Welcome to CascadeClimbers.com

Cascadeclimbers.com is your resource for climbing in the Pacific Northwest, including climbing in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia.  Visit our message board to to buy or sell used gear, or find a climbing partner.  Look through the Trip Report Index to find current conditions on ice climbing or alpine routes, get beta for rock climbing routes or crags, or find first ascent information.  Find information on backcountry ski routes or conditions in our Freshies forum.  Thanks for visiting!

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New CC.com Blog

Hi Everyone,

We've been working on getting a blog up for a few months and we'd like to unveil it today. We will be using this for various functions like posting gear reviews, and our sponsors are going to be able to use this to post info on sales and events as well. We think it will be pretty cool.

To kick it off we have a review of the New Smith Rock Guidebook 2nd Edition by Alan Watts. You might have heard about this book! It exists! We have it! It's awesome! Cc.com's own billcoe did the review on this, so check it out.

http://cascadeclimbers.com/blog/

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SAVE INDEX CLIMBING ACCESS!!!

Goal:
The Washington Climbers Coalition (WCC) seeks to raise $300,000 to buy the Lower Town Wall and surrounding crags near Index, Washington. The Lower Town wall is Washingtons most famous crag and climbers have been climbing here for nearly fifty years; it is currently threatened with closure and even possible quarrying and we seek to preserve it as a climbing park. We also seek to upgrade the parking lot and install a toilet facility, two simple improvements that have long been sought by Index climbers. These actions will enhance the area and preserve climbing access while contributing to overall conservation efforts in the Skykomish Valley.



The Climbing.
The cliffs and crags surrounding the town of Index have long offered some of the best granite climbing in Washington. The Lower Town Wall is the gem of the area and has been touted as one of the best climbing crags in the United States. Several years ago the British climbing magazine Mountain declared it one of the top 10 crags in North America and it remains a vibrant hub for local and visiting climbers. The climbing is diverse in both difficulty and style and there is truly something for every rock climber at the Lower Town Wall and its satellite cliffs. This is the only year round granite climbing in the State.


Why Now?
In the early 1900's the quarry at Index literally helped to build the foundation of Seattle and rock quarried there was used in the construction of buildings throughout Puget Sound. Climbers discovered the Town Walls soon after quarry operations stopped and have enjoyed climbing there for 50 years. In March of 2009 the owner put up no trespassing signs because she was prepared to market the area to interested quarry operators. Seeking to prevent any quarrying and loss of climbing access, the Washington Climbers Coalition secured an option to purchase this property in May of 2009. We also obtained the owner's commitment to allow climbing to continue while we raise the money to buy her land.

It Will Be A Climbing Park Forever!
Forks of the Sky State Park presently contains other cliffs near the Lower Town Wall and park managers have been very supportive of rock climbing. We seek a legal agreement that will provide for permanent preservation and operation of the area as a climbing park and then we propose to turn the land over to State Parks. This scenic backdrop to the town of Index will be preserved and this outstanding crag will be saved.

See the WCC Site for how to donate and get involved! You can check this webpage for updates on the situation:

http://www.washingtonclimbers.org/IndexFund/

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CC.COM GEAR SHOWCASE AND COLIN HALEY'S ARTICLE ON ALPINE MOUNTAINEERING

We have started a new gear showcase type blog were we hope to show off new gear provided by our sponsors and various gear manufacturers. You can check out the first post here, which showcases the Integral Designs Reflexion bivy. Look for more new gear here soon!

We also have an article on alpine equipment by Colin Haley here on CascadeClimbers.com. You probably have seen a trip report or two by Colin on this site. He has progressively been stepping up his alpine climbing accomplishments, with many climbs (including first ascents) in Patagonia , Alaska , and Asia after cutting his teeth here in the Cascades. This article focuses on the equipment systems Colin has used in his climbing in the "Greater Ranges". Click HERE to check it out!

Colin's article adds to CascadesClimber.com's growing list of articles designed to educate and inform you on the latest and most effective equipment for climbing and skiing. Check out the other articles here:

• Ice Climbing Gear by Dave Burdick
  
• Backcountry Skiing Gear Primer by Sky Sjue
  
• Metolius Off-set TCU Review by Porter Hammer