A review of Joshua Tree: A color guide to the 2600 best rock climbs & boulder problems.
By Robert Miramontes

The vast expanses of desert, crags, boulders and Yucca’s, which make up the 1200+ square mile realm that are Joshua Tree National Park is home to some of the finest rock climbs in North America, and being a mere 3 hour drive from the easily accessible Los Angeles International Airport, makes this a viable destination for climbers worldwide.

There have been numerous guides to this rocky, sun baked playground over the years, often focusing on different aspects or areas of the climbing; whether it be the pure Trad Climbing guide by CMC Press, or the definitive west side and ‘best of’ guides from Falcon there’s always been plenty to choose from. With this in mind and the imminent release (it’s actually already available in the US) of longtime record keeper Randy Vogel’s ‘Classic Joshua Tree Routes & Bouldering’,  you my be wondering if there is any need for yet another guide to this well described destination. Whilst I’ve yet to see Vogel’s new opus (which actually only covers 500 of the best routes), if one considers Joshua Tree Rock Climbs by Robert Miramontes as a standalone tome, the answer to that question is an unequivocal yes.

Layout & Aesthetics
Joshua Tree Rock Climbs comes out of Dave Pegg's excellent Wolverine Publishing house, and is yet another example of Pegg and co.’s  uncanny ability to blend a graphically excellent, simple and usable standardised format with the in depth knowledge and unique character which only a long-term devotee of a crag or area can bring to the writing table.

Let's not beat about the bush, this guide is pretty inspiring. Whether it's the familiar Wolverine introduction, packed with useful logistical knowledge as well as essentially useless, but non the less engrossing, gun slinging tales from Joshua Tree's Wild West past. The various mini-articles on flora and fauna, or perhaps the fabulous collection of history spanning action shots, featuring everything from Lycra clad 80's rock masters to local heroes doing their thing, this guide makes you want to visit the area, and at the end of the day, surely this is the primary aim of all good guidebooks? Alright, so its got that initial 'wow factor', what's it like when you get down to the actual nuts and bolts of usability? Well from as far as I can tell it still stands up well to scrutiny, with each area being well introduced; offering not only a general overview but a grid reference for nearly every buttress and boulder, as well as information on when it comes into the sun. The photo-topo's are without exception crystal clear and mainly shot in good light. Each route is shown with the usual graphic line, but also incorporates a small cross at the intersection of any relevant bolt protection; the line is then capped with a lower-off symbol where applicable. The route descriptions are in depth, yet concise, following a format throughout: route numbers in coloured circles (red for trad climbs, blue for wholly bolted routes), route name, grade (US system, obviously), applicable star rating, tick box, route description, and most usefully, a sentence giving an idea of the protection/rack required for the route. This is then underpinned with a final line stating the length of the climb and first ascentionist details.

Other nice inclusions
Whilst getting the basics right, this book has also done a grand job of adding some real polish by adding a number of non essential, but well worth while, elements . Its various “best of” lists really appealed to the climbing trainspotter in me, and I'm sure will be equally well received by all list aficionados out there. Some examples include: “10 Great Easy Routes”, “15 Fantastic Hard Sport Climbs”, “Top 10 Arêtes” and of course everyone’s favourite, “10 Must-do Crack Climbs”. Staying with the list theme, the guide also incorporates a comprehensive graded list for both trad and sport climbs as well as a routes index, listed alphabetically at the back of the book. The well placed selection of related but non climbing orientated imagery, scattered throughout the pages, also helps to lift the guide and add another dimension of appeal to the area.

Negatives
Presuming of course all of the factual content is correct, there is little to criticize in this guidebook. Having said that, the one facet I wasn't overly keen on was the use of Google Earth imagery for the mapping. Whilst on the face of it this should be very accurate, it looks a little messy, and is, in my view, less easy on the eye than a simple, accurate, purely graphically drawn map.

In summary
Overall a great guidebook, which is well worth purchasing even if you have only an inkling of interest in visiting the area – if purchased I’m sure this inkling will be rapidly promoted to a distinct urge. Once again, Wolverine has shown that you can make simple and usable, yet highly desirable guidebooks without cutting back on insightful detail and the need to fill the book with a vast array of ugly symbols.

Purchase Joshua Tree Rock Climbs here.

Sample PDF pages are viewable on Wolverine's website.