Guided Rock Climbing in Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park is known for its unique crack climbing, its endless bouldering opportunities, and its scenic beauty. Joshua tree has some beautiful hikes as well, but it truly shines when you can experience rock climbing. Everywhere you look in Joshua Tree there are little dots of people climbing up the rock formations, hanging off of boulders, or carrying crash pads to the base of some big boulder.
To truly experience Joshua Tree, you need to rock climb! And the best way to try outdoor rock climbing is working with a professional guide company.
In this post, we're going to go over our experience working with Joshua Tree Guides, what it was like to climb in Joshua Tree National Park for the first time as a complete beginner, what you can expect, and why you should try it out yourself!
Hiring a guide in Joshua Tree National Park opens the door to outdoor rock climbing and adventure to those who never thought that they would have the courage or expertise to try. Even complete beginners will find something to enjoy, and may even surprise themselves with how much they enjoy rock climbing.
Rock climbing is a sport that pushes you out of your comfort zone, brings you into complete mind-body connection, and challenges your mind to a stimulating puzzle as you climb up the face of a rock.
Even if you’ve never thought rock climbing is something that you could do, climbing with a guide in Joshua Tree National Park will wake you up to your inner climber. In addition to the sheer joy of it, rock climbing brings with it many benefits, such as meeting new and interesting people, experiencing personal growth, learning new skills, and enjoying an amazing outdoor experience.
Rock climbing outdoors is also a great opportunity to bond with the people in your life and create once of a kind experiences. Which is why when my dad came to visit me in San Diego, I knew I wanted to take him out out to the crag so that he could experience the world-class rock of Joshua Tree.
I had been outdoor climbing once before in Yosemite National Park with some friends and we hired a local guide, so I knew that’s what we needed to do in Joshua Tree as well.
I started to do some research, and found that there were several options to go with so I sent a couple online inquires to ask if they could take out 2 beginners. I talked with Rick from Jshua Tree Guides about the concerns I had about Joshua Tree being a hard place to climb, and how my dad and I were beginners in the sport of rock climbing. He talked with me for a while and assured me that they could take us, and that there were plenty of locations that were beginner friendly. We also talked about rentals and what they had available, and what we would need. The rentals were included in the guide package, which was perfect as my dad needed a whole set up.
Rick let us know what to expect for the day at the crag and walked me through the rest of the experience so that there were no surprises. By the time we got off the phone, I was feeling confident that we could handle the rocks of Joshua Tree, and that we were both in good hands with Joshua Tree Guides. By the time we got to the designated place to meet our guide, we were both stoked, a little nervous, but fully trusting in the process.
So what exactly is the process to booking a guided outdoor rock climbing guide with Joshua Tree Guides? Why should you book one? What will you get out of it? We’re going to break all that down in this guide!
Why You Should Try Guided Rock Climbing in Joshua Tree National Park
Learn New Skills
Rock climbing with a professional guide in Joshua Tree creates a safe, learning atmosphere that encourages you to learn a new skill set, and seriously up-level your climbing skills. Climbing with Tiowa taught me more in 4 hours than I ever could have learned in the gym, as climbing at the crag requires a totally different skill set.
He taught us the basics of rope management, how to close a system, how to test your ropes before rappelling down, and how to look at a crag to figure out the best way to the top. The attention to detail, the focus on safety, and the determination to go over every step of the way truly instilled a skill level that I wouldn’t have been able to obtain in the gym or with friends climbing casually.
Tiowa’s knowledge and passion on the subject truly shined through as he made sure that we were in our harnesses correctly, that we understood exactly what we were doing, and that we felt (reasonably) comfortable at the edge of our comfort zone. Nothing stalls progress more than learning things the wrong way, or in a way that undermines safety.
Climbing with a professional guide is a great way to ensure that the skills that you learn are correct, safe, and to the guiding industry standard. So if you want to seriously up-level your skills, start with hiring a guide at Joshua Tree to get you soaring faster.
Have Fun with Friends
If you’re looking to get your group of friends together and have a truly unforgettable experience, then you should squad up and sign up for a guided rock climbing experience in Joshua Tree National Park! And what’s great is, the more people that you have in your group, the less it costs per person!
But even if you don’t have a few friends stacked to try out this crazy cool sport of rock climbing, there are opportunities for adventure with Joshua Tree Guides. They take small groups, medium sized groups, solo explorers, and can accommodate larger groups with some planning and communication.
