The Canadian
Rockies, BC
and Alberta |
| Rock Climbing |
Rock climbing in the Canadian Rockies is generally on limestone. Some of the more popular areas include Yamnuska, an appropriately alpine crag, and Back of the Lake at Lake Louise. |
| Alpine Climbing |
Alpine climbing in the Rockies is serious business. In the winter the cold temperatures and sometimes horrible avalanche conditions keep most adventurers close to the roads. In the summer, there are a tremendous number of routes to choose from, ranging from moderate scrambles to infamous Rockies "5.9 A2" Grands Cours. Selected Alpine Climbs in the Canadian Rockies by Sean Dougherty presents the reader with many options. Some of the better routes in the Rockies include the East Ridge of Temple, BlueBird Glacier, and the various climbs on Andromeda and Athabasca. |
The Banff Townsite | Ice Climbing |
Ice climbing in the Canadian Rockies gives a whole new meaning to life. Banff, Jasper, Yoho, and Glacier National Parks are known around the World as having some of the biggest, baddest ice routes around. Convenient Youth Hostels located along the Icefields Parkway make extended trips affordable and downright comfortable. Long seasons and forgiving approaches make the climbing especially worthy. There are several guides to ice climbing in the region, the latest and perhaps best known of these is Waterfall Ice by Joe Josephson.
There are many classic routes in the Rockies, but I recommend getting on the following: for a mellow route in a great setting, try Bow Falls; for a big route away from the Weeping Wall crowds, try Murchison Falls; for a route that is really big and out there, with alot of everything (including snow slogging), try Polar Circus; and lastly, for a route with no avalanche danger, no approach grunt, and reliable ice go do Louise Falls.
I've developed several topo's for some of the climbs I've done in Banff and elsewhere.
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| Other | |
| Washington |
| Index |
Index has been at the top of my list of places to climb in the Pacific Northwest ever since I was introduced to it a few years ago. I have probably done more aid routes there than free routes, though; you need to climb at a high standard for the full Index Experience. The easiest free routes are 5.8 to 5.10, trad climbs that often feature serious exposure. Index also should be noted for its somewhat "sandbagged" ratings -- things can be very hard here and still be rated 5.10a (e.g. Libra Crack). Guidebooks can be purchased for about 8$ at the Index General Store. For good breakfasts, try the Index Cafe. For good dinners, the Bush House. Camping is found upriver along the Skykomish.
Some of the better routes at Index include Godzilla (as a one-pitch or a 3-pitch route)(5.10), Great Northern Slab (7), and Town Crier (5.9 C2) on the Upper Town Wall. |
| Static Point |
Online (10a) (183K) was recently upgraded to "classic" status with an appearance in a climbing calendar (Climbing day calendar, 1997). Static Point is a south-facing, 1000 foot granite dome near Sultan, WA. There are many routes here, from trad to hard, extremely runout "sport" routes. Online, 5 pitches, has no more than 2 bolts per pitch (and only 4 on the crux 10a pitch). The rock is clean and the area uncrowded -- with a steep hour-long approach Static will never be crowded! The approach is totally worth it, though, and if you are in the mood for a little adventure, check out this seldom-visited opportunity.
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| Leavenworth |
Leavenworth remains the stronghold for most Washington rock climbers despite its distance from Seattle (2.5 hour drive). The town itself, in my opinion, is a horrible tourist attraction that has no merit. I am part Austrian and have toured all of Europe besides my native country, and find Leavenworth distasteful. BUT, the climbing is good! Icicle Creek that runs down Icicle canyon makes great background music to climbing the rounded domes. The fire-sculpted landscape is always interesting to hike through and climb in. The rock itself is solid and offers some really nice multi-pitch trad climbing at any level as well as some more recent sport routes. There is even an established bouldering area.
