White Lightning

Overview

White Lightning is an impressive crack located on the Hemingway Buttress Hemingway Buttress. It is visible to the naked eye even from the parking lot some ten minutes walking distance away. What makes this crack so visible and noticeable is the fact that it’s wide.




White Lightning splits Hemingway Buttress in two. It rises vertically in a straight line and extends to the top. In many places it’s too wide for your hands or even for your fists. The crux, only twenty feet from the bottom, lacks in handholds, footholds and is too wide for your fist. But, you will get past this point and cruise to the top.


You can set up your anchor inside an alcove at the end of the splitter, or you can continue to the top. There is an easy walk/scramble down around the south side using a gully/narrow corridor.


Essential Gear


Standard Trad rack, pro up to 3.5 ". Carry at least two pieces of protection up to 3.5" for the crux.

Descent:

Most people seem to rappel after climbing this route. There are two options we've used in the past: (a) two 60m ropes from a two-bolt anchor a bit to the right, and (b) scramble down and right about 25 yards to two-bolt anchor, from which you can make a single-rope rap with a 60m.

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 following link to get more information in advance.

Joshua Tree Camping

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.

For current Campground information please see the link bellow:
http://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/camping.htm

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.

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.

Red Tape

There are no permits required for climbing on the crags of Joshua Tree National Park.

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Images

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