Timbuktu Towers, 5.9-5.13a

Overview/Approach

On my quest for my first 1000 routes in Joshua Tree, I had passed by Timbuktu on several occasions.  I had heard of it being known as a 5.12-5.13 play area featuring highly praised routes including Gravity Waves, 5.12a****,  Gravity Works, 5.11d**, Bates Motel, 5.12a** and Pumping Hate, 5.13a**.   Timbuktu Towers are located just west of Atom Smashers which features its own 5.12 classic, Ionic Strength, 5.12a***.  Needless to say, these two areas feature one of the highest concentrations of hard sport and trad climbs in Joshua Tree.  I also consider both to be two of the most aesthetically pleasing areas to hang out away from any other humans in an otherwise over populated National Park.  Atom Smashers is located directly on a pass between upper and lower (Indian Cove) Jtree giving one full view in both directions.  Timbuktu gives up incredibly open views to the north and east, towards another favorite remote location of mine located in North Wonderland, Super Dome, which is one of the largest features in the entire park and home of a stellar multi pitch route, The Great Unknown, 5.10b**.

Timbuktu does feature several good moderates as well, but they are stiffly graded by Jtree standards.  Nuclear Waste, 5.10b, is a clean and smooth off-width problem on the right side of the towers.  Those of us who love OW climbing will tell you this is one of the most difficult 5.10- off-widths we have ever climbed.  I have climbed 5.10d OW’s in Jtree that were technically easier.  It features a smooth outside wall with shedding rock offering you little tangible help beyond pure stacking of feet and fists.  Offshoot, 5.10b, located on the main south facing wall, has to be one of the finer, varied and tall, OW climbs in the park, despite receiving no stars in the local guide.  Atomic Poodle, 5.10*, further left on a separate feature than the main tower, offers a stout no-feet finger crack traverse to an easy OW.  Great pro and positioning, but again, challenging for the grade.

Timbuktu is located in the heart of North Wonderland, my favorite climbing destination in all of Jtree.  The through hike from Rattlesnake Canyon to the Boy Scout trailhead on Park Blvd road or the reverse is my favorite hike at Jtree and is used to reach some pretty cool classics, i.e. Big Horn Dihedral, Firewater Chimney, The Great Unknown, etc.  The quickest way to reach Timbuktu (maybe an hour, 3+ miles) is to park at the Boy Scout trailhead off of the Park Blvd road and hike north as you would for Gilligan’s Island or Outer Mongolia.  Pass Gilligan’s on the right and stay right at a signed fork.  Pass Outer Mongolia on the left. Soon after, the trail makes a sharp right turn into a wash that leads to Super Dome and eventually Rattlesnake Canyon.  The south faces of Timbuktu and Ivory Tower are easy to make out in the distance to the north before following the trail into the wash heading east.  Instead of following the trail into the wash on your right, leave any sign of a trail and head straight for Timbuktu Towers.  The easiest approach is circumventing around to the east and ramp up the hillside back west, but you can 5^th class directly up massive boulders to the base of the south face where the beautiful looking off-width named Offshoot is located.  Nuclear Waste is quickly located on a short east facing wall to the right whereas Atomic Poodle Crack is located on its own south facing feature to the left.

Routes Listed Left to Right

Atomic Poodle Crack- 60’-5.10*/ Climb the easy hand jam up the short corner to engage the finger roof crack that traverses out right.  Place gear at will into the finger rail with little to any feet for several meters (crux) until you get over the arete further out right.  This is a pumpy traverse for the grade.  Once on the arete, climb up the well below grade chimney crack to a gear belay on top.  Scramble down west.  Route gets all day sun.  Single to #2.  Doubles from #.2 to #.5.  A few extra pieces for the gear belay.  Dow

Sine Wave- 5.9/

Gravity Waves- 5.12a****/

Gravity Works- 5.11d**/

Offshoot- 5.10b/

Bates Motel- 5.12a**/

The Latex Arete- 55’-5.10a/ Follow the shallow curved corner at the left side of the same wall shared with Nuclear Waste and Polytechnics.  The entry moves, right to left over the arete are cruxy for the grade.  Click a singular pro bolt as you transition to the shallow corner seam to the right up until it becomes quite chossy, traverse left over the arete again via a fun move, climb a meter or two and regain the upper ramp on the right.  Shares same fixed rap as Polytechnics.  Wall gets morning sun.  Micro cams/wires up to finger pieces.  Dow

Polytechnics- 45’- 5.10d*/ A fixed copperhead leads through three bolts to a fixed rap, same wall as Nuclear Waste. Crux start up a chossy (very) shallow corner leads through the wire and a bolt as you transition from the slight foot ramp to edges on the right side.  Sustained climbing but easier from there through better rock and edges.  Fun easy yank at the end up to the anchor.  Four draws.  Wall gets morning sun.  Dow

Nuclear Waste- 45’-5.10b/ This is a sandbagged OW by Jtree standards.  Its smooth outside edge combined with few to any edges, make this a huffer and puffer.  Route receives morning sun.  Obvious corner at the east end of the formation.  Three moderate routes sharing the same wall and rap.  Difficult fist stacks with active but awkard feet.  Slightly overhanging and odd size OW (better for smaller climbers).  It is a medium to large gear top rope.  Rap Polytechnics to the south. Single #4-#6.  Double #4’s.  Dow

Psychokinesis- 5.11b**/

Psychotecuics- 5.11b**/

Pumping Hate- 5.13a**/

Psycho- 5.10dR/

Shower Scene- 5.10c/