But what truly stood out to me about this unforgettable experience was the personal growth that came from it- regardless of group size you can expect to do routes that you didn’t know you could do, face your fears, and to come out the other end with a new sense of self confidence and adventure.
Hiring a professional rock climbing guide in Joshua Tree National Park is a great reason to get your group of friends together, meet new people, push your personal growth to new heights, and to add another outdoor hobby to your rack.
Push your Comfort Zone
Trying new things can be scary, but pushing yourself outside your comfort zone is one of the best parts about being alive! Rock climbing on the crag will push yourself outside your comfort zone in a way that you’ve probably never experienced before. Tying yourself into a harness, into some ropes, and then climbing 50 feet up a friggin rock is insane, but it will also make you feel so alive.
Looking up at the rock and wondering how on earth you’re going to get to the top, figuring out the puzzle of where to hold on with you feet and hands as you squirrel your way up, and finally finding the flow as your mind and you body find communion with the rock is a feeling that will enliven all of your senses.
And once you’ve made it to the top and look around you, taking in the landscape from a bird’s perspective, you’ll know that all that hard work was 100% worth it. Pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone is what life is all about, it’s what makes us grow as people and keeps us young at heart.
Safely Try Outdoor Rock Climbing
In addition to all the fun that you’ll be having, outdoor rock climbing with a professional guide allows you to try it safely- which is incredibly important! Outdoor rock climbing can be a dangerous pursuit, especially if you have no outdoor rock climbing education or experience. Hiring a professional rock climbing guide will keep you safe, allowing you to fully focus on climbing the rock, having fun, and trying new things (aka pushing yourself outside your comfort zone!).
When you climb with Joshua Tree Guides, your guide will be certified by the Professional Climbing Guides Institute (PCGI) which means that they have successfully passed long and difficult classes focused on safety and technique while outdoor climbing. You may have a friend or two who can take you outdoor climbing, but you may not know what kind of outdoor education they may have had, and trusting your life to the unknown like that is quite the gamble.
By working with a professional and certified guiding company like Joshua Tree Guides, you know that you’re getting the best safety, the best climbing spots, and a safe but FUN outdoor rock climbing experience.
Joshua Tree National Park is the Perfect Place
Joshua Tree National Park is a high desert landscape littered with incredible rock formations and unique plants including Joshua Trees. The rock formations are known all over the country as world-class rock that is a climber’s dream.
Just driving through the park you will notice climbers roped in on all sorts of rock formations, looking like little ants marching up to the top. Joshua Tree is known as a place that doesn’t offer a ton of vert like Yosemite does, but it does offer unique crack climbing, virtually endless route possibilities, bouldering, and a community of amazing rock climbers always ready with the beta if you ask.
My rock climbing guide, Tiowa, has been climbing in Joshua Tree for a decade, and his favorite part about the park was just how many options there are for fun, challenging, and unique climbing. If you want something really challenging there’s Indian Creek, or if you just want to throw a crash pad down and shimmy up some boulders that’s also an option.
The world-class rock is known for being flush with traditional traditional-style crack climbs, which is how the sport evolved. Traditional-style cracks create natural opportunities for the climber to put their protective gear, and the crack itself can be climbed by wedging fingers and toes in as you make your way up.
Certified Professional Rock Climbing Guides
When choosing a guiding company to take you out, it’s imperative that they are certified by the Professional Climbing Guides Institute (PCGI). The Professional Climbing Guides Institute (PCGI) is an organization in the United States that provides training, certification, and standards for professional climbing guides. These certifications ensure that climbing guides have the necessary skills, knowledge, and safety protocols to lead clients on rock climbing adventures in a variety of settings, including places like Joshua Tree National Park.
Joshua Tree Guides also ensures that their guides have current wilderness medical certification from the Wilderness Medicine Institute (WMI), Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA) and Foster Calm Medical Training and Leadership. The priority on safety really shined through, as our guide went over the basics of safety before we even got our harness on.
This attention to detail is what made me and my dad, two inexperienced rock climbers, feel safe so that we could truly enjoy ourselves and the experience. You also want to make sure that the guide ratio to the client is small, especially if anyone in your group has specific needs.
If you decide to climb with Joshua Tree Guides and are lucky enough to climb with Tiowa, you will be climbing with an experienced, knowledgeable, and fun guide who goes out of his way to create a safe environment to get out of your comfort zone and try rock climbing in the amazing Joshua Tree National Park.
