 1200ft). Controlled-free falling is basically just jumping off high things attached to a climbing rope (and hopefully a very well-thought out set of anchors). It is not similar to bungee jumping, in that just standard climbing rope with limited stretch is used. Dan Osman died in 1998 whilst performing one of this jumps when his rope cut. He was undoubtedly an amazing climber, but he often came under stick in the climbing community for being downright stupidly dangerous. Read this excellent biography from Outside Online that also details Dan’s final jump.

During Christmas of 2006/07 I joined the University of Alberta’s Outdoor Club’s trip to Joshua Tree, California. What an awesome place. However, be warned…I would only recommend making the trip there from a LONG way away if you’re a climber. The climbing there is absolutely amazing. The hiking is GOOD but there’s not much of it and it tends to get repetitive after a few days. Go to Yosemite instead! Desert hiking is not generally renowned for it’s hugely varying scenery.

Where to Stay
Hidden Valley is one of the largest and most central campsites, with good access to many, many climbing routes and bouldering, both IN the actual campground, and nearby. Ryan Campground is another good option. Be warned neither have running water. Cottonwood at the south end of the park has some nice hiking (Lost Palms Oasis), and is generally a lot quieter and has running water. However, don’t go here if you are coming to J-Tree for the climbing. We were originally staying here, and quickly relocated to somewhere closer to the action. Why drive 45mins to climb when you can stay somewhere else and have 15 routes in 5mins walk?! Check out this site for campground details.

Climbing
Joshua Tree is world renowned for it’s climbing, and it is certainly one of the best locations in America for it. The park’s natural features of many weird rock formations with their sharp edges, many cracks and high friction surface combine with excellent weather (especially in winter) to make it a must visit place for any climber. There are over 4,500 established routes concentrated in a fairly small area…and all of them are very accessible, meaning maximum climbing and minimum hiking with gear. There are many sport routes, but also some excellent trad routes, and a host of excellent bouldering problems. Check out some more information at this site.

Hiking
Probably the three most popular trails are Lost Palms Oasis, the Boy Scout Trail, and Ryan Mountain.

The Lost Palms Oasis (11.2km round-trip to entrance of oasis) is an awesome hike. Maybe I’m biased because it was the first one I did in J-Tree…but it is a nice length (not short…but not so long scenery gets repetitive). However, you do have to back track a lot of the way. The ‘oasis’ itself is pretty cool. Not spectacular…but cool. Its a narrowish rocky canyon filled with gorgeous palms. Its a nice place to hangout and have some lunch. I would recommend walking a fair way into the canyon, the rock/palm formations make it a worth while trip. It is a good idea to fit in a visit to Masterdon Peak either on the way there or back. It’s not much longer at all…and it has some cool rocks on the way up and on the top. Plus some nice views.

Ryan Mountain is a very short hike…it took us just 45mins of average speed walking to get to the top. The views are pretty awesome…looking down on the huge piles of rocks in the middle of the flat desert is pretty amazing. There are also some nice cacti and desert plants on the way. It’s good for photos to have them with a backdrop rather than at desert level like always. We extended the hike by hooking up with some other trails in the area. It’s nice terrain for picking a bee-line in pretty much any direction you want, and we ended up making a nice 12km loop by going off trail and then meeting up with two other trails.

The Boy Scout trail (25.8km) links Indian Cove Campground with the main road through the park near Hidden Valley Campground. Therefore it is possible to do it as a one-way 13km hike using a car shuttle. The trail skirts the edge of the Wonderland of Rocks…an area of crazy, weird boulders and piles of rocks. It is very easy to get lost and disorientated in the Wonderland of rocks, be warned!

When to go
For climbing, winter is the best time. The park remains pleasantly warm during the day (if slightly windy) and it is often shorts and t-shirt weather. Nights can be a little chilly though, so bring some warm clothes. Winter is generally considered the busiest time for climbing, however I still did not find it unpleasantly crowded during New Year. In summer, the park becomes very dry and very hot. Often beating away all but the hardcore climbers, which can be a bonus if you want to escape the crowds. Weather is also excellent in spring and autumn (it’s desert after all) meaning Joshua Tree is a year-round destination.

Books

Rock Climbing Joshua Tree

Rock Climbing Joshua Tree West

The Trad Guide to Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree Bouldering

Rock Climbs of Indian Cove

Joshua Tree Sport Climbing