California · Rock climbing · Desert Hot Springs

Sports Challenge Rock - West Face

14-route climbing area in California with mixed, sport, and trad options.

Photo: Aleksandr Zykov, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

14 routes

5.6 – 5.12a

Trad · Sport · Mixed

Is Sports Challenge Rock - West Face open right now?

Alert in the area

The National Park Service lists 3 alerts for Joshua Tree National Park.

Partial Trail Closure of West Side Loop
Park alert covering Joshua Tree National Park · NPS · Joshua Tree National Park
Inaccurate Third-Party Apps
Park alert covering Joshua Tree National Park · NPS · Joshua Tree National Park
Oasis of Mara Trail Partial Closure
Park alert covering Joshua Tree National Park · NPS · Joshua Tree National Park

As of Oct 23, 9:00 pm PDT · Source: NPS · Joshua Tree National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Sports Challenge Rock - West Face

Best months: October–May. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

Jan
58° / 38°
4 wet
Feb
61° / 39°
3 wet
Mar
67° / 40°
3 wet
Apr
73° / 46°
2 wet
May
82° / 52°
1 wet
Jun
91° / 59°
0 wet
Jul
96° / 66°
2 wet
Aug
96° / 68°
2 wet
Sep
89° / 60°
2 wet
Oct
80° / 50°
1 wet
Nov
66° / 41°
2 wet
Dec
58° / 34°
4 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yucca Valley, CA, 14.9 mi away at 3,249 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Sports Challenge Rock - West Face is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots and trailheads, with the Hidden Valley Trailhead about 0.1 mile away and the Sports Challenge Rock - East Face and Sunset Rock climbing areas also within a tenth of a mile. The area has 14 routes, with 11 of them trad and two sport. The YDS grades run from 5.6 up to 5.12a, with the median at 5.10b. Among the named routes are Ranger J.D. at 5.6, Alligator Tears at 5.9, and Itty Bitty Buttress at 5.11a. Rap Bolters are Weak, a sport route at 5.12a, is the hardest listed. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Yucca Valley show April highs around 73°F and October highs around 80°F, while July and August average about 96°F. That station sits roughly 1,000 feet lower than the park's higher ground, so temperatures on the rock run cooler. Sheep Pass Group campground is about 3 miles away for an overnight stay.