And Vicinity
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Trek dates: 2015 Sep 16 & Oct 6
THE DIAMOND CLUMP PILE at Joshua Tree’s Virgin Islands lies west of Star Wars Rock and the Perpetual Motion Piles. It is an iconic double-pointed feature whose two large blocks sit atop the piles. The first (northern) block is the Diamond which has sharp edges; the southern, more rounded one is the Centurion.
Centurion (center) with wide crack
Climbing routes on these enjoy a variety of innovative names, including some that are barely suitable for family reading. They are: “Gemstoner,” “Sparkle,” “Teenage Enema,” “Nurses in Bondage,” “Just for the Thrill of It,” “Clearasil,” “Centurion,” and “Ring of Fire.” Note: I purposely omitted the difficult 5.11a route “Killer Pussy” from this list as being unsuitable to cat lovers… Included are several difficult climbs, though none enjoy *star* ratings for Quality except the “Centurion” which is rated two stars by Miramontes. (Note: the Miramontes Joshua Tree Rock Climbs guide inadvertently mislabels the area “East Virgin Isles.”)
The picture at right is shot from the east side. It shows the obvious wide crack on the block high on the formation.
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Thank you for visiting the Diamond Clump pile. This formation is one of the more photographically enjoyable ones because it can be approached from almost every direction, including standing on a small nearby hill.
John Murbach
Posted 2015 Oct 26
Updated 2017 Nov 6
