DCramer

Hi Tom! I'd love to TR the UW but the approach to the top knocks it off the best of list. Pressure Drop Wall is a really good TR cliff. Big trees on top for anchors, several high quality routes, it's short but not too short. The only problen is the routes need to be cleaned. Fun Forest is a good TR cliff too!

I think Sol is using "alpine" in a different sense.

Just what does Alpine mean? I assume CBR is "Alpine" so are the Needles in Ca alpine as well? Similar approach.

What do you think are the best TR crags in the Icicle?

Erie is awesome! I have never gone there to TR and it’s been years (decades) since I’ve been to some of the “walls.” Can you just walk up to the anchors on the Orange Wall?

Where are they? Washington seems to have no really great top roping cliffs. I am thinking of places like Donner Summit (Wolf Crack), 90’ Wall on the South Shore, various in the Valley or numerous J-Tree formations.

Hyperspace (even with the Psychopath start) has dirty rock, grainy rock, and awkward unappealing moves. In short it is not a classic route. A far better route right next door is Edge of Space. To be honest I am not a big fan of Snow Creek Wall in general but for the life of me can't figure out why people claim Hyperspace is such a great route. That said Orbit rules! I guess it's kinda like the Valley where people que up for Regular NW Face of Half Dome when it is a fairly mediocre route compared to other Valley routes of equivalent difficulty...for example West Face of El Cap.

Off - I guess if you need to use an overnight permit it's an alpine route otherwise it's a crag route.

The "unclimbed" list is getting smaller - slowly but surely...... Hello there Mr. Cramer! Your contributions to the Sky Valley climbing sceene are awsome! I don't belive we've ever met, but I was the one that did the FA of "Shitty Park" on the Rattle Tale Wall thanks to Jake. Thanks. I encouraged Justen to go try and free Shitty Park but at the time his eyes were on longer routes. It's a sweet crack for sure. Say hi to Jake if you see him.

The "unclimbed" list is getting smaller - slowly but surely......

Plenty of pinnacles in WA too....

Stop bringing me down!

Sorry it's already in the new guide as "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers"

Routes haven't been renamed at Index after they have been freed.

This thread has it all….. A nice FA Sour grapes and controversy when someone tries to free the route. Bolt Posts modified after being questioned and the “Do not show as edited “ box checked A midnight meeting at the base of base of the route to iron out differences. A renaming controversy A few years from now Tom will have great memories of a fun summer project and high school kids will be calling it a trade route. I was out this past weekend slogging up a 5.7 slab drilling bolts and thinking how routine climbing has become. It's nice to see even second hand passion and excitement over climbing a route. Nice job Tom!

I believe that they have Kong-Bonatti stamped on them. I think that relatively few of these hangers were used.

Update: The Kong-Bonatti hanger has "dissolved" at other areas as well as Index. Dissolved is in quotes because that was the word used when this information was given to me. I have the hanger at my house and seeing it in real life is even more shocking than looking at Tom's photos. There appears to be something with the hanger's design/construction that gives it a propensity to dissolve. Whether this is simply due to galvanic corrosion or not I cannot say but other mixed metal anchors seem to withstand G C better than the Kong. The bad news is that climbers other than Greg Child and Andy used these hangers. I do not recall using them myself but they could potentially be on other routes – most likely on those put up by Greg Collum. Over the past few years many bolts at the Town Walls have been upgraded and the upgrade process continues. I have created a thread to track these hangers on the Index site so if you come across them post up. ( link )

I am not sure but I think that the hangers might have been SMC. I think SMC is out of the hanger business now but try calling them and ask if they will examine the hangers. If anyone want to go replace bolts/hangers I think I can supply some hardware. Those routes are are stellar and worth upgrading. If upgrading, save the old hangers so they can be examined.

I am pretty sure the bolt at the roof is 1/2".

Whew! WCC Access Fund

I am behind in sending out some orders. Both the Mountaineers and Marmot should have copies in a couple of days. I believe Second Ascent has some in stock. Feathered Friends usually does. The Washington Climbers Coalition and the Access Fund have been working on the current Lower Town Wall situation. If a purchase agreement can be worked out (and I think one will) 100% of all SVR future sales proceeds will go to the purchase fund.

Fun routes w/ no stars: Graham Cracker 5.10 Frostback Follies 5.10a Knobs 5.9 Fun route w/ too few stars: Testicle Fortitude 5.9

Walk around, explore and find that new route that has been waiting for you!

Anyone know how much snow is at the base of Zeke’s right now?

One thing we can decide for ourselves is which ballpark we are going to visit this summer. For me it's several! Start off in Chicago and go see the Cubs and the Sox..then move off to Milwaukee and see the Brewers finally head off to see the Twins and then fly back to Seattle. It’s great to be the “decider”! Oh yea I might slip in a quick trip to see the Padres! All that travelling without a gun! In Tahoe once while getting ready to hike to a cliff just a few minutes off of US #2 my partner straped on a Glock. A week later he strapped it on at Vantage!