Joshua Tree Rock Climbing Campout

Description

JOIN TROOP 355 AT JOSHUA TREE
WHEN: Friday April 22nd to Sunday April 24th
WHERE: Indian Cove Campground, Group Sites 3-4 Joshua Tree National Park. See directions below. The site we have reserved can accommodate 75 people and 25 cars, so we need to carpool.

CLIMBING: We will offer three options.
1. Rock Climbing Merit Badge (half day, starts at 7:45 am).
2. Half day climbing (more advanced climbing for Dads and Scouts who already have the Climbing merit badge, starts at 7:45 am).
3. Camping only, no climbing

We will arrive in camp Friday night.
Climbing will start at 7:45 am Saturday morning. The climbing will be fully supervised by Joshua Tree Guides. JTG are registered BSA Climbing Merit Badge Counselors and Certified Rock Climbing Guides. Guide to climber ratio is 5:1. The Guides are certified by one or more of the following Professional Climbing Guides Institute
-www.climbingguidesinstitute.org
-www.amga.com

NOT INCLUDED:
-Meals Planned by patrols(Saturday breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday breakfast)
-Friday dinner on the road

Why in the world would we camp two nights?
Several reasons: 1. Climbing starts at 7:00 am. 2. You need 20 nights of camping to get Eagle. 3. First class cooking signoff is much easier to do on a two nighter. Our next two nighter is Kern River in May.

EQUIPMENT: Bring standard camp gear for car camping. The rock climbing school provides all climbing gear. Bring warm clothes. Weather ranges from 70 degrees in the day to 35 degrees at night. We will camp at 3200’, and it can be cold and windy at night. Shorts are not recommended for climbing.

DIRECTIONS:
• Take I-10 East to Route 62. The exit is marked Morongo Valley and Yucca Valley.
• Continue on Route 62 for approximately 28 miles to Joshua Tree.
• Continue east through the city of Joshua Tree for about 12 miles.
• Make a right turn (south) on Indian Cove Road. Drive about 1 mile to the Park entrance. Then you continue on 2 miles and turn right into the group campsite area. We are in group campsite 1
• There is usually decent cell-phone coverage in camp
• The number for the NPS Ranger at Indian Cove is 760-362-4367.

FAQ’s

Q: Can we drive in Saturday morning?
A: Yes, but you have to be there by 7:45 for the climbing

Q: My son has a game, can he come in late/early and still get the badge?
A: No, the badge takes all day.

Q: What sort of climbing is required to get the badge?
A: The Scouts needs to climb three different routes and repell three different routes. They also need to belay (with a guide back-up) three climbers on their routes. The routes are appropriate for beginners yet challenging for most of our Scouts. They have a safety line on at all times with little to no slack.

Q: Can Dads climb?
A: Yes, dads can climb in the half day option. Priority for the limited spaces will go to the Scouts. If a Dad signs up for the half day and get bumped out by a Scout, his check will be returned. Normally we have space for Dads