There are only a handful of formations in Joshua Tree National Park with multitudes of moderate climbs. As far as I know, Hemingway buttress sits at the pinnacle of this category of formations. You don’t need to walk for miles or scamper through countless boulders to get to the base of Hemingway Buttress. It’s only a few walking minutes from a well developed parking area.

East Face of Hemingway Buttress

The climbs here range in difficulty from 5.7 to 5.10b, barring a few newer and very difficult climbs, with most in the 5.7 to 5.9 range. You can spend an entire day here and return for many more visits. Hemingway Buttress, also effectionately known as Poodle Wall, offers the best of face and crack climbs that Joshua Tree is famous for. Most of the climbs on this very long formation are located on the east face. And being an east facing formation it receives the warm glow of morning sun, making it desirable for cooler seasons.

East Face of Hemingway Buttress

To avoid having too many lines on the photo, I have chosen some of the most notable climbs.
These climbs are as follows:

{a-More Funky tha Junky, 10a}, {b-Funky Dung, 5.8}, {c-Overseer, 5.9}, {d-Dung Fu, 5.7}
{f-White Lightening, 5.7}, {g-Poodles Rae People Too, 10b}, {h-Such a Poodle, 5.8},
{i-Fletoneon Physics, 5.8}, j-Prepckaged, 5.9}

right line with two optional finishes is "Head Over Heels, 10a" - Left line is "For Whom the Poodle Tolls, 5.9"

Featured Climb, Overseer, 5.9

Standard route in solid line, and the direct start, 10a, in dotted line.

Overseer is one of the best 5.9s on the Hemingway Buttress, and in fact, in all of Joshua Tree. Overseer offers mostly face climbing to start and a sustained 5.9 crack near the end.

Start on the face directly below the most prominent overhang on the whole formation. Climb this face directly up toward the right side of the overhang, bypassing it via a series of small cracks. You will have to climb around the corner on the left to gain the crux 5.9 crack.

This crack consists of finger locks and hand jams on a dihedral corner with a smooth face. You won’t have any footholds while doing this sustained crack. So make sure to put in good protection before starting up this section. At the end of this crux you will have a great foothold to rest and place more protection. The rest of the climb is significantly easier and will take you to the top.
You can walk down around the back through a tunnel/gully on the south side.

There is a direct start - a few feet to the right of the standard start- rated at 10a. It’s mostly climbing on a face with some creative protection. This variation is shown with a dotted line.

Camping and Noise Considerations

There are nine campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park. At the entrance to the park you are always asked if you would care to have a map and a brochure. The brochure will have plenty of information on the campgrounds and the map will guide you to many of the pleasant hikes throughout the park. You may even get the latest information as to availability of campsites. During the peak season (mid winter through spring) finding a campsite may become a major task. It is highly recommended to use the link on Joshua Tree camping and general information in advance. Joshua Tree Camping and General Information

Hidden Valley Campground

Noise considerations,

When you are camping with friends and sitting around the fire, it is easy to forget that there are other people trying to sleep in the nearby campsites. It is important to put yourself in their shoes. Keep the noise and music to a minimum and certainly not too much past 10 p.m. Your neighbors will smile at you in the morning instead of giving you dirty looks.

Environmental Considerations

Please tread lightly. The Access Fund has gone to great lengths posting trail marker for approaches to many of the more popular crags. Do you best to stay on these trails, and where you are forced to use a different path, choose the ones that rain can mend in time. Drainages make for good trails where there are no established trails.
Avoid stepping on native and fragile plants, and do not feed the coyotes. Coyotes are very much used to people and often hang around picnic areas and camp grounds in hopes of getting a hand out. It’s better to let them live their natural life.

Red Tape

There are no permits required to climb or hike in Joshua Tree National Park. However, there are fee requirements for entering and camping within the park boundaries.

7-Day pass for each passenger car---$15
7-Day pass on foot, bicycle or motor cycle ---$5
Joshua Tree Annual Pass/non transferable---$30
Interagency Annual Pass---$80
Campsite fees are $15/night for Black Rock, Cottonwood and Indian Cove campgrounds.
The fees for the remaining campgrounds are $10/ night.

How To Get There

From the west enterance to Joshua Tree National Park, drive about eight miles to a large paved parking area with a bathroom. This parking is about two miles past Quail Springs parking, and it has its own sign, “Hemimngway” indicating that you have arrived. Looking toward the west you will see the elongated Hemingway Buttress at a few minutes walking distance.

There are at least two trails heading out toward different nearby formations and an Access Fund trail leading toward the main Hemingway Buttress. Scramble on and around a few large boulders to the base.

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