Fingertrippin

The Approach

The approach to the base of Tahquitz is not to be underestimated. About 45 minutes of hiking with very steep incline and a full bag of climbing gear makes for a strenuous warm up. It was a Tuesday morning, perfect for avoiding crowds and getting this popular, classic route to ourselves. Fingertrip, truly a classic that makes for one of the best experiences Yujia and I have ever had on the rock.

The Climb

It was an overcast day, and at times there was a light drizzle. About halfway up the route, Yujia and I questioned whether or not we should bail. Thank God we didn’t. The first pitch followed a perfect hand crack up to a ledge, which then transitioned into a finger crack with plenty of pin scars for our fingers. In my opinion, this was the best pitch on the whole route. At the top of the pitch was a small ledge with a mahogany to belay off of.

The second pitch featured some crack and some slab, but was overall unremarkable. The third pitch continued up past the belay station along an undercling and featured a small roof section. Some consider this singular roof move as the crux, but Yujia and I moved through it with relative ease.

Eventually we made our way to Lunch Ledge, about 300 feet off the base. This ledge is about the size of a king size bed and is the perfect stop to stop, eat some lunch, and take in the view. We even managed to find some signal, so we video chatted with our climbing group. They seemed pretty jealous that we were enjoying a climbing trip while they were stuck at work. A few pitches later, Yujia and I summited Tahquitz.

We took a moment to rest before heading down the friction descent back to our packs at Luncheon Rock.

We finished the day off at Idyllwild Brewpub with a flight of beers and some fish n' chips.