Some of the routes I have done here and would recommend you try include Orbit or Outer Space on Snow Creek Wall, and the R&D route on Icicle Buttress. Although R&D is "only" 5.6, this is not a climb for 5.6 leaders -- the exposure is pretty dramatic, and the gear is run-out in places. For climbers only starting to lead traditional climbs, the cracks on Mountaineers Dome offer a sane place to start. For people who want to check out a really cool crag, and escape the heat of the valley in summer, check out Punk Rock! |
| Peshastin |
Peshastin is an strange place: sandstone slab climbing in a park set aside for climbers. The weather is usually better than elsewhere, and on weekends you will often see people here that have been kicked out of the mountains by the weather. The 5.8 route on Orchard Rock is perhaps the most recognizable route around because it seems to make an appearance in every REI catalog (its only 5 min from the parking lot and looks "hard"...great marketing op).
There are some worthy routes here, notably on Grand Central and Dinosaur towers. Try Washboard (10c/d) to test your balance, or one of the grunge routes on the back side of Grand Central to test your nerve if the slabs are too tame for you. During the summer Peshastin is in full sun and is as hot or hotter than Smith. The crag is more popular in the spring and fall when the weather is cooler. |
| Vantage |
I have only been to Vantage 3 times personally, but the climbing is fun and sunny. The season is year round, but it can be very hot in the summer, and very cold in the winter. The Feathers area can get crowded on weekends, but there has been an enormous amount of new route activity here, both by Leland and Brian Burdo, and many others. There should be more than enough climbs to go around. During the winter, ice climbs sometimes form. |
| Seattle Area |
Exit 38 Information for these local
Exit 32 areas is too voluminous
North Fork and too easy to come by
Mount Marrymoor for me to treat it here.
UW Rock Wall |
| Mt Erie |
Mt Erie is just outside of Anacortes, WA. The climbing there ranges from wierd sandbagged, dirty trad routes to steep and somewhat friable sport routes. There is a guidebook that is sold locally in BEllingham and perhaps the Seattle area. |
| Ice Climbing |
When I first moved to Washington, I thought the potential for water ice here was just unbelieveable. Too bad it's so warm. Don't let anyone ever tell you that ice does not exist in Washington, because they are just trying to keep the secret of where it is to themselves. I will give you several good leads: Pandome Falls at Mt Baker ski area is quite reliable, but can be a very very scary lead. It is difficult but not impossible to set up a toprope on. Bridal Veil near Index is really awesome in a deep freeze, and Vantage and Leavenworth both boast some ice sometimes throughout the winter. Be patient and you too can climb water ice in Washington (though the season is typically a week long).
Alpine ice is another story. There is a lot to choose from, pick anything steep in the winter and you are guaranteed an interesting, if not frightening, time. |
| Volcanos |
There are 5 Strato-volcanos in Washington: Mt Baker, Glacier, Mt Rainier, Adams, and St Helens. All of these have "easy" standard routes up them (The Easton Glacier, Sitkum Glacier, Emmons/Disappointment Cleaver, South Spur, and Monitor Ridge respectively). Adams, Baker, Glacier and Rainier all have harder variations if a snowy stair-master is not your idea of real fun. On the glaciers of these peaks, danger is real and tangible. People die on these mountains every year...even if you are on a walkup, treat the mountain with the respect it deserves by climbing safe. Despite the potential for death, most people, and many people new to climbing, summit these peaks successfully after only one or several tries.
Rainier is guided principally by RMI, and Baker is guided by AAI.
If you are going to climb any of these peaks, be prepared both physically and mentally. You should be in shape if you plan to get up something like Rainier in acceptably safe time. You should know what you are doing if you plan to venture out unguided on some of the more remote, crevassed routes.
The routes I recommend for these peaks are not standard routes, and are more advanced. If your target is Rainier, try Liberty Ridge. Its reputation is deserved. Try Adams Glacier on Mt Adams instead of the South Side. Finally, Mt Baker's Coleman Headwall or North Ridge offer a better alternative to the commonly climbed Coleman Glacier. |
| Alpine Climbing |
Man, I could write about alpine climbing in Washington for days. For the record, "alpine climbing" in my book involves technical climbing on ice or rock or both: the Sitkum Glacier on Glacier Peak is not alpine climbing, it is mountaineering. Having said that, there is an enormous variety of routes to choose from in Washington due to the dramatic and granitic nature of the Central and North Cascades. The approaches are long - fair warning to those of you who are planning to visit and are not used to full-on approach grunts.
