Fun and varied climbing past bolts which weaves around a small roof/overlap then heads into a shallow right-facing corner/flake to the top of the flake where you'll find bolted belay anchors; single rope rappel from anchors to the ground. Three stars out of five.

Heart and Sole

A good intricate route on the slab between Quick Draw McGraw and Heart and Sole (it's harder than these).

Start by a yucca. A couple of thin moves leads to the crux (bolt); a very tenuous step up on a crystal to a relenting in the steepness. Go left (bolt), more tricky stuff gets over another steep section trending rightwards (bolt). Up and marginally left to the last bolt, then a frantic dash (or composed styling) to the top before the old nervous energy takes over and causes a snafu on the not all that easy finishing runout.

The Falcon and The Snowman

This is a 50 m pitch on the main southwest face of Echo Rock.  It is to the left of Gone In 60 Seconds, and goes through a section of scooped-out rock.  There are two tricky sections.

Minute Man

This odd climb is a left to right rising girdle traverse of Echo Rock.

The route starts by clipping the first bolt of Double Dip and then traversing up and right to the first bolt of Battle of the Bulge. Continue up and right to the first bolt of Unzipper and then level out and traverse the face, clipping bolts on various routes (you should hit Stichter Quits at it's third bolt), finishing with the last two bolts of Forbidden Paradise.

Much easier than appearances suggest, this is a fun and novel route that has a lot of climbing.

Orginally done with a 60 meter rope and some simul-climbing at the end of the route; a 70 meter rope might eliminate that.

Highway 62

This is a face climb in the middle of Echo Rock on the west face.  It is route 1615 in the book.  It has 3 well spaced bolt with a little flake just after the 3rd bolt.  Then on easy grond a long run out to the top to a 2 bolt belay.  The crux is trying to get to the 3rd bolt.  Walk off to the left.

Try Again

This route climbs the trough and slab immediately left of Double Dip.

Originally an "X" rated lead, the climb was retro bolted by a member of the first ascent party (Bob Gaines) and now has 7 bolts for a relatively safe lead.

Penny Lane

This route is a variation to the better known classic "Heart And Sole."  Start up Heart And Sole.  Where that route moves left into a right-facing corner, branch right.  Climb up past two more bolts, then traverse left to the Heart And Sole belay.

Love and Rockets

Climb the slab between Gone in 60 Seconds and Cherry Bomb past 3 bolts, then move right to the 3rd bolt on Cherry Bomb, then run it out (5.5 R) up to the Stichter Quits 2-bolt belay. A short 4th class pitch leads to the top. You can TR the first pitch from the 2-bolt anchor with a 70 meter rope.

Cherrie Pie

In the old days, routes were established from the ground up (how archaic!).  The bolt wars were raging in the mid-80's, and if you didn't belong to the chic clique or live up to their unwritten standards, you'd likely see your efforts fall victim to a chopper's chisel.  Given the proliferation of bolts and routes on Echo Rock, this route was established in a manner that precluded removal: an on-sight free-solo.  The name was a tongue-in-cheek commentary for the times.  In an ironic twist, one of the resident "big-names" came along shortly afterwards and placed the bolt.

Climb the middle of the face left of Double Dip past a single bolt.  Watch out for crunchy rock and bad holds.  Clipping the bolt is optional - it is still a "no-falls" type of route.  Not recommended for the aspiring 5.8 leader, but it will cure campground boredom.

Too Bold to Bolt

This toprope climbs the face between Double Dip and Penny Lane.

Begin at a triangle-shaped flake, then climb the slab up to a 5-foot long, 4-inch wide, vertical crack. Continue up the slab, staying independent of Double Dip and Penny Lane.

Penny Ante

Climb past one bolt to a ledge with a small pine tree. Escape off left or continue up via a very easy crack.

The Slab

Two bolts close to each other protect the crux, which is not far off the deck, after which the route cuts left on some large hollow flakes to another bolt and a long but easier runout to anchors on top.

As with most of the older Josh slab routes this one is somewhat runout, but the crux is well protected. Named after a 1974 movie of the same name which later (2000) got remade.

Gone in 60 Seconds

Here's another fun slab climb on the main southwest face of Echo Rock.  It's just to the left of the well-known route "Stick To What."  Move up and right to the first bolt, then angle left past two more bolts and up to a crack near the top.

Legolas

Climb the slab between Fall From Grace and Quick Draw McGraw past 2 bolts, then veer right and join the upper dihedral of Quick Draw McGraw.

The cruxs moves (5.10c) are a long ways above the second bolt.

April Fools

This route climbs the slab to the right of Stick to What and Forbidden Paradise. Scramble up to a small roof/overlap (takes .5-.75" gear). Step over the overlap and face climb past 3 bolts (the last one is a 1/4"). Make sure to set a directional in the flake above before traversing either left (to the anchors on Stick To What) or right (to the anchors on Heart and Sole).

One of the less popular routes on the west face of Echo Rock, but the climbing is decent enough and reasonably protected.

Fall from Grace

The character of this route is the same as most of the others on Echo Rock, thin face/slabbing. Clip a couple of bolts and make really thin moves past a horizontal to get over the bulge. One more bolt afterwards and its over. Decent climb.

Battle of the Bulge

Small little double flake on a gentle slope. Good for first time experince with laybacks.  Few nuts and or cams will get you up. Don't top rope the tree.

