joepuryear

Not to mention it is threatened by a Wal Mart sized serac...

Just a note about the descent. There's been some work done on the top of the cliff. The descent if no longer difficult to find, there are rather large cairns marking it now and a trail in the making. From the main cairn, look down for a bright sling around a prominent rock to locate the first set of chains. It is still a little loose getting down to the cliff edge to start the rappels. If anyone is interested in climbing the rappel route, it is called Gangsta Rap and can be climbed in 4 long pitches: 10c, 5.9, 10a, 5.7. But it is not recommended to get on it when someone else is coming down.

Hey come on now, Fudge Packer belongs to Jens Klubberud and Troy Manfredi. We named our added pitch Bowl Packer.

Hope this helps.

Check the 1998 AAJ pg.209-211 for an account of Rod and Stuart's climb. They were the first to use this descent route to climb Full Circle. There is a great picture and map as well.

I was at the columns on Sunday - there was little heat from the mostly obscured sun, but it was warm enough to climb. Hand-warmers would have been nice. There was a fair amount of snow at the Bend, it doesn't get as much sun. The Oasis was snow free and gets sun from noon on. The Cave had some snow but looked dry on the left. Lava Point looked dry but the road up there would require a good 4x4. Goose Egg was dry as well. There have been a couple good storms this week but the forecast for the weekend looks good, so south-facing areas lower down the canyon should be good.

The new foot bridge over the Tieton River at the Royal Columns is completed and open.

The 800 ft. south face of Goose Egg Mountain is in the upper Tieton valley. The rock is andesite, but it is distinctly different than the columns found on the lower Tieton. Maxwell and Kershaw first climbed a class 4 route to the top in 1955. Since then development has been slow and limited to a few 1 to 3 pitch aid and bolted free climbs on the lower slabs. Stoney Richards and I discovered the face a few years ago and have since completed five base-to-summit routes up to seven pitches. There are also several more projects in the making. All of the climbs will be included in the new Tieton guide book by Jim Yoder and Marlene Ford. Please visit my website www.cascadeimages.com for more details and for general Tieton information. This will also be a place to check for route updates, current conditions, and access issues. Please direct any inquiries to beta@cascadeimages.com . This is a relatively new climbing area and so far has had very low human impact. Please try and use existing climber's trails and keep a low profile. There are several other user groups that frequent the area, including hunters. Respect the locals! Also be wary of climber's above you, the mountain has serious rockfall potential. The south face of Goose Egg Mountain.

Here's one more, note boot and quickdraw. Get the idea?

Here are photos of the route in question on the day in question, (not the climber in question). X marks the last bolt.

It isn't Index, but then again it isn't the Fisher Towers either. The rock is generally quite compact and less friable than Frenchman's Coulee. On established routes, the cracks are solid and gear can be excellent. You are more likely to break off a hand or foot hold, than blow out your gear.