The Cascades offer lots of routes for all abilities, and I consider myself fortunate to have been on some of them, and even completed some of them on the first try! There are four or five main concentrations of serious alpine climbing:
- The Enchantments and Stuart Range
- Boston Basin, Cascade Pass and Eldorado area
- Bridge Creek and Park Creek areas
- Washington Pass
- The Picket Range
Rather than go into an exhaustive review (we have numerous guidebooks for that), I will mention a few good routes that I have done of have reliable Beta on in each area.
- The Stuart Range has some very exceptional routes. The South Face of Ingalls is a popular day trip, while the North Ridge of Stuart is a classic multi-day excursion. North Ridge of Stuart has been done in a day car-to-car from Esmerelda Basin, but this is not recommended - take at least 2 days, go very light and bivy on route. The Serpentine Arete on Dragontail is a popular but serious route. The routefinding difficulties are very real, and loose stone on the top 6 pitches makes the thing a bit unnerving. But not to be missed, just don't make my mistake of going it in a day - take 2 days and enjoy Colchuck Lake! All these routes are dry, so plan water appropriately.
- There are some amazing and huge alpine routes in the Cascade Pass and Boston Basin areas. West Ridge of Forbidden is awesome, with a serious little snow couloir as the crux of the route. Plan for this climb in early season, take a minimal rock rack and 2 light ropes. The 1957 NE Rib of Johannesburg is my Nemesis. I have been itching for this route since I first saw it in 1994. For a more mellow outing, the various routes on Sahale get you into the thick of it all with minimal gear and basic glacier skills. Finally, the North Face of Buckner is a famous and spectacular (and long) outing, with views South along the Ptarmigan Traverse and the Formidible/Spider massif!
- The Bridge Creek and Park Creek areas offer remote, serious alpine routes and very big mountains: Logan, Goode, and their lesser and satellite peaks. The NE Buttress on Goode is one of the more worthwhile objectives, but take the approach very seriously, regardless of whether you come from Stehekin or Rainy Pass. My suggestion is that you bite the bullet and do the routes in this area from Rainy Pass - its cheaper and you can travel on your own schedule, rather than trying to coordinate with the NPS shuttle and the boats on Lake Chelan.
- Washington Pass is well known for it's "Sport Climbing" Alpine routes. Most of the routes in this area are late-season rock routes with little or no ice or glacier travel. The Libery Bell group is best known, and has some very deservedly popular routes: The Beckey Route on Libery Bell is a really fun, classic moderate route. The South side of South Early Winters Spire offers some short, easy routes to the summit of the highest spire in the massif, while the East side offers the essential North Cascades classic, the Direct East Butress. Any well-rounded and competant 5.9/5.10a leader can get up this route, and aiders are not required! The technical crux is a toss-up between pitches 3 and 6 - bring a real rack, some balls, and give it a go! Finally, Silverstar and the Wine Spires offer a whole other set of serious routes - check the Beckey Guide and especially Brian Burdo's guide to North Cascade Rock for good suggestions in this area.
- There is little I can tell you about the Picket Range, I have only been to Challenger and the Northern end (see trip report), (see pictures) . Lots of lore, lots of tall tales. The approach to Challenger can be quite difficult, easier when snow levels are low. The rock in the Picket Range is much less solid than in other areas of the Cascades. I highly recommend you read Beckey's notes on the geology of the area, and head any loose rock warnings, they are well founded.
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| Oregon |
| Portland Area |
There are a number of places to climb in the Portland area, including Rocky Butte and Frenches Dome. These areas are described in an Oregon Rock guide that is sold at Oregon Mountain Community on 2nd and Davis in Portland.
