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Washington

Greetings Washington climbers!

Washington has a long history of climbing in the Cascades by Fred Beckey and his predecessors. Nowadays, WA offers quality sport, classic trad, beautiful alpine, glacier treks on volcanoes, plus ice and mixed climbing. 

 Exit 32 / Little Si or Deception Crags has the nearest sport crags to the Seattle area. These groupings of crags are hidden in the hills all around North Bend and offer decent rock, a plethora of routes and some of Washington's hardest climbing at Little Si's World Walls.

For those who are versed in glacier travel, consider one of Washington's volcanos, ranging in difficulty from Mount St. Helens (a long hike in summer and an easy snow climb in spring) to Mount Rainier, the third-highest mountain in the contiguous US.

Near Leavenworth lie three river valleys (Tumwater Canyon, Icicle Creek and Snow Creek) with easily accessed granite climbing, from roadside bouldering to multipitch. Good granite, wide cracks, and plenty of sun make this area the state's most popular climbing destination. 

The entire Cascade range is full of alpine adventure, with much rock and ice in the North Cascades. You can find plenty of choss as well as beautiful granite and gneiss. For example, Washington Pass, has dozens of pink-granite towers.

Stuart-Enchantments, with its stunning lakes, mountain backgrounds and stands of golden larches, is also home to tons of climbable spires and peaks. Stuart itself is one of the largest granitic mountains in the US. Due to its popularity, the area has a lottery permit system for access.

During Washington's wet winters and fall, many climbers head for drier rock at Frenchman Coulee (Vantage), a bunch of basalt crags near the Columbia River. Find here plenty of sport routes on the columns and trad routes in between.

Farther away from Seattle but consisting of similar (variable quality) rock to North Bend's crags is Mazama, a small town north of Winthrop and just east of Highway 20. It's home to Goat Wall, which boasts several long, moderate sport routes such as the popular 18-pitch Flyboys.

Index, a small town just off Highway 2, is known for hard, thin cracks on fantastic granite. Yet you can find plenty of easier trad and sport climbs as well. And looming over town sits the impressive Mount Index, home to some difficult, committing alpine ascents and what Fred Beckey calls 'one of the most difficult summits to attain in the Cascades' - the Middle Peak.

Darrington, nestled in the west drainages of the North Cascades, has several peaks with long granite slab climbs reminiscent of Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows. Most approaches here are 30 minutes or more. Closer to Seattle, but having very similar granite slab routes is Static Point.

The Tieton River area lies northwest of Yakima along the Tieton River - cragging split between sport and trad on a long, long andesite flow.

Spokane Area has many varied crags and popular bouldering around and within the city itself. 

Around the Bellingham area on the northwest coast, there are many small crags, some worth visiting, some definitely not. A standout is Mount Erie, not much of a mountain, but with plenty of diorite cliffs offering one-pitch sport routes.

Along WA's southern border is Beacon Rock, a huge piece of basalt overlooking the Columbia River. While bird-nesting closes some of its areas temporarily and one whole face permanently, the fact remains that it's a 850-foot piece of quality and adventurous rock.

Remember: Before you consider adding an area or route, please read below, and don't add an area on this page.

 

Sections of Washington: ----------------------- OLY/PAC = OLYMPIC/PACIFIC NW = NORTH-WESTERN CWC = CENTRAL-WESTERN CASCADES SWC = SOUTH-WESTERN CASCADES SEC = SOUTH-EASTERN CASCADES CEC = CENTRAL-EASTERN CASCADES OK = OKANOGAN C = CENTRAL SE = SOUTH-EASTERN NE = NORTH-EASTERN

To find climbing areas, check the map above and find the corresponding link on the right, or search the area's name in the search bar. To add an area, make sure you're not adding an area on this page. Check the overall areas on the right to see if it's already listed; if it's not, fire away.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Enchantments
[Hide Photo] Enchantments
Prusik Peak West Ridge
[Hide Photo] Prusik Peak West Ridge
Walking into a sea of clouds-MT Rainier.<br>
Photo by Blitzo.
[Hide Photo] Walking into a sea of clouds-MT Rainier. Photo by Blitzo.
Mt St Helens, before it blew it's top.<br>
From Mt Rainier, 1976.<br>
Photo by Blitzo.
[Hide Photo] Mt St Helens, before it blew it's top. From Mt Rainier, 1976. Photo by Blitzo.
Sun setting on Mount Rainier (Camp Muir)
[Hide Photo] Sun setting on Mount Rainier (Camp Muir)
Enchantments
[Hide Photo] Enchantments
View of the Mazama area from Prime Rib on the Goat Wall.
[Hide Photo] View of the Mazama area from Prime Rib on the Goat Wall.
Rainier from the northwest
[Hide Photo] Rainier from the northwest
Sections of Washington:
<br>
----------------------- 
<br>
OLY/PAC = OLYMPIC/PACIFIC
<br>
NW = NORTH-WESTERN 
<br>
CWC = CENTRAL-WESTERN CASCADES 
<br>
SWC = SOUTH-WESTERN CASCADES 
<br>
SEC = SOUTH-EASTERN CASCADES 
<br>
CEC = CENTRAL-EASTERN CASCADES 
<br>
OK = OKANOGAN 
<br>
C = CENTRAL 
<br>
SE = SOUTH-EASTERN 
<br>
NE = NORTH-EASTERN
[Hide Photo] Sections of Washington: ----------------------- OLY/PAC = OLYMPIC/PACIFIC NW = NORTH-WESTERN CWC = CENTRAL-WESTERN CASCADES SWC = SOUTH-WESTERN CASCADES SEC = SOUTH-EASTERN CASCADES CEC…
Errett Allen crossing a snow bridge on Mt. St. Helens, 1974. The bridge collapsed just after I crossed it.
[Hide Photo] Errett Allen crossing a snow bridge on Mt. St. Helens, 1974. The bridge collapsed just after I crossed it.
Driftwooding near Mora. Bring tweezers (not pads). Slopers abound.  So do splinters.<br>
C. Rein, photo.
[Hide Photo] Driftwooding near Mora. Bring tweezers (not pads). Slopers abound. So do splinters. C. Rein, photo.
jeff ranish at the base of the minuteman spire wa pass
[Hide Photo] jeff ranish at the base of the minuteman spire wa pass

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

[Hide Comment] Washington is an incredibly beautiful state.
The Cascades, with tall volcanoes and tumbling glaciers. The rocky coastline and rain forests. The sprawling orchards of Central Washington, all combine to make this Great state a more than worthwhile place to visit. Sep 24, 2006
David Stephens
Superior AZ/Spokane WA
[Hide Comment] They have said it for years "The best climbing in OR. is in Wa. Sep 9, 2011
lucas funkhouser
Buckley Wa
[Hide Comment] does anyone have any information about the bouldering and top rope walls along the east bank of the Columbia river in Wenatchee? i have found three sets of bolts along the walking path about half way between the black and tan bridges, allong with at least 6 or 7 large boulders. the other anchor is on a 50 ft wall further north right next to bimbo beach. Oct 16, 2017