We asked her to give us some feedback on the route and she said, “The route is fun. Is definitely one of the hardest 5.9’s I have ever climbed. There is too much chalk in places that don’t serve well as holds, so a leader needs to focus on making the moves that feel natural, rather than following chalk marks.”

We asked about beta and she said, “There is a combination of hand jams, stemming, drop knees, laybacks, face climbing and high steps – the combination of everything makes this climb a truly fun classic. I didn’t use the crack on the right side very much, if at all but to stem. Route protects very well, making it safer than most leads in Joshua Tree . . .”

Touch and Go Route Info

Touch and Go is a trad route rated 5.9, it can be done with a standard rack, and is located on the Echo Cove Back Side area. Its first ascent was made by Matt Cox, Bobby Kessinger and Dan Ahlborn in 1976.

Photography by: Chris Rodriguez

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