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| Smith Rock |
Smith Rock State Park is one of the nicer places to climb, with a long season, casual atmosphere, free camping, and lots of routes to choose from. The small nubbins and pockets, steep slabs, and friable nature of the rock takes some getting used to. There are lots and lots of sport climbs to choose from, but very little in the way of quality moderates. If your leading ability is 5.8 or below, you might have to hunt around a bit for good quality routes. Smith is more tuned to the 5.10+ leader, with many quality 10's, 11's and upwards.
Here are some recommended routes for all ability levels, both sport and trad: Good moderates include stuff on the Peanut, Peking (8), Super Slab (3p 7), Moscow (3p 6), and the ultra classic Five Gallon Buckets (7) on the Morning Glory Wall. Good intermediate routes include a multiptude of quality 10s: JT's Route, Phoenix, Barbeque the Pope, Teddy Bears Picnic, Tammy Bakker's Face, Cosmos, Screaming Yellow Zonkers, Moons of Pluto, and the classic routes on Cod Rock, including my favorite Smith 9, Sunset Slab. Good harder routes include many of the overworked classics, like Chain Reaction, Toxic, Churning, and longer stuff on Monkey Face.
The key to climbing at Smith at all times of the year is to "follow the sun". In the summer, the sun chases you around the Smith Rock Group to the shady west side for the first half of the day. Toward evening you can come back and work on stuff at the Dihedrals or Morning Glory. In the winter you tend to stay with the sun as it moves during the day...Morning Glory is a great place to do routes in the winter. Finally, one of Smiths little secrets is that there is a ton of climbing in the Lower Gorge. Get a rack and get away from the crowds for a while - go climb basalt cracks in the Gorges.
Camping at Smith can be either at the bivy area (expensive) or at Grasslands, a free BLM campground. Ask directions to Grasslands when you get to Smith, but an easy to remember directions is "3 lefts and 8 poles". From Smith lot, drive left at each stop sign you encounter. This dumps you onto a long straight country road East of Smith. When the road curves after the long straight 3 miles, count 8 telephone poles and look left. You will see a cattleguard that is the entrance to Grasslands. Also, bring a fly rod for your rest days, the Deschutes is a very famous catch-and-release trout river.
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| Other Rock Climbing Areas |
There are a few other smaller local crags in Oregon, such as the columns in Eugene. I did a few new routes on some rock outcrops in Fremont National Forest, and other little crags can be visited for an afternoon, but you might as well not waste your time - Smith is the center of the action. |
| Ice Climbing |
Water ice climbing in Oregon is even more ephemeral than it is in Washington. Sometimes the stuff along the Columbia River will freeze in very cold spells during the winter, but otherwise, your options are limited.
Alpine ice is a slightly different story. Oregon has been blessed with Mt Hood, and to a lesser extent (for ice anyway) the Three Sisters. The Coe Glacier on the North Side of Hood is not only the prettiest glacier I've ever looked at, but would make a exciting ice adventure. Other ice options on Hood include Elliot Headwall, North Face, and the badass Yocum Ridge (one of the most notorious routes in all the Cascades). |
| Volcanos |
Oregon has more volcanoes than Washington. Principle ones include Mt Hood, Mt Jefferson, The Three Sisters and Broken Top, Mt Washington, and Thielsen. All of these are describes well in Jeff Thomas guide Oregon High. Hood offers some excellent access and great routes for all abilities. My favorite route is Sunshine, a beautiful route in a great setting. Jefferson has one good route, the Jefferson Park Glacier. The Three Sisters are great for ski touring and multi-peak bagging link-ups. Thielsen has a loose-rock horror show 5.7 route that you should avoid, but the hike up the back side is pleasant!
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| Alpine Climbing |
Besides Yocum Ridge and perhaps some of the North Face routes on Hood, there isnt any real alpine climbing in Oregon. Mt Washington et. al. aren't alpine climbing, they are cragging on crappy rock with an approach.
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