Open Book route follows the enormous right-facing dihedral that can be seen from miles away. The route is on the south face of Tahquitz Rock, so it is pleasant in the morning sun or on a cool day, and bakes by midday.

When John Mendephall and Harry Sutherland first climbed Open Book in 1947, there were no pitons available that were wide enough to fit much of the crack, so they improvised and hammered in wooden pitons they had crafted from two-by-fours to use for direct aid, in some instances standing on the two-by-fours like rungs on a ladder. When a young Royal Robbins free climbed the entire route in 1952, it became America's first route to receive the 5.9 rating.

This YouTube video is a fascinating watch about the first ascent history of Open Book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFg_Hq3IQRA&t=325s. Sean and I watched it from Vampire Ledge while we were waiting for a rope-soloist to finish his lead of the first pitch of The Vampire. 

Sean and I climbed this as the first of two routes, with The Vampire to follow. Sean took the lead, and I followed using a fix-and-follow style. It was an enjoyable climb, and I was reassured to find that it felt like a true, textbook 5.9.

Doubles 0.2-#4, draws/slings, 70m rope if rappelling.

The Vampire stands as one of Southern California’s defining testpieces, tracing a striking line up Tahquitz Rock—right through the center of the West Face Bulge’s imposing headwall. At 5.11a, it’s both visually dramatic and deceptively subtle: a sweeping crack system that rises through a corner into flakes on a steep, exposed face. From below, it can look blank to the point of implausibility, with many of its key features hidden until you’re committed to the climb.

Its historical weight matches its aesthetic appeal. First climbed in June 1959 by Royal Robbins and Dave Rearick at 5.9 A3, the route relied on delicate aid climbing up thin flakes and cracks—hallmarks of the bold, experimental style that made Tahquitz a proving ground for mid-century climbing innovation. The shift to free climbing came in 1973, when John Long, Rick Accomazzo, Mike Graham, and Bill Antel freed the route at roughly 5.11a—an ascent that helped cement the era’s push to reimagine aid lines as free climbs.

Sean and I climbed it in two blocks: I took Pitches 1 and 2, while Sean led 3 and 4, moving in a fix-and-follow style. Despite the sun, a steady breeze kept things cooler than expected—I was glad for a wind shirt, while Sean, lulled by the warmth at the base, made do with a lighter layer. There are definitely a few sections I’d like to revisit and refine: the finishing moves into the Pitch 1 anchor, the delicate slab start of Pitch 2, and the crux sequence on Pitch 3 all felt just a bit unfinished. Still, we both came away impressed. The route delivers sustained interest, varied movement, and memorable cruxes throughout. Pitch 2, with its elegant flake climbing, stood out as my favorite.

We arrived at the base to find a friendly rope-soloist named Dave working the first pitch of The Vampire. He graciously let us climb through before taking his toprope lap, offered some helpful beta for the final moves into the Pitch 1 anchor, and even freed our rope when it snagged in a tree—a sometimes hazard of the fix-and-follow approach.

The route overlay below is from my book-in-progress which features some of my favorite rock climbs.

Doubles 0.1-#3 Camalot, triples 0.75 to 2 for direct start, draws/slings; and a 60 m rope.

Super Pooper (5.10b, 4p) is a beautiful line following soaring, right-facing dihedrals. We climbed it as the first of two routes that day (with Whodunit (5.9, 8p) as our second). I led all of the pitches on this route, while Sean took the leads on Whodunit.

We climbed in fix-and-follow style, linking things efficiently. The route offered consistently enjoyable climbing, with a few awkward sections and a high-quality crux pitch that stands out.

We topped out and descended the Friction Route, and then wrapped back around the mountain to climb Whodunit.

According to John Long (Mountain Project comments): "This route was rated 5.9 for like fifty years. We did it in high school and thought, Damn, 5.9 is kinder stout."

FA: Chuck Wilts, Don Wilson, John Mendenhall, and Ruth Mendenhall, September 1952
FFA: Bob Kamps and Mark Powell, 1967

Doubles 0.1-#3 Camalot, stoppers, draws/slings, 60m rope. Small cams are nice for the crux.

