index, washington climbing

by Sarah Ravits Sep 24, 2015 For outdoor enthusiasts and amateurs alike, a trip to the Pacific Northwest should include a stop at the small, rustic town of Index, Washington. Weather cam (Skykomish, east of Index). The Washington Climbers Coalition presently owns the Lower Town Wall and nearby crags. Intermediate Tax ID: 27-3009280. Index's south slope/ridge. The climbing is similar to what you would find in places like Yosemite or Squamish. Bouldering in Leavenworth (an hour east over Stevens Pass) was beginning to come into the national spotlight. The key to the 70-foot pitch is a chockstone flake. But what really makes Index amazing is how it just seems to avoid all the climbing traffic that more popular destinations suffer from. Tax ID: 27-3009280. Some individuals have taken it upon themselves to retrofit routes whose bolts were in dangerous decay. That route, which would eventually expand past the lower pitches to become Flyboys, would take them two seasons to establish. But the dreaded crowds didnt materialize thenor after Angeles article. The views of the mountain from HWY 2 are awesome and seen by many each year. Season: Generally, May through September are the best months, with a fairly predictable window of nice weather each year in February. It wasnt just that every inch of every pitch was on impeccable stone; it was that each route was as unique and memorable as the next, with its own geology and sequences. This constant flow of our team up the stone felt both casual and heroicwhat Id pictured it would be like before leaving Colorado. I awoke to the sounds of Coles confusion and the tower of beer bottles wed stacked behind the door clattering to the floor. Joining me on the trip were Andrew Burr, Dakota Walz, and Cole. Pitches one, two, and four all offer sustained crack sections and jamming cruxes, while pitches three, five, and six present challenges of gear-protected face climbing. I thought that at some point that thered be someone else as maniacal as I was If it wasnt for Jerry, Flyboys would still be one of my many unfinished projects.. On a big route like this, your partner needs to be encouraging, even if hes just trying to prevent a BASE jump back onto the belay. Andrew, Dakota, and I had been all-in on the Washington trip since day one, while Cole had agreed before receiving his semesters class scheduleand learning that he would fail out if he joined us for all 10 days. Precisely why Index is so sandbagged remains up for debate. There are some routes so covered in moss you can barely see the bolts. Private Technical Self Rescue Course in Index. You'll share the trail with climbers crawling over the cliffs. Climbers have been active at Index for over fifty years. And so, naturally, I spend a lot of time thinking about the effects of my guidebook, hoping that when the cosmic scales are weighed, Ill have done more good for the place than bad. [Burdo] drops down and I can hear him say, Oh, my God, its gonna go! Turn left onto the first bridge (5th St.) and take a left onto Index Ave. Index is an incredible crag. Sometimes, I hear local climbers complain about the summer heat. 2006-2021 SummitPost.org. Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! They put up first ascents for themselves and would use dangerous runouts to keep the riff-raff out. He recalled a day when a woman approached him, beaming. Getting there Take Highway 2 and turn off at Index-Galena road. I can still recall the routes as I made my way from The Country to the Lower Town Wall: the slight roof on GM (5.9) where three cracks converge, the friction mantel on Climax Control (5.11c), the fingery traverse on Cunning Stunt (5.10c), the perfect hand crack of Thin Fingers (5.11a), the bizarre slot start of Tattoosh (5.10b). Index is Washingtons most famous cragging destination, and features some of the highest-quality granite trad climbing in the United States. "Drew Schick locks up the Davis-Holland's impeccable second pitch. In 1980, Don Brooks pushed a line straight above pitch threes belay, creating the Lovin Arms extension, which goes at 5.11b by the original route or 5.10c by a later variation that most climbers now follow. From the road, the wall looked to be a dark, monochromatic gray. More Classic Climbs in Lookout Point July Weather Averages And while I admit theres some truth to this, its important to stress that we didnt make the wave;we simply caught it. (5), Additions & Corrections Ownership/Management: Completed by Bryan Burdo and Jerry Daniels in 2017, Flyboys is the tallest bolted 5.9 in the United States. In short, its about as good a place as any to learn how to free climb (there are also aid routes up to A4 did we mention Index climbers were the first to do a hammerless ascent of El Cap?). Take Highway 2 and turn off at Index-Galena road. The Upper Town Wall and the Cheeks loom over the town of Index, Washington, with Mount Baring in the distance. I hold myself on jugs, reset, and continue toward a short face where Cole French-freed across smears. No way! The obsession with Index runs deep, and many an Index aficionado has found and seized all manner of opportunity to turn the conversation back to banana slugs, eccentric route names, and other Index esotera. The closest full-facility camping is at Money Creek, 14 miles east along Hwy. It had been beautiful throughout our two-hour drive from Leavenworth. The Upper Town Wall and the Cheeks loom over the town of Index, Washington, with Mount Baring in the distance. Rap the route with a single 70-meter rope, or enjoy the scenic walk-off through Arizonas high desert. Index Road". Among those regulars, I noticed a startling concern about how Index was perpetually on the brink of blowing up. All of us must strive to take care of the places where we climb and maintain good relationships with others. That is, if youre looking for the kind of peace, love, and unquestioningly liberal echo chamber that most popular climbing crags tend to be (Bruh, turn up the Michael Franti), then trust me, Index is not for you. