Surprise Rock

Overview/Approach

On our way to Bighorn Mating Grotto to climb one of the best 5.10 cracks in the whole park, Woo Li Master (5.10a), we hit up the south face of Surprise Rock. I advise others to do the same. We actually combined Sergeant Rock, Surprise Rock, Disneyland and Big Horn Mating for a full day out of crack climbing. The must do moderate objective on Surprise Rock is a sunny splitter hand crack with an interesting start and finish named Dirty Surprise (5.9). The fact this beautiful looking face only has two routes established on it as of 2013 might be due to what the name of this route suggests. Dirty Surprise was in fact a bit dirty (not climbed often) for such an attractive looking climb not that far in Wonderland. That being said, Dirty Surprise is a worthy trad line.  A fixed rap can be had with a 70m rope down Trembling Toes. Dirty Surprise was established way back in 1977 by Herb Laeger.

From the Pink House Ruins, continue west past Foolproof Tower on the left (High Strung, 5.9). The Astrodomes (north and south) are in the distance to the southwest. Lenticular Dome is straight ahead. Keep in the rightward washes heading for Freak Brothers Dome. Surprise Rock is on your right, the last wall on your right prior to the unique Freak Brothers.

Routes Listed Right to Left as you Face the South Wall

Dirty Surprise- 120'- 5.9*/ This is a decent route, tall and varied. Not the best rock in Jtree. Surprise Wall does not get much sun first thing in Jan or Feb, but is still south facing. An interesting flared stemming move gets you over a bulge to an easy hand crack. Crux for me was a slab move protected by a micro piece right below the top, some folks (saw chaulk) might break out right, but the move above the crack was pretty cool. A 70m barely makes the rap, but does. Dow

Trembling Toes- 120’-5.9PG/ Dirty Surprise is definitely worth doing as you pass near Surprise Rock on your way to a deeper destination in Wonderland South.  Once climbing Dirty Surprise, then it also makes sense to make a run up Trembling Toes.  They are opposite in nature; Dirty Surprise being a decent trad moderate sans bolts and Trembling a fully bolted route on choss face and edges.  Start up the ramp to the left of the obvious crack system in the middle of the face which is Dirty Surprise.  It is runout to the first bolt on dirty slab below grade.  Clip an old button-head bolt before reaching the arete.  Then follow slightly more modern bolts up the right side of the arete via crumbly edges.  Some critical side pulls on the left side of the arete are utilized at the crux which is stout for the grade by Cochise standards.  Most edges are dirty and some no doubt no longer exist.  After several meters of crux climbing near and on the arete, the route starts to trend right and up towards several hollow thin flakes.  The FA line goes to rap chains above these series of suspect flakes.  Someone has retro bolted a finish out left via two bolts that avoids the flakes.  The old bolts up the flakes have been pulled.  As of 2024, I prefer to still run it out up the fragile flakes.  If you choose the original route, it is important to be a quiet climber as the flakes are fragile.  Approximately ten clips.  Chain rap anchor on top.  Route gets sun all day.  Dow