Intersection Rock 4340′
Rocking Climbing– Joshua Tree National Park
Total Time: 1:00
Distance: negligible
Elevation Gain: 200′
Crux: Class 5.3 – Upper Ski Track
Pitches: 1
Protection: Singles to 4, long slings, 70 meter rope
Companions: Holly
Trailhead: Hidden Valley Campground
The weather was still holding as we pulled into the parking lot near Intersection Rock, hoping the morning rain was over for good and we’d be able to get in a few climbs, despite the wet rock. Since it had been four year since the last time I climbed in Joshua Tree and given the suboptimal conditions, I wanted to start on something fairly easy, and quickly setted on Upper Left Ski Track 5.3 on Intersection Rock. Starting off a ledge halfway up the formation, it would get us to the summit in one pitch and a chance to evaluate the rock conditions on something straight forward.
I scouted out the scramble up to the halfway ledge, a series of fairly easy third class steps. Since the rock was wet we decided to rope up here, although what looked like a tricky crack move from below was entirely avoided by moving up to a separate step to the left, hidden from view below. The climb starts in a nice protected alcove, largely protected by the wind, and after flaking the now damp rope, I started up.
The crux came early, with the chimney spitting me out to the left on wet slab. It was very straightforward from there, with opportunities to crack climb, face climb and chimney in the deep slot. It started to lightly rain again when I topped out, and I scrambled up to the top of the summit rock before the slab got any wetter.
Building a quick gear anchor, Holly started up just as the rain and wind increased, the conditions quickly turning alpine. We did our best to keep the rope out of the large pools of water at the summit, formed by deep granite depressions. The cold rain was coming down sideways as we set up the rappel, Holly heading down first and getting partway down the class 3 approach with our 70 meter rope. I quickly followed, Holly already back in the car trying to warm up by the time I had coiled the rope. As other climbers in Hidden Valley Campground headed to their cars, it was clear the short climbing day was over, and we headed out of the park, stopping in Joshua Tree Distillery and hoping for better conditions the following day.
