The Rings Trail at Hole in the Wall at Mojave National Preserve. (CA) gets it’s name because the only way to get out of the Hole in the Wall courtyard area is up some steep rock faces. To help make this possible, metal spikes with rings on the end have been hammered into the rocks:
When you first see the rings, you will be tempted to try and place your feet into the ring to help you up. This doesn’t work very well as I can attest from first hand experience. Instead, you will have much more success climbing using the rings for your hands and the straight spike area for your feet. Otherwise you will find that your feet are twisting in all different directions as your try to climb as mine were. The same technique can be used for climbing down the rings:
The rings area isn’t too difficult although it could be a challenge for small children. The gaps are narrow enough that you can also use the rock walls for support as you climb or descend.
