Customer Reviews

Rock Climbing Joshua Tree, 2nd (Regional Rock Climbing Series)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you're looking for the comprehensive catalog to Joshua Tree climbs, look no further. Author Randy Vogel has undertaken a huge task in compiling over 4,000 routes for the Park. The downside is that the route descriptions are very, often too, concise. For example, "Walk on the Wild Side", one of the best moderate climbs in Joshua Tree has the following "description":

"WALK ON THE WILD SIDE 5.7+ ****".

For a first-timer, this description lacks the necessary detail to be complete. Is this a bolted or trad route? How many pitches? Do I repell off or walk off? Are there bolted anchors? What gear should I bring?

I've found that using this book in conjunction with climbingjtree.com (which includes color pictures and user-submitted commentary along with detailed route descriptions and gear suggestions) to be the best of both worlds!

This thick guidebook has every area covered in Joshua Tree. There are no descriptions of the routes, but you can't expect that with the sheer number covered. Topos of most of the routes show bolts and sometimes gear sizes are included. The protection ratings are not given, i.e. G,PG,R,X. If you want just a basic source with everything in it, get this guide. I'd recommend getting the individual areas covered by Alan Bartlett's series, he has detailed descriptions of the routes for each area covered.

The comprehensive Joshua Tree Guide set a new standard for use of graphics, protection and quality ratings. More maps and photos than any guide ever published. Some of the best maps I've ever used, which is a real plus in an area like this where you could get hopelessly lost. The only minus is no first ascent information.

There are others out there, but Vogel's Rock Climbing Joshua Tree is the definitive overall guide that both new and experienced climbers rely upon. However, for more detailed information on routes in specific areas of Joshua Tree (Lost Horse, Indian Cove, Hidden Valley, etc.), don't leave home without Alan Bartlett's excellent guides.

That said, Rock Climbing JT is and will always be a work in progress, as is any climbing guide, and should be viewed as such. Bolts on old routes can become unreliable, new routes are always being established and the ratings themselves are highly subjective. Some 5.8 routes have felt like 5.10, while another 5.8 can seem like a walk-up. Paradoxically, it is the trusted guide that can't always be trusted.

Each route has a star rating, a qualitative scoring process which is again highly subjective. Some routes have descriptions, some don't. Not all routes have accompanying photographs and in this second edition, there is still an annoyingly large number of misspellings and incorrect cross references. But as I said before, this book is a work in progress. It takes years and years of climbing prowess and research to gather information for a guide of this magnitude and despite the highly opinionated nature of this and all climbing guides, it is still an essential piece of climbing gear no Josh climber should do without.

The material in the 2nd edition is from 1992, NOT 2000 as the Amazon page says. We recently moved to Southern California, bought the book on Amazon, then went to boulder at Hidden Valley Campground. I had trouble getting my bearings... Intersection Rock was in the wrong place... the roads have all moved in that area since the book was written. I met a local in the parking lot and asked him what was up. When he saw the book in my hand he asked if I bought it at the ranger station, then complained that it was still on their shelves given how out of date it is.

I don't know if the publication date is a typo (maybe 2000 was the last reprint date?) but I'm not impressed with the book. Combine the lacking route descriptions (see other reviews) with 15 years since publication and you've got a pretty weak guide book. Spend your $33 on a better, more current book.

So, like other comments have noted, this book is from 1992. thats almost 20 years ago now, so while alot of stuff has changed, rocks dont get up and move(that we know of) so its still a useful guide. but i definately wish that there was a guide that was only a few years old with color pictures and well written descriptions. If it was like the TRAD guide to j-tree, that would be awesome. but that is a pretty small book. with thousands of routes in the park, i feel like someone could do a way better job.

This book was the basis for Jtree climbing knowledge for years...Now that Randy Vogel already has another guidebook out (which is really good by the way!) and is releasing another one this upcoming January (2008) this book may become out-dated, but still a really good tool if you lack the two new volumes.

If you don't know where in JTree you would like to climb or if you plan on doing a little bit of all kinds of climbing, this is the book to have. It provides an overview for the whole area with great maps and photographs to easily locate all rocks (and there is a lot of them so the book is thick). Some of the maps and info are out of date and need to be replaced (the Hidden Valley campground/Intersection Rock map and information about showers). I also found myself constantly writing on the map page references for the different rocks. It may also be nice to include a guide on all major toprope, bouldering, and sport climbing sections, although these exist on the web. Overall, I had an amazing trip and knew where to go every day, I just wish I had more than 5 days to climb there. Ooooh, also the book doesn't tell you that you will have no finger tips left or that the ratings are really hard and you shouldn't use them :-) A 5.10c in JTree is apparently not a 5.10c anywhere else, but this is a one of a kind place!

This is a very comprehensive guide to Joshua Tree for climbers. It is the book that we always take with us as the defintive reference. Generally, the information is accurate and the maps detailing which rock is which in various formations is quite good.

However, there are several notable drawbacks to the book. First - the routes often have no description of them or any guidance as to the trad gear needed for a given route. Second, many of the routes for some areas do not appear in the pictures making route finding without a good desription, difficult. Third, descent information is often not found or has to be interpreted.

It may sound like there are major faults with the book, but in reality it is a good book that is very useful. Just don't expect it to tell you everything you need to know about a given crag.