Roxy's Rock

Highly popular,

Double Dip

is a fun, somewhat polished and fairly runout climb up a lieback flake to dished-out face near the left side of the main Echo Slab. Be aware the route wanders a fair bit to seek out the lowest angled possibility up the face and runouts of 20 feet or so are the norm.

There's a two bolt belay on a flat area next to a dike at the top and the descent is down ramps and slabs to the climber's left. Three stars out of five.

Double Dip

The Trough is a wide chimney that splits the SW face of Echo Rock.  It's the obvious crack on the far left side of the photo, about 40 feet left of (and around the corner from) Double Dip.  You can't miss it, but you should probably try to anyway.  Not really worth doing -- definitely not with climbing shoes and a rope.

The Trough

This route goes up between Cole/Evans and Sonic and the Hot Dog Water.  It has 6 bolts and goes to a 2 bolt anchor.  The route starts at a small undercling/lieback roof, which is difficult to reach if you are not tall.

Respect The Pouch

Climb the slab between Double Dip and Battle of the Bulge, staying independent of those routes.

Such a Sandwich

Good climbing that's a bit steeper and better protected than most of the climbs on Echo Rock. The moves up to and past the first bolt are SUPER greasy and show the effects of popularity. There's an optional nut placement after the first bolt if you need it.

Fun climbing with sustained balancy movement and good protection merit this route three stars out of five.

Forbidden Paradise

An eye-catching right-arching finger crack that provides some really enjoyable moves. Approach via an easy angled 5.0 slab, then step over a gulch to reach the finger crack. Follow the line right up a ramp, then slab up and across to belay in

The Trough

.

Don't Quit Stitching

Scramble up through boulders to the base and climb thin friction past three bolts to the left side of the flake ledge with

Heart and Sole

. Two stars out of five.

Quick Draw McGraw

This route climbs the face between Cherry Bomb and Stichter Quits, staying independent of these routes.

Begin just left of Stichter Quits, face climbing the start of the dike on small edges to a somewhat height dependent move (5.7/8), then climb up and left on easier slab to a bulge. Cross the bulge (5.7)  about equidistant between Cherry Bomb and Stichter Quits, then cruise up easy slab to the Stichter Quits 2-bolt anchor.

Raindogs

Start from stacked boulders about thirty feet right of the route

Forbidden Paradise

Climb a left-facing flake to an overhang, mount the overhang to the bolt and then move left and up. The lower flake is of dubious quality so care should be taken in placing protection under it. Three of us felt the rating should be around 5.8/9.

Ten Conversations at Once

Climb a large flake that leans against the main face. From the top of the flake, two old bolts can be seen to your left. Traverse left a bit and clip the second bolt. The rest of the bolts are relatively new and of good quality. I felt the crux was getting on top of the "tooth" to the right of the first new bolt. Once that is surmounted, continue pretty much straight up. There is a bit of a runout getting to the anchors after the last bolt; however, it's fairly easy. This is a route I'll do again.

Tooth Beaver

This is a fun, 50m-long low-angle face climb on the main southwest face of Echo Rock.  It is between Gone In 60 Seconds (on the left) and Stichter Quits (on the right).

Cherry Bomb

Climbs a clean slab that stays closer to

Team Slug (aka Cliff Pounder)

.

Too Old to Bolt

This is the obvious crack to the right of the popular slab routes and offers a long, seldom climbed line with adequate protection and a great view from the top.

Descend by walking north (climber's left) to access anchors atop the Echo Rock slab routes or keep walking and descend via an easy scramble which is the normal down-climb for those routes.

Eff Four

I've climbed this route a number of times and always enjoyed it. It's well protected and is, actually, 10b. One can attain the first bolt by moving up the obvious ramp right to left.

Team Slug (aka Cliff Pounder)

This variation topropes the slab just left of Too Bold To Bolt, staying left of the big loose flake about half way up.

Yo Yo

A good heads-up slab route that will hold your attention and is best avoided on a warm day.

The run-out to the second bolt is not especially difficult but a fall will probably result in a crash into the boulders below. The second run-out after the last bolt is easier with less to worry about. Two stars out of five.

Stick to What

This route is around to the right from the main concentration of routes on the southwest face of Echo Rock.  It is therefore less crowded than the routes to its left.  It's about 80 feet to the right of the big Eff Four gully.  Climb straight up to the top.

Cole-Evans

Climb carefully to the first bolt and then pass three more as you edge and smear your way along the prominent black dike to the top.

Belay from bolts on top and then scramble off down slabs to the climber's left .

Called "Black Tide" in older guidebooks; a more elegant name for the climb.

Stichter Quits

This was originally a TR only route (1614 in the big book) but now has two nice bolts for the two crux sections. I found the second one to be the harder of the two. You have to climb some 5.9 slab for quite a ways to a nice dish, from here the slab goes through two steep bulges, each with a bolt on it that can be clipped before you get into the business. The second bulge uses some thin features instead of relying purely on friction which made it quite fun. After the last bulge the climbing eases to the top.

Unzipper

Toprope the face between Penny Lane and Too Bold To Bolt. About half way up, climb just right of some loose flakes.

In Like Flynn

"Joshua Tree National Park (formed as a Monument in 1936, and designated National Park
 status in 1994) has long enjoyed a reputation as a world-class climbing
 mecca. For many decades climbers from around the world have come to 
experience its steep cracks, exposed slabs, and huge granite domes."

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Echo Rock - West Face