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Friends and I climbed at Trundle most of day last Monday. Lotsa dry rock to be climbed right now. Clem's holler area, alphabet rock, et. al....Anything s. facing

Get the 8 miles to the drainage out of the way at night up Ingalls Creek. 3.5 hours up crystal creek via easy hiking and you're in the upper enchantments. You know how outstanding the scenery is back in there. Tons better than snow lake trail.

Crystal Creek drainage, plain and simple.

The weather's perfect now. Anyone interested in climbing some hard, fun routes on Castle Rock (I want to string Mr. Clean, Brass Balls and whatever ((Crack of Doom?)) on upper Castle), for this sunday, shoot me a PM. Also be interested in getting to snow creek wall and climbing mary jane dihedral, and outer space via rpm start. I've led it a couple times now and it's a hoot. Failing these, any ol damn route in Leavenworth will do! Just wanna climb.

Hey y'all. How bout we get some climbing in around Leavenworth area, Tumwater, Icicle, don't matter to me. I'll lead, trad stuff generally or mixed, perhaps retardant rock area. Or, Careno crag. Drop me a pm if interested.

I have this Friday off, 9-19. If you do as well and want to get a slew of pitches in at Castle Rock, or Outer Space/Orbit (or anywhere in the Leavenworth vicinity), doesn't matter to me, let me know. I'll do the leading, no prob. No computer, so call to leave a message: 509-264-3739.

That was us, and my bag airing out. Hopefully not too offensive. I'll post some pics I have of the climbing.

I know it's kinda last-minute, but I have afternoon off on Friday, 9/5, to get a number of pitches in on Castle Rock (like starting after 1pmish), looking for climbing partner. Give me a ring: 509-264-3739.

Kyle Flick and I climbed the Rebel Yell route of Chianti. Getting a late start around 8am from the road, we turned our minds off and started the slog up to Burgundy Col for the next three hours. We reached the base of Chianti in about 3.5 hours, from where the entire route can be clearly seen. We roped up at the base and Kyle fired off the first pitch of 5.8. I got the next pitch, the first taste of off-width surmounted by stemming. Doing laps on Damnation Crack came in handy, as it was a combination of layback, stemming and chimney. I ran the rope out the full 200 feet to a nice belay. Kyle completed the blind step-around move to the base of the wide crack. The last two crack pitches resemble the last two pitches of outer space, only shorter but more burly and intimidating, considering the crack widens to 4 inches. The first part of pitch 5 is a nice, solid 2 inch crack, alternating between thin hands, to fingers with great pro. The second part widens to 4 inches quickly, but a flake off the right side of the crack helps upward movement, but it's still necessary to stuff your arms and feet into the crack to make any upward progress. Unlike outer space, the rock on either side of the crack is featureless, save for that flake. It's a grunt, but solid and clean, with a #4 and 4.5 camalots protecting it just nicely. This pitch ends on a tiny ledge resembling library ledge, but a bit smaller. There's a bolt and piton fixed for the belay. Kyle finished the 7th pitch, which starts out at 4.5 inches for 40 feet, followed by ledges and blocks, of climbing to 5.8. The summit block is a kick. We took turns straddliing the summit, completed our rebel yells and did four double rope raps back down the route. A stuck 3.5 camalot (my bad!) was the only blemish on the day. We were back to the car by 8pm to do the car slog back to We-snatchee. All told, a great route I'd do again in a second!

Climbed Backbone Ridge on Dragontail Peak (not to be confused with backbone ridge in n. cascades Stefan Mr. Flick, Ade and myself started the route at around 8.30am, from south side of crest, soloed all the way over to north side of backbone ridge, then cut back south to notch to just below the off-width. Roped up for a short pitch to base of off-width. I chose the lead on off-width, which is very secure. We lugged a #5 camalot and I scootched that up as I climbed, which is a combination of chimney and chicken-wing climbing, but with your left side crammed in the 6 inch crack, you're not going to fall out. We hauled our packs (the only hauling on the route) on that pitch. Ade and Kyle fired off four more fun and easy belayed pitches, after which we unroped and soloed up to the middle of the fin. Since Kyle had climbed the fin before via the Nelson description, he knew exactly where to start, which is hard to describe. Middle of the fin is the best I can do, which is where we roped up again. Easy face cracks and a solid corner led to first belay. Solid double cracks and a pillar comprised the second pitch. Third pitch was loose face cracks and a bit dirty, leading to a big ledge. The final pitch was the 5.9 undrecling, leading to the top of the fin. It needs more traffic, as the undercling was very licheny, but reasonable. From the top of the fin, we unroped and scrambled to the top, arriving at around 4.30pm. The backside descent is still glissade friendly, since the lower rocks are still covered, but I still used crampons and axe for upper steeper part. Aasgard is snow free. It's a sweet route, one well worth doing before they close the bridge creek road, July 14th?? Better hurry! Note: If you're fine with long runouts in the off-width, leave the #5 camalot, you won't use it after that pitch. There are small cracks near the top of the pitch that you can protect, but you'll have no pro for 40 feet or so before then, but it feels solid. Pictures forthcoming.

