A route the quality of which is the equal of any in the park.  Extolled as a thin hands crack in guide books, I found this overhanging beauty more of a finger crack.  Protection is abundant, but you have to hold on to place it.  If you can make it through the crux to the pod just below the rim, you can eke out a rest.  The finishing moves may not be the hardest on the route, but they are technical enough to wish you had the strength and endurance of a demigod.

I think Hercules is a more consistent crack route than Wanger Banger, its "grade mate" and perhaps pumpier.

Hercules

Swain Song

Polly Wants A Crack

Scaried Treasure

Open Casket Funeral

Wall of 10,000 Holds

Swain In The Breeze

Owatafooliam

Pegleg

Bush Crack

Ranger Rendezvous

Pirates Of The Carabiner

Swain Lake

4U2DO2

Swatchbuckler

Barbara Bush

Start near the base of

Bush Crack

.

TR the arête just right of

Bush Crack

.

Start as for

Swain Lake

.

Go up and right along cracks and flakes. Climb past four bolts (crux) to a belay on a ledge at a bush. Traverse off right.

a steep face route that finishes with a crack

Start just right of

Polly Wants a Crack

below a ceiling.

Climb over the ceiling to a bolt. Go up and slightly left past another bolt on the outer edge of a roof/block.

Found on the highly featured north west face of Ranger Station Rock on the far right side. The crux is getting to the base of the route as much scrambling and 4th classing is required to reach the large ledge below the route. The rock is unusually featured similar to swiss cheese which is fairly un-common for Joshua Tree. It's close proximity to a multitude of easy routes makes this a good destination for those looking for a day of fun away from the crowds with plenty of easier to moderate routes to play on.

Vogel gives the route 2 stars and gives a decent description of how to get there - it's about 200 feet right of Bush Crack. Start by climbing up a grovely crack until you can get to the main face. Clip a few bolts with no hangers until you can reach the upper part of the route that consists of climbing HUGE fun buckets to the top of this sweet formation. I loved the route and the view I got at the top. Climbing the huge buckets was fun too. A nice chill, out of the way route that you will NEVER find anyone on. 5.6 ...send it buddies!

Start on the upper left side of the pirate-themed face on some boulders.

Face climb up and right to a wide slot. Go up and left around a ceiling formed by a large boulder.

As you approach the Lost Horse Ranger Station, you will see a formation on the hillside behind the station with a crack splitting the center of the it. This formation is Ranger Rock, and the crack is Bush Crack.The route looks longer than it is. It starts off as a finger crack that widens to fists.I found this to be a very enjoyable climb.

Start about 30 feet down and right of

Swain Lake

, below a horizontal crack/flake.

Climb up to the left end of the horizontal crack/flake, move left, then up a thin crack past some bushes to the "sunken garden" on

Swain in the Breeze

.

fairly nice steep face with a loose start

Start down and right of the start of

Swain in the Breeze

at a lichen covered slab. This route is on the left side of that slab at a thin crack.

Climb the crumbly thin crack to reach the "sunken garden" on

Swain in the Breeze

.

Climb the face between Swain in the Breeze and Ohwhatafooliam.  Sorry no picture, I'll add one next time I'm at the crag.  A nice climb to do on TR once you've led Swain in the Breeze.  Very good holds just where you need them.

A good confidence-builder for down-climbing on TR

Start near the right edge of the wall at a left facing flake/corner.

Climb the left facing flake corner to the top.

This is the two bolt face route just left of Bush Crack; a good exercise in edging and smearing.

Description

Protection

Routes in Ranger Station Rock