Climbing the Tower

I like to believe that most of my bad outdoor adventures were caused by bad luck. Unfortunately, this one I just can't rationalize away. It happened solely due to my own stupidity!

I had a friend who was recently engaged. He and his fiancé asked me to teach them how to rock climb. Happy to oblige, we set off for a weekend at Joshua Tree National Monument (now National Park).

We spent the first day climbing and they both did very well. By late afternoon, we were back at our campsite. I decided to give them some private time so off I went on a hike with no particular destination in mind.

After an hour or so of mindless wandering, I entered an isolated canyon and came across a rock tower I had never seen before. I was immediately filled with an urge to climb it.

In each climbing class I had ever taught, I made sure climbing safety was an integral part. I specifically tried to impress upon the students just how stupid and dangerous free climbing was. Yet here I was with no climbing gear and an irrepressible need to climb this tower. It was calling to me like Sirens to a sailor.

Soon, I was halfway up searching for the next hold. My exposure began to grow but I was not concerned. As I got higher and the tower narrower, my route options became quite limited and my exposure much greater. However, I was nearly at the top and just couldn't give up when I was so close.

Finally, there I was on top. What a magnificent view! I could see over the canyon walls in a few directions. It was just beautiful. That's when I noticed the shadows.

The bottom two thirds of the tower below me was already deep in shadow as the sun began to set. As I had climbed up, I had stayed in the sunlight and hadn't noticed how late it was getting. Now I faced the prospect of free climbing down the tower in the dark.

As my predicament began to set in, I contemplated spending the night on the tower. I quickly dismissed this idea. Even if I could find a place to partially wedge myself in, I couldn't be sure I wouldn't fall asleep and slip during the night. Climbing down in the dark seemed my only option.

After a harrowing hour, I finally got low enough to find some easy holds and make it to the ground. Now, all I had to do was find my way back to camp with no flashlight and without running into any rattlesnakes or scorpions! Piece of cake!