Butterfingers Make Me Horny is a straightforward and approachable crack climb located in The Thin Wall area of Real Hidden Valley, inside Joshua Tree National Park, California. This single-pitch traditional route offers a genuine climbing experience that blends manageable technical moves with enough challenge to keep new leaders engaged. The route begins just right of the roofy section, climbing a clean crack that immediately tests your technique in the first ten feet—a key crux involving a careful mantle to reach the first solid gear placement. This initial move demands focus but rewards with a satisfying fingerlock that eases into easier terrain.

After the crux, the climb opens up into a series of juggy finger locks and solid placements at 5.6 difficulty, making the remainder a smooth haul up to a broad ledge. This ledge not only offers rest and a fine vantage point over the arid Joshua Tree landscape but also provides space for a natural gear belay. From here, options diverge: you can scramble left and up toward chains for a quick rappel or descend by carefully down climbing—both choices requiring respect for exposure but manageable for those confident in their downclimb skills.

What sets Butterfingers Make Me Horny apart is its blend of accessibility and modest challenge. Despite the Vogel guidebook rating it as a 5.9, most climbers find the effort falls closer to a solid 5.8, largely due to the singular crux move near the bottom. The rest of the climb settles into comfortable moves that build confidence without letting the technical edge slip away. Protection on this route relies primarily on stoppers, with some room for tricams or small cams in a horizontal feature near the start—gear placements that feel reliable yet call for precise understanding of traditional rack use. This route offers beginners an excellent opportunity to practice placing gear and leading trad climbs in a scenic and iconic desert setting.

The approach to The Thin Wall is short and straightforward, weaving through the coarse Joshua Tree scrub and rocky foothills. Access begins from well-marked trailheads in Real Hidden Valley, with a brief tread over firm rock and sandy soil. Although the hike isn’t long—about 10 minutes—the environment demands sunscreen, ample water, and sturdy footwear that handles rocky uneven terrain comfortably. Early morning or late afternoon climbs are ideal for comfort, with the wall facing east-southeast, basking in soft sunlight that warms the rock without baking it under the midday sun.

This route’s character suits climbers transitioning from indoor gym settings or simple top-ropes to more independent trad climbing. The exposed ledge near the top adds a dash of exhilaration without turning the climb overwhelming. Joshua Tree’s unique granite offers excellent friction, and the moderate length of 60 feet means you can plan multiple climbs or try varied routes nearby in the same outing.

In sum, Butterfingers Make Me Horny invites climbers to gain solid trad climbing skills inside one of California’s most cherished climbing destinations—real rock, clean cracks, and manageable challenges, all wrapped in the vivid clarity of the high desert landscape.