Box Canyon, 5.10a-5.12a

Overview/Approach

One of the lessor known of the remote climbing features in Joshua Tree National Park is a perpendicular paired wall system named Alice in Wonderland.   It is located in the upper reaches of the Comic Book area in the center of the park.  The namesake route for Comic Book, 5.10a**, is the featured attraction to this area, but few other routes on this hillside get much attention.  Alice in Wonderland is aptly named as you need to “spelunk” your way through tunnels formed by large boulders to reach the base.  A great route to pair with Alice’s routes is named Drano, 5.10a*, which is located on a rather obscure west facing buttress named Box Canyon.  The turn left (east) from the open desert into the vast rock gully approach to Alice is a box canyon (thus the namesake of this feature) of sorts.  Straight east, once you start boulder hoping, is a west facing buttress with an obvious flared crack on its right side (Drano).  This buttress is named Box Canyon and contains three steep routes that are west/northwest facing.

Drano is the only moderate of the three routes on Box Canyon and is definitely worth combining with a multitude of other objectives in this part of the Comic Book area.  The fixed rap atop Box Canyon needs to be replaced (bolts included) as of 2018.

Park at the side road parking area designated by a trail marker (2018) for the hike into Comic Book.  It is located on the right not even a half mile north of the left turn for the large Echo parking area.  There are multiple pull off parking areas.  Essentially you are looking to hike southeast skirting the rocky formations along the bottom of the large hill on your left.  Near the end, you will turn left past Sinagar Rock and into a box canyon among walls on the north and south.  To the east is a large boulder gully.  Straight east you can see the feature named Box Canyon by locating the obvious splitter on its right side which is the rotue Drano (photo).  Scramble up and right to the base.

Routes listed left to right as you face this west facing buttress

Brain Death- 50’-5.12aR*/

Brain Damage- 50’-5.12a*/

Drano- 60’-5.10a*/ This flaring hand crack is located off a small ledge on the right side of the formation.  Good gear and jams the whole way, sustained.  The flaring aspect is what no doubt takes it from 5.9 to 5.10a.  The fixed anchor needs replaced in 2018, 1/4 “ rusted bolts and ratty slings.  A few finger to medium pieces.  Dow