Choose Half or Full Day
Joshua Tree Guides offer guided rock climbing tours in either a half day which lasts 6 hours a full day which lasts 8. We did a half day and that was more than enough time to get on the rock, have some fun, learn new things, and make some memories.
The start time is the same for half or full day, starting at 8 AM and meeting inside the park. The best time to start really is in the morning so that you have a full day of sun, and that way you’re guaranteed some good times!
Amazing Fun for any Skill Level of Rock Climber
If you’ve never rock climbed in your life, or if you’ve only tried a handful of items in a gym, you can absolutely have a killer rock climbing experience! I was very concerned that Joshua Tree rock would be too hard for 2 first time rock climbers, but Rick assured us that our guide would be able to find some fun and easy V0 and V1 routes that we would enjoy, and that even as a complete beginner we would be able to get up some unforgettable Joshua Tree rock.
Don’t let your experience levels hold you back from an incredible rock climbing experience, no matter if you're a seasoned climber or a complete beginner the amazing guides at Joshua Tree Guides will find the best climbing routes in the park for first timers all the way to advanced climbers.
Multiple Group Sizes and Private Guides
Whether you’re squading up and bringing a group of friends, or if you’re looking for a customized 1:1 experience, Joshua Tree Guides can accommodate. My dad and I were a small group of 2 and they had no issue finding us a guide, even during peak season on a weekend! If you’re looking for a climbing tour for your small group or a private guiding experience, they can work with you.
If you’re looking to learn more about outdoor rock climbing such as setting anchors or lead climbing, they also have a rock climbing school in house that our guide Tiowa had mentioned a few times. While I cannot vouch for this personally as I haven’t taken any private instruction with Joshua Tree Guides, my climbing tour was such a positive experience it is something that I’m seriously considering.
So no matter your group size or experience, Joshua Tree Guides can get you out on the crag safely and with a big ‘ol smile on your face!
*note; Joshua Tree Guides has the right to refuse service to anyone, and this blog post is not a guarantee of service.
The Details
What to Pack
Joshua Tree National Park is a remote park that has limited amenities, including food and water. Whether you’re signing up for a full day or a half day with Joshua Tree Guides, you’ll want to make sure you pack the following items:
Snacks
Water bottle full of water
Lunch
Extra layers of clothing, especially in the winter!
Any personal climbing gear such as:
shoes
Harness
chalk bag
belay device
Chapstick with an SPF
Sunblock
Cash for a tip
Camera or fully charged phone
Socks, especially if renting shoes
Overall you want to keep in mind that there are no cafeterias or places to fill up on water once you’re in the park, you need to be self-sufficient.
What to Expect
My journey with Joshua Tree Guides was a truly amazing experience, and it started when I submitted an inquiry on the website. I included information such as the number in my party, the dates we were interested in, our skill level and experience, and if we wanted to book a full day or half day.
Less than an hour after submitting the inquiry online I got a phone call from Rick and we talked in more detail about my concerns, any questions I had, and what we were looking to get out of the experience. We went over pricing, what to pack, and where to meet.
Once I we got off the phone I got an email from him that had a pay portal and the experience was booked! About a week before our scheduled dates I got an email with more information about what to pack, what to expect, and a map of where to meet our guide. The whole experience from start to finish was seamless, personable, and simple.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, please tip your guide! It’s a great way to thank them for their time and their expertise.
20% of the whole trip, not just the cost per person, is a minimum. You can always tip more if your guide went above and beyond! Keep in mind that cash is preferred as apps like venmo and zelle run on cell service, and there’s a pretty good chance that you won’t have any service in the park.
Yes, all rentals are included for the duration of your trip.
To outdoor rock climb with a guide you will need a harness, rock climbing shoes, and a helmet.
You want to make sure that you are wearing comfortable clothing that doesn’t restrict your movements, while also not being so baggy that they interrupt the fitting of the harness. And if you’re rock climbing in the winter you also want to consider the daytime temperatures as Joshua Tree can get rather chilly, even during the day! This could include a pair of leggings or hiking pants that you don’t mind getting a little chalky, or you could wear a comfortable pair of jeans.
The price per person will depend on the amount of time you want to book (full vs half day), what kind of guiding experience you want and how many people are in your group. Typically, the more you have in your group the less it will cost per person.
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