Super Slab, 5.7-5.10c

Overview/Approach

The main reason to climb Super Slab is to combine its small moderate collection with the Great Unknown, 5.10b**, on Super Dome, which is one of my favorite routes in the entire park.  Super Slab’s rock is not good quality by Joshua Tree standards.  However, it does feature moderate three crack lines that are interesting. 

Coyote Corner, 5.9*, is a wide left facing corner climb up a flake at the west end of the slab.  It is a full 100’+ trad climb to a slung tree rap (2019).  The wide sections are fun but the face your feet are on is chossy.   Mike Hunt, 5.9*, would be one of the more interesting 5.9 climbs in the park if located closer to the road and therefore cleaned up with traffic and protected better.  As it stands now, it is missing two of its three advertised (local guide book) fixed pitons. We tore out one ourselves which helped protect the runout start.  Once you get through the chossy horizontals (crux), you will find a very cool tips rail that is easier to mantel and walk vs relying on chossy face below it as a tips rail.  This is another 100' route to a fixed rap.  Keep the Worm Firm, 5.7*, is an outstanding flake to bolted face climb at the grade to a fixed rap.  It is located at the far east end of the formation.  All routes face south and receive full sun.   A single 60m rope gets down all routes.

Park at the Boy Scout trailhead and head for Willow Hole.  That means splitting off of Boy Scout Trail at a marked intersection (2019) after approximately a mile, taking the right fork.  Continue for Ivory and Timbuktu Towers which are prominent features in the skyline to the north, staying on the well-established hiking trail.  Eventually you come to a significant wash on your right that is well traveled.  Take this wash and stay in it as it bends left heading for Willow Hole.  Willow Hole is marked by massive sand washes and then full on swamp in the winter and spring including many willows, reeds and water.  Stay left when in question until you are directly below a broad south facing light colored slab on your left, this is Super Slab.  Coyote Corner is at the far left end and Keep the Worm Firm is at the far right end (beta photo).

Routes Listed Left to Right as you Face the South Face

Coyote Corner- 110’-5.9*/ The obvious left leaning/facing wide crack at the west end of the formation.  Layback up the wide flake to hand jams in the middle and a squeeze at the end before reaching a tree slung with a rap (2019).  Single to C4#4.  Single 60m rope just makes the rap, would need a 70m to top rope.  Dow

Dimpled Chad- 60’-5.10c*/ Fully bolted slab climb that looks paper-thin chossy and uninviting.

Mike Hunt- 100’-5.9*/ The local guide has most of these routes listed too short including this one (60’).  This is a tough start for a 5.9, but worth it for the neat diagonal foot rail/crack above.  According to the local guide, this route had three pitons, now it only has one (2019).  The start is difficult to protect.  One pro bolt is down low, and then chossy rock through intricate horizontals is the crux.  Then pull up and mantle the edge of the finger/tips crack and walk it up as it leans right, placing small to micro gear as you go.  If you finger rail it, it becomes tips with bad feet (chossy paper-thin slab).  Best to mantle and walk it.  The bolts (three additional) protect slab at the grade to a fixed rap.  Single to C4 #.75 with micros and/or wires.  Dow

Keep the Worm Firm- 80’-5.7*/ The best of the moderate climbs on this face.  A fun flake climb that pulls out onto bolts to a fixed rap.  Located to the east end of the formation.  Single rack to #2.  Dow