Joshua Tree national park

Men's Fitness, Sept, 2003

BEING THE centerpiece of a national park is one thing, but Southern California's eponymous Joshua Tree helped launch Irish rockers U2 to superstardom. Now, that's a cool yucca.

GO CHECK out the twisted trees and experience one of the most popular rock-climbing areas in the world, where you'll find more than 4,500 climbing routes of varying difficulty. The park includes parts of two deserts--the higher elevation Mojave and the lower, hotter Colorado--and is about 2 1/2 hours from Los Angeles and three hours from San Diego (barring traffic jams).

AT THE Joshua Tree Rock Climbing School, beginners start with bouldering--staying close to the ground with no ropes. Next is rock climbing, done with a rope and reaching as high as 100 feet, "Much of rock climbing is foot-oriented and balance-oriented," says owner Mark Bowling. A one-day class runs $85, while four days is $315 for beginners and $425 for intermediates.

WHAT IF YOU get the cliff willies? "Being afraid of heights is actually a good thing because it shows respect for the situation," says Bowling, adding that learning to trust the climbing system will help. "You don't necessarily have to get over the fear, you just have to learn to deal with it."

REST ASSURED you'll get a good workout--elite climbers can have as low as 4% body fat.

Relatively cooler temperatures take hold in September. Some campsites require reservations (800-365-2267 or www.reservations. nps.gov), while others are on a first-come, first-served basis and fill up early on fall and spring weekends. Joshua Tree Rock Climbing School can be reached through RockClimbingSchool.com or at 800-890-4745.