Whodunit (5.9, 8p) is widely considered a Tahquitz top ten and a must-do for the grade. From Humber Park in the late-afternoon light, the route is easy to spot: a long, right-facing, sunlit dihedral splitting nearly the entire height of the Northwest Recess.

We climbed this as the second of two routes that day (after Super Pooper (5.10b, 4p)). I had led the first route, so Sean took the lead on Whodunit. We climbed in fix-and-follow style, linking pitches and completing the route in five.

The forecasted wind arrived while we were on route, and soon after we climbed into a cloud. With gusts driving droplets of mist into the rock, it felt more like a high mountain climb than a crag day at Tahquitz Rock.

We topped out and descended via the 3rd-class scramble to the North Side Trail, which worked well given the wet conditions and was a better option than the slick Friction Route.

A note on recent changes: rockfall in spring 2024 removed a large block that formed the belay ledge at the top of Pitch 5. Older guidebook overlays suggest traversing right across this feature, but the current line goes straight up before traversing right. Fortunately, the overall route remains intact, and most of the loosened rock appears to have already come down (though a bit of caution is still warranted).

FA: Royal Robbins and Joe Fitschen, September 1957 (5.8, A1)
FFA: Tom Higgins and Bob Kamps, 1966

Rock fall from spring 2024 took out a large block. The large belay ledge below the offwidth/slot a pitch past the chimney (top of Pitch 5 in my overlay) is completely gone. Cleaned up over the last couple of years.

Doubles 0.1-#3 Camalot, stoppers, draws/slings, 60m rope. Small cams and nuts are nice for the first 5.9 crux.

The Vampire was the main objective of the trip to Tahquitz Rock, and we went back and forth on whether to tick off more classics or give it another lap. In the end, we went for round two. Neither of us had fully unlocked the Pitch 3 crux on our first attempt, and we were also keen to try the 5.10d direct start (which several people had recommended after my earlier post this week). We swapped lead blocks this time as well.

I took Pitch 3, initially aiding through the crux before lowering to work out the moves. I found a possible sequence moving right, but couldn’t quite piece together the transition into the foot match below the bolt. Sean, meanwhile, powered straight through, going direct and latching the thin crack above for a clean send—nice work.

The direct start is definitely the way to go if you’re after the highest-quality version of the route, and getting a second lap on The Vampire was a great call.

Doubles 0.1-#3 Camalot, triples 0.75 to 2 for direct start, draws/slings; and a 60 m rope.

With plenty of time left in the day after we climbed The Vampire, we added a lap on Dave’s Deviation + Piton Pooper. The first pitch of Dave’s Deviation is one of the best 5.9 finger cracks in Idyllwild, and the 5.7+ corner on Piton Pooper is a great follow-up. Since Sean had led all of Open Book earlier in the trip, I took the leads on this linkup to even things out.

We had originally planned to finish via Upper Royal’s Arch, but I drifted a bit too high on the fourth pitch and missed the entry—oops. 

FA Dave's Deviation: Tom Frost and Royal Robbins, 1960.
FA Piton Pooper: Bob Briton and Andy Johnson, 1936.
FA Upper Royal's Arch: Royal Robbins, Jenny Gallwas, and Chuck Wilts, 1953.

Thin to 2 inches.

On the drive to Tahquitz Rock, I made a detour to Palm Springs to stop at REI, and then I made a further detour to hike in the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve for a bit. The heat was intense—pushing close to 100°F—but the landscape was unexpectedly captivating. Clusters of fan palms rose out of the desert like something improbable, and flashes of red dragonflies drifted through the shade of the oasis, adding a surreal touch to the scene.

The preserve spans roughly 880 acres and connects with a broader network of protected lands known as the Coachella Valley Preserve System. Tucked along the northern edge of the Indio Hills, it offers wide-open views toward the Little San Bernardino Mountains and the southern boundary of Joshua Tree National Park—a striking contrast between lush oasis and stark desert beyond.

This hike was roughly 1.5 hours from Tahquitz Rock. And much warmer due to the lower elevation.

We took a day off midway through our time at Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks area. I ended up spending the entire day working away in my van on content for my website. Every trip report takes a fair amount of pre-planning and then writing for my website. Just before dinner I biked down to the town of Idyllwild to get rid of some garbage.