Joshua tree climbs: THE BLOB

Hobbit Roof, 5.10d

My most difficult gear route to date, Hobbit Roof spat me off a few times but I finally managed to dial the sequence and climb without falling.  To find this climb you need to dig around a bit below the Bong on the Blob formation but it's definitely well worth a visit.

Working a kneebar under the roof(centre) helped get me through but it's when I switched to a layback that I could get through the roof.  Hanging on a perfect jam (left) and working in my last piece of gear (right).  There's a pretty fair stretch between the one and only bolt low down and your first piece of gear in the roof crack...if you're feeling good, no problem!

Another few shots of Hobbit Roof: me on the left on my first lead of 2002; Peter on-sighting the route (centre & right)

THE BONG, 5.4**

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all photos, this page, courtesy: Gus Olivera