Oh, sorry. I'm a little geo-centric living in Wenatchee here, or just plain stupid, one of the two, so I just assumed you were talking about Dragontail Peak in the central cascades.

Well, you ask what did we climb on Backbone Ridge? We climbed Backbone Ridge on Backbone Ridge, on Dragontail Peak. Maybe I don't understand your question. As far as entry and exit points, I think there are variations. We started south of, up glacier, of where the ridge meets colchuck glacier, and traversed north on easy blocks and ledges, then back south to the ridge again, making a long zig then a long zag back to the ridge. Exit point was the fin, and there are variations here too. You can traverse all the way across the ledge system to a long 5.7 corner, then some rattly face climbing to the top of the fin. Or better, you can climb the three pitches recommended in the Nelson guide. We chose the former, and this time I want to climb the fin by the latter option. Hope this helps.

10am start at trailhead would be too late, big Ed. We'll climb it later this year some time, tho.

Looking to climb Backbone Ridge this Sunday, 7-6, and need a padnah. I climbed it last year, so I'm familiar with the route. I'll do all the leading. Just have some alpine experience and a good attitude! It's a great climb. PM me if interested.

Oh dear......my stars........sheesh..........

Ohhh...........hmmmm............

Just for kicks, thought I would post this. If you get the chance, check out the recent cover of the Metolious climbing catalog. It features the southwest face of Prussik, as well as several pages inside. One climber identified as Doug Ingersoll, (of Mowich ski descent renown), and partner climbing some route on SW face of Prussik. Close-ups reveal some great looking routes all over the south face.

Just wondering if anyone knows if/when the forest service is planning on closing eight mile road as they've threatened the last couple years due to bridge work???

I guess in my learning curve, I was always so intent on plugging up cracks with cams, completely neglecting stoppers. However, nowdays, I find myself looking to place stoppers first. I've fallen on stoppers and none have pulled, even some marginal placements. Cams, twice they've pulled on me (no doubt due to pilot error). But I think there's more room for error with nut placements than cams, in climbing granite.

Well, that's obvious. I'm just wondering, when you come to a spot where you want to place a piece, is your first instince to look for a good nut placement or do you reach for the cam??

The more I climb on lead, and inevitably the more I fall, I have come to appreciate good pro. Just a question to ask here: When climbing granite, would you rather fall on a bomber nut or a bomber cam of similar size? Do you feel better climbing above nut placements rather than cams?

Looking for a climbing partner for tomorrow, Sunday, wanting to enjoy this fine spring weather hanging out on Castle Rock. If you're interested in stringing some climbs together from the bottom of Castle to the top, let me know. I won't be around a computer, so cell# is: 509-264-3739. John

Anyone up for some cragging up Icicle? I was up there the past two weekends climbing and most upper south facing slope is dry, very little post-holing, careno crag is dry, Givlers, dry, etc... Anyway, is there anyone up for tomorrow, Friday, 2-28, or this weekend, at least one of the days? PM me if you can.

copied form WSDOT website: Report Detail Following a inspection of the North Cascades Highway snow conditions in February, the North Central Region WSDOT Avalanche Control Team has determined that it will likely be safe for maintenance crews to begin the annual effort to re-open the highway on March 17. Due to the lesser snow accumulations this winter, it is anticipated that the pass could be re-opened as early at April 7. Weather and snow conditions between now and then may cause this schedule to change. As of mid-February, 35-feet of heavy compacted snow covered the highway at the foot of Liberty Bell #3, east of Washington Pass.

Yep, it was spectacular sunday...we were at trundle dome briefly.