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. When the rope came tight, I didnt hesitate. For example, the And once everyone did that one, and someone did a new harder route, the new one became 5.11+ and the old one became 5.11b or c. Dubious as this logic is, the sandbag stuck. But the worlds best crag is actually in the emerald defile of the Skykomish Valley. But Ive focused on sport climbing the past few years, and Ive also had a difficult time progressing into higher grades. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, thousands of training plans, and more. Belay from above with a Grigri. All instruction providedby AMGA certified Rock Guides. Ive slept in a gravel lot next to an RV full of methheads clinking, clanking, and coughing til the wee hours. Martin - I don't want to be a jerk, but if you are not going keep the page updated would you consider adding someone else who frequents the area as an administrator? He was petrified by the free-hanging rap 800 feet off the deck; he didnt even look at the pitch. Flyboys is that concept escalated to its logical end: the tallest, bolted 5.9 and the most accessible 1,800-foot route in the United States. But one anecdote seemed to best sum up the routes wed climbed. Of course, Angeles piece wasnt the first time Index was in the limelight. At the time, the locals didnt take kindly to his hangdogging or Hollywood style with photographers in tow, and smeared railroad grease all over their own perfect crack just to foil Skinners plans. $895 / 2 days. Length 2.4 miElevation gain 1,240 ftRoute type Out & back. CB Thomas, the owner of Goats Beard Mountain Supplies, Mazamas gear shop, estimates that Burdo has put up 96 percent of the rock routes in the area. And Ive given the flak right back. But my gut is that if anyone knows, its probably Terry Lien. On this day, the rock was dry when we reached it, and the rain provided a vibrant rainbow, framing views of the snowcapped Enchantments to the south. Index looks on. Index Town Wall Trail. An optional five-inch cam protects the undercling above the belay to start pitch three. "The Nutcracker" explores the mental challenges of solo climbing and the tactics Cornell used to help him send the route. Regarded by many as the best 5.10 in the region, Davis-Holland to Lovin Arms (DHLA to the Index faithful) stands out for its amazingly consistent difficulty, regardless of the type of climbing. Walk across the railroad tracks, turn right (east), and walk along the tracks for five minutes, until a trail leads left through the woods toward an obvious crag. Index is one of the premier rock climbing areas in Washington state. and peak combinations. updates, images, or resources. Being off the main highway, the tiny town of Index is without the commercialism of larger nearby towns. The Mountaineers teaches skills and leads outdoor activities for all ages and levels in the Pacific Northwest. As he dug into a pile of ribs, Burdo told me that without kids or a house, he considers his routes to be his legacy. Our Best Deal: 60% Off Outside+, Ends July 9. Log in and send us The climbing is unique and distinct; the weather is persnickety, but when its good its perfect; the surrounding views of some of the Cascade mountains most jagged peaks is breathtaking; and the rock quality is out of this world. ), and the Skykomish Valley receives 63 inches of annual rain on average. Heres a list of 10 great ones to seek out er, avoid. Getting There: Index is located just north off U.S. Hwy. But as the 200-foot firs grow smaller beneath your feet, it wont be the grades so much as the quality of stone that will impress. The Prime Rib and Flyboys follow adjacent ribs up Goat Wall, so the character of the line was similar: a stack of single-pitch routes, walking across ledges from pitch to pitch. 2006-2021 SummitPost.org. This course will teach participants to become skilled free climbers on moderate ground and safe, competent belayers. He first visited the area with his family in 1971, and they owned several cabins there over the years. Dawn Glanc. Ive gotten my fair share of flak from curmudgeonly climber-locals for a wide range of offenses: working crowd control for the Captain Fantastic film crew, writing a guidebook, and criticizing whatever numbnuts stole the crag signs that a kid crafted for his Eagle Scout project. On pitch one I dealt with the worst of it: wet rock and runouts. 49 Sonya Kepler navigating the knob-studded crux of Tempitchuous, 12a. The pair started by developing some single-pitch routes. Wed have to make the best of it. Now up close, I see flecks of orange and green lichen among white, black, and gray crystals. Finally, I must mention that there seems to be a cantankerousness bacteria in the supposedly non-potable water we all collect from the spigot in City Park and drink anyway. Guidebooks:Sky Valley Rock, by Darryl Cramer (Sky Valley Press, 2000). Recalls Burdo, I climbed the central buttress, which is mostly face climbing, and it was all ground-up, bolting on lead with runouts on questionable rock. The first three pitches have been retrobolted, but Burdo speculates that the full, original line hasnt had a second ascent. Index locals know the bullet-hard, fine-grained granite, the splitter cracks, and the faces pimpled with dime-sized chickenheads and edges . Climbing Washingtons Mountains (Smoot) Ascent Info Total ascents/attempts logged by registered Peakbagger.com users: 139 Show all viewable ascents/attempts . We Love Sedona Climbing. Daniels descended second. Index Road". How? Keep on trucking to Squamish. Fog fills the valley below. Described on Mountain Project as a 5.8 climb put up by a 5.13 climber for 5.8 leaders. (Though its now considered 5.9.) My first day, I climbed 10 pitches of some of the finest granite Id ever touched. Photos by Ben Gilkison / www.bentroy.com - If you measure a crag's merits by rock quality and the influential climbers who there perfected their technique, there can be no doubt Index holds a very special place in the pantheon of granite climbing areas. Climbing Map of Index.

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