A boulder problem start (crux) on thin edges with poor feet is encountered before the first bolt, after which the climbing is no harder than 5.10; one more bolt leads to a ledge. Make some cool stemming moves off the ledge and finish up an arete to anchors.

A little squeezed down low, but the climbing is fairly good and higher the routes on either side diverge. It's possible to combine the lower half of

Black Bart

with the upper portion of this route to get a fun 5.10 route. You can also combine the lower half of this route with the upper half of

Black Bart

to get a 5.11 route with two cruxes.

Motherlode

Dust in the Wind

Out of Our Mines

Wildrose

Golden Gloves

Psychedelic Sluice

Blasting Cap

Belleville

Phantom Ore Cart

Fools Gold

Lodestone

The Prospector

Fire in the Hole

Golden Nugget

Black Bart

Baku

Miner's Milk

Cap Gun

Shantytown Swing

Miner Forty-Niner

Boudery moves on thin but positive edges start things off, and lead to a crux section moving past the 2nd bolt. Once past the crux, the holds increase in size and the angle kicks back to a slab for a short section before finishing on vertical jugs.

Great moves on excellent rock make this a popular climb on a popular wall.

* Orignally done with only two bolts (the second and third) and no anchors, it was later retro-bolted which greatly boosted it's popularity.

Climb up a ramp to headwall with a bolt and make thin moves into the bottom of the crack. Once established in the crack the angle kicks back and the climbing becomes much easier.

Start up a left-leaning ramp to reach the first bolt, which protects improbable moves (crux) to the second bolt and the end of the difficulties. Wander up a very easy, low-angled slab past two bolts to reach a perched block where vertical, featured face (5.9) past three more bolts leads to anchors atop the block.

Long and varied, with fun moves and some nice exposure up high, which makes this a recommended route for the wall.

Start up a smooth vertical face with tricky moves to gain a slabby, rounded arete which is followed to anchors atop the face. The excellent rock quality at the bottom gives way to slightly grainy face at the top, but the exposure and positioning on the arete are great.

* Originally done as a solo it was later bolted to make a fun lead for beginning climbers.

This seldom done link-up combines the lower portion of

Motherlode

with the upper portion of

Black Bart

for a one-two punch that combines the cruxes of both those routes.

Boulder up past two bolts to a ledge, clip a high bolt on the left with a long sling and then move right onto a ramp and join

Black Bart

at it's 4th bolt before heading up the thin slab above to anchors.

A fun, easy to protect crack that begins with the crux right off the ground.

To keep the climb 5.6 traverse in from the left via a slanting ramp; the direct start from the ground is 5.9.

Getting up to the first gear placement may be a touch more difficult for shorter climbers.

Climb the featured, low angle slab past four bolts to anchors at the top of the face.

Orignally a solo, it was later bolted to make a well-protected climb for beginning climbers.

This eliminate problem climbs a difficult but contrived start (at the bottom stay direct and avoid the better holds to the left and right) but quickly eases and gives way to easy but fun moves up the slab - not a classic by any means but perhaps worth doing after climbing the neighboring routes.

Belleville

, named after Belle Van Dusen, was the name of the original mining town that started out in Holcomb Valley in the spring of 1860. When elections were held later that same year, to determine the location of the county seat, Belleville narrowly lost out to the city of San Bernardino by a mere 2 votes, and yet two years later it was almost a ghost town.

Tricky thin face moves off the ground and past the first bolt are the crux after which the holds improve and a bit of interesting slab gains a ledge.

Continue up another 20 feet of easy but run-out terrain to anchors on a higher ledge.

This often missed crack climb is actually fairly decent. Although the initial section below is a bit contrived, the upper moves on fairly steep rock make up for it. Enjoyable moves as the crack thins out near the top.

This popular link-up combines the lower portion of

Black Bart

with the upper portion of

Motherlode

and avoids the hard sections of both those routes.

Climb up and left along tricky thin edges past three bolts to a ledge, clip a bolt on the left wall of a shallow dihedral and then stem your way up the short corner to a low-angled arete passing two more bolts to anchors.

Start in a shallow left facing dihedral, then move on to the shallow arete between Wildrose and Fire in the Hole. Can go straight up the bulge there, or just to the right of it. When you reach the slab at the top, finish on Wildrose past 2 bolts and a shared anchor.

* Very unlikely that no one has climbed this before, but since it's not here I figured I would add it and give it a name.

The climb begins with a short, vertical section with side pulls and edges before gaining a high-angle, somewhat gritty slab reminiscent of Joshua Tree. The crux comes at the third bolt and involves a balancy high-step to better holds.

* This was one of the first routes done on the wall, and was originally done with a #3 RP (just before the present 3rd bolt), two bolts (the third and fourth) and no anchors; it was later retro-bolted to make it more popular and fun.

Climb a vertical, black face with edges up and left past three bolts to a ledge, then continue up the slab above past two more bolts to a difficult crux that's not especially fun. Once past the crux, one more bolt of easy climbing leads to the top.

It's possible on the upper portion to cut left into the corner and stem your way up as you reach right to clip the bolts - this keeps the grade at 5.10 and makes the route more enjoyable.

* This was one of the first routes on the wall and originally had four bolts (the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th) and no anchors, but was later retro-bolted to make it a better protected - unfortunately the crux remains unappealing.

Start up the left facing corner up to a nice two-finger pocket. Clip the second bolt and make some micro bouldery moves up past the lip, crux! Finish the climb on some easy slab to the anchors.

Jam and lieback a curving flake system then continue up plated face to a single bolt which protects 5.8 friction moves to a ledge; continue up another twenty feet of easy face (possible 1-2 inch piece) to bolted anchors on a higher ledge.

*

Miner's Milk

is an American Pale Ale served at the Joshua Tree Saloon in the town of Joshua Tree.

This is the easy dihedral system that can be used to access the tops of routes for setting up TRs.

The "Swing" begins by manteling onto the sloping ramp, or by climbing the ramp directly, between

Psychedelic Sluice

and

Out of Our Mines

. From the top of the ramp, clip a bolt and continue up past 5 more bolts to a 2 bolt chain anchor. Fun moves up plates and friction up top.

Climbs a technical thin crack which peters out 20 feet up and then continues up face moves, passing the occasional gear opportunity, before finishing on a ledge.

Continue upwards from the ledge and wander up the broken, lower-angled face above to the top of the rock.

Gear belay and down climb the south end of the formation.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Motherlode Rock - East Face