Varnished Wall
Varnished Wall in California has 12 climbing routes across 7 grades.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 12 routes
- 5.6 – 5.11a
- Trad · Bouldering · Sport
Is Varnished Wall 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 · Source: NPS · Joshua Tree National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Varnished Wall
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, 13.6 mi away at 3,249 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Varnished Wall is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among several other climbing areas, including the Indian Palisades Corridor, Anvil Boulder and Willit Pillar, all within about a tenth of a mile. That makes it easy to pair with other climbs in the same cluster. The area has 12 routes, mostly trad, with two boulders and two sport routes. Grades run from 5.6 to 5.11a, so the wall works for climbers of different experience levels. Notable routes include Disco Sucks at 5.6 and Absence of Malice, a sport route at 5.11a. Circle of Benevolence, a 5.10d trad route, is another option. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Yucca Valley put April highs around 73°F and October highs around 80°F, while July and August average about 96°F. A fee is charged for climbing here. For a change from the rock, the Big Pine Trail and Fortynine Palms Trail are both about 3 miles away, and Sheep Pass Group campground is roughly 7 miles off.
Routes (12)
Ogre, The(2)
Other routes(10)
Facts about this crag
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