Tiny Tots Rock, 5.8-5.11c

Overview/Approach

Nearing 1000 routes climbed at Jtree, I was surprised to discover such a good, albeit small, collection of excellent routes on good rock that I had yet to climb.   Part of that can be attributed to the fact that Tiny Tots is a north facing feature and I, like most, have used Jtree as a winter climbing destination.  In any regard, I enjoyed climbing every one of its half dozen routes.

Fatal Flaw, 5.8*, is a gem and what I consider one of the finer trad leads at its grade in the park.  This is the only west facing route of the group, the other five are on the north wall.  Spontaneous Human Combustion, 5.11c*, has two bad bolts and two modern bolts as of 2018.  The crux is vertical slab.  Cole-Lewis, 5.8, is an excellent corner crack at the grade with a fun roof pull, how Miramontes ignores it in his guide is beyond me, as it is better than most of the 5.8’s he recommends in the park.  Tinker Toys, 5.10b*, is a fun splitter in the best rock on the face. There are no fixed raps as of 2018.  Walk off climbers left.  Gear raps are easy however and the routes are spread out such that you will need to make approximately three to four of them if you are going to rap and top rope the whole group.   

Park down Lost Horse Road as you would for Rock Garden and Freeway Wall.  Enter the wash heading east.  Boulder hop up from the left side of the wash as you do for Freeway Wall.  Hike along Freeway Wall and Tiny Tots Rock is the relatively small formation on the right, before you get to the col at top.

Route Descriptions, Right to Left, Facing the North Wall

Fatal Flaw- 50’-5.8*/ In my opinion this could be the best 5.8 trad lead in the park.  I have climbed all the 5.8 routes starred up in Miramontes guide and reviewed them in the index and none of the top 20 or so jogged my memory as to a better trad lead at this grade.  Fatal is on the narrow west face of Tiny Tots whereas the other routes are located on the north face.  It climbs an obvious splitter in the middle of the face with two small roof pulls on great rock with great gear.  There are no fixed raps/belays atop Tiny Tots (2018) but plenty of opportunities to set up different gear anchors.   Medium to large gear anchor works best for Fatal.  Walk off east.  Standard rack.  Dow

Spontaneous Human Combustion- 50’-5.11c*/ The crux is the first few meters of tricky vertical slab.  As of 2018, two of the four bolts have been retrofitted to modern hardware, the other two are sketch.  All the 5.10 or 5.11 climbing is through these four bolts up a broad chossy arête at the right side of the north wall below the large roof.  The guide talks about joining Fatal Flaw on the west face but it is just as easy to join Cole Lewis to the left and therefore stay on the north face, sharing a gear anchor with Cole Lewis which is different than Fatal’s gear anchor.  4 clips, no trad gear needed except to finish on either 5.8.  Dow

Cole Lewis- 50’-5.8/ Another snub in Miramontes guide regarding Tiny Tots.  This is an excellent 5.8 up a corner crack to a roof, pulling up and onto the left wall (crux).  The gear belay/rap is a C4#3 and few medium pieces.  All the routes are walked off the formation climbers left.  Good climbing at the grade on great rock.  Dow

Dinkey Doinks- 50’-5.8*/ Much easier than Fatal Flaw and Cole-Lewis and soft for the grade in Jtree.  Not as interesting as the other two 5.8’s,  but worthy.  Straight in hand jams most the way up an obvious splitter in the middle of the north face.   All the trad rock on the north face is stellar (well varnished) except for maybe Date Rape.   Medium gear belay/rappel at top.  Dow

Tinker Toys- 45’-5.10b*/ Yet another excellent trad lead at its grade on Tiny Tots.  Mid-range at most in terms of difficulty compared to other 5.10b’s in the park, but sustained from 5.9-5.10a up an obvious thin splitter to the top of the left side of the formation.  Shared gear belay rap with Dinkey.  Some lay back off the deck, but feels secure and easy to place gear off of it.  The pitch is well protected.  Plenty of small gear.  Dow

Date Rape- 45’-5.9/ Soft for the grade but a fun worthwhile climb.  Start up the thin crack at the far left side of the north wall in lighter colored rock.  Plenty of hand jams and jugs for this grade.  Near the top, climb up the short east face to the summit.  Walk off climbers left.  Dow