Matt's β | Aqua Benchmark, Spectre Peak, and Dyadic Point Loop

Trip report photo for Aqua Benchmark, Spectre Peak, and Dyadic Point Loop

Starting along an old dirt road.

Wooden posts at the historic boundary of Joshua Tree National Monument (before it became a national park in 1994).

Dropping into the wash on the left.

Starting up a Class 2 chute.

Aiming for the notch on the right.

Class 3 obstacle.

View back from the notch.

View back.

Aqua Benchmark comes into view.

Scattered pinyon pines are found within the shady canyons.

Starting up Aqua Benchmark's northwest slope.

View back from Aqua Benchmark's north slope.

Approaching Aqua Benchmark's summit.

Aqua Benchmark summit. View toward Dyadic Point.

Descending Aqua Benchmark's south slope toward Spectre Peak.

Arriving at the saddle between Aqua Benchmark and Spectre Peak.

A Class 2 chute to the base of Spectre Peak.

Class 3 slabs on Spectre Peak's east face.

View northwest.

Spectre Peak summit. View northeast toward Aqua Benchmark (left) and Dyadic Point (right).

View east toward Dyadic Point and the southern reaches of the Coxcomb Range.

View south toward Pinto Basin.

Descending Spectre Peak's east slope en route to Dyadic Point.

View back up Spectre Peak's east slope.

Climbing east toward Dyadic Point.

Pocketed Class 3 section.

A 10-foot, Class 4 downclimb.

View back at the downclimb (left). The route continues past the tree on the right.

Large choke stone, surmounted via an awkward stemming move.

From a closed contour on the topo erroneously labeled "Dyadic Point", view of remaining ridgeline to the obviously higher true summit.

Descending a ramp to bypass an intervening peaklet.

At the bottom of the ramp, turning right for this small chute.

View through a notch to the base of Dyadic Point.

From the base of Dyadic Point, one approach is this Class 5 lieback on choosy rock. There's an airy jump to a small platform at the top. I was uncomfortable committing to this move, so I downclimbed and searched for another option.

A second, friendlier approach is this narrow Class 4/5 chimney. (I had to ditch my gear to fit inside, so the next several photos were taken with my phone.) For reference, the alternative lieback approach is pictured on the far left.

Past the chimney, continuing up the Class 3 slabs ahead. The dead tree on the left was a hindrance; I wouldn't trust it as a climbing aid.

Gaining the ridge crest. From here, I climbed the slabs on the right to avoid the exposure on the north side.

Crossing over to the south side of the ridge, I came upon this 1-foot wide ledge. It can be bypassed by dropping down to exposed Class 3 terrain on the right.