Lazy Day, Joshua Tree

Roy and I have been avoiding climbing while Roy's wrist has been healing from a fall he took, he blames a dog... . We decided to try a little trip out to Joshua Tree to see how his wrist was improving. Being January, it was cold at night and there was plenty of reminders of the most recent storm. A quick explanation regarding the photos, since one of us was climbing, while the other was belaying. This is excellent for safety purposes, but really cuts back on the action shots.

Notice the channel from the recent rains and the frost from the cold the night before. It was very easy to decide that we wanted to be in the sun, since it was much more inviting.

Here is a view looking to our right, taken from the same location as the picture above. The sunny side was beautiful. For our first climb we did a short but steep 5.6 known as Jessica's Crack. The angle of the upper portion eases off but turns into an off width crack that can only be protected with monstrous sized protection, which of course we didn't have. This meant that we just needed to reach down inside and come up with a little more courage, or something and we managed to do the climb. Of course it's not known for being much of a challenge.

Roy on the rappel after climbing Jessica's Crack

Roy coiling the rope after the rappel

The necessary ingredients

Looking up at Lazy Day 5.7

We decided that in order to enjoy the most that the weather had to offer, we would do another south facing climb. The most obvious one that we thought would be within our capabilities was Lazy Day. We picked up our gear and headed over to the base of the climb. The weather was perfect and off we went. What I had forgotten was how unique the climbing was on this route. Instead of just straight forward crack or face, this started out with some nice crack, but soon led up to the diagonal crack, which turns out to be located on a steep section of the face. The feature making it particularly steep, being the overhang on the top side of this crack. Once I reached this location, the balmy weather became incredibly hot, oppressively hot, I was sweating buckets. Since the climb is only 5.7, I could see the move, but didn't seem to want to commit. The long I studied the rock, the more tired I got and I began to wonder if I was going to have the strength to finish. Finally I gave up on any attempt at style points and placed my knee on a ledge. This ledge had a nice sharp lip that caused me excruciating pain as I placed another piece of protection and then finally I was able to stand. The rest of the climb was actually enjoyable again, except for the residual pain to my knee. Of course Roy just scampered up and declared that it was a good route, to hard for him but good. I don't know if he says these things to try to make me feel good or make me angry and it doesn't do any good to ask.

Hey, I said I enjoyed the rest of the climb

Roy starting the rappel

Roy on rappel, just below my crux, he thought it was harder up higher.

Once back on the ground Roy declared that we had accomplished our "test" of his wrist and it was time to go home. Thinking about my knee and what another climb might do to me, I quietly agreed and we headed home, another day enjoying the beauty of Joshua Tree at an end.