Rad

Yes, it would be interesting to have a chart on the number of climbers who boulder outdoors, rope climb, alpine climb, ice climb, etc and to see how those have changed over time.

The State of Climbing Report is out and some of the numbers and trends are interesting. Download the report here Not surprisingly, the number of climbers is growing. I wish there were a lot more data on this and trends over time. How much is climbing growing? How many people climb outside? Climb in gyms? Some of this is in Outdoor Industry Associaion reports, and I'm not sure where to access the right reports. Interestingly, the amount spent on gear has risen and this was largely due to increasing unit prices. Also interestingly, prices have changed unevenly. Rope prices have dropped substantially whereas prices for belay devices, shoes, and other gear have risen. A majority of climbers are white and male, so the diversity doesn't reflect the US population. Accident and fatality rates have mostly stayed flat over the past 40 years even though the number of climbers has been rising. I find this to be an interesting and perhaps encouraging trend. There are plenty of questions. For example, what is the definition of a climber for the purposes of these surveys? Who was surveyed? What response rate did they get? There are lots of unanswered questions. Still interesting. Climbing is growing and changing. Personally, I think this is a good thing because some new climbers will become passionate enough to work on conservation, access, and other issues that help protect and improve climbing resources for all of us.

If you mean the W Ridge of Stuart, WTA Ingalls lake TRs show snow below Long John Tower, which probably means there will be more in the slot as you pass the tower. You'd probably also encounter some at the entry to the Cascadian Coulour, though sometimes you can skirt that by staying high and left for a bit. Maybe someone w first hand knowledge will chime in here. If I were going I'd bring a lightweight ax. Have fun!

Congratulations on your summit and surviving those other falls and risky bits. Watch these excellent Steve House videos on alpine climbing when you get a chance. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOYnpuacr0hmFlciAgGvMYw Here's the first one of five:

Wow! Looks wild Fred Beckey country.

Safety aside, this is an inconic summit worth doing when you have views and can appreciate the ambience of the summit snow arete. Slogging up there in drizzly, mushy conditions to a summit socked in the clouds won't give you the "special finish" you'd like for this outing. For that reason alone, I'd suggest waiting for a better weather window.

Newsflash: it rains in the PNW. You can mope about it or just go anyway. But where to go? Good knowledge of the local crags can be the key to finding dry rock. With that in mind, I thought I'd start a thread so people with knowledge of the wet/dry patterns of local routes can help create a resource that will be useful for both local and visiting climbers. Here's a start: Concept: there's a difference between routes that are wet from seepage and routes that are wet from rain. When the ground is saturated after a wet winter or spring, it can be a while before routes subject to seepage become dry enough to climb. On the flip side, a day or two of rain after a prolonged dry spell in the summer is unlikely to lead to seepage. Concept: water evaporates faster at warmer temperatures. Consequently, one sunny day can dry a lot more crags in the summer than in the winter. Concept: wind can be an issue for some areas. If the wind is out of the East on the I90 corridor, Winter Block, Headlight Point, and the higher parts of Shangri La can be unbearably windy due to a valley constriction between McClellan's Butte and the X38 Far Side buttresses. East winds above 10 MPH can be a show stopper. If you didn't look at the forecast, look at the tree tops as you cross the Far Side bridge. If they're rocking choose another crag. Some observations (feel free to correct and/or add your own) Index - On David Holland / Lovin Arms, the first 5.9 pitch can be wet when the rest of the climb above is dry. Hopefully others with more experience can give a more nuanced analysis of the many crags and routes at Index. X32 - Blackstone wall gets wet at the top and can seep in places, but the rock is high friction and can generally be climbed even when it is damp. WW1 stays mostly dry in most conditions. Seepage can affect routes in the winter. Erie - Climbs with southern exposure dry quickly, and this area is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, so this can be a good choice when other areas are wet. Crags under deep cover, such as the one at Rosario, are more subject to seepage and humidity. Mazama and Vantage - Can be sunny and nice in the spring when the West side is wet and nasty. In summer they can be hot. X38 - Here is a more detailed breakdown as that's the area I know best. Amazonia is quite protected and will generally stay dry in light rain from about June to October. In spring and winter, seepage from saturated ground above the cliff will make a number of routes wet. If you go on a sunny day in winter you're likely to find this cliff still quite wet. Nevermind is also protected and stays dry in a light rain. Like Amazonia, it is subject to seepage from above, but fewer routes are affected. Bob's Wall and Valley View West dry pretty quickly. The Actual Cave is subject to seepage. The routes right of it are often wet until mid-summer. The Trestle and deception areas of X38 can be slick when damp and can get wet quickly. Seepage can be an issue. Routes with sun exposure, which changes by season, can dry quickly. There are so many routes along this stretch that unless it's actively raining or has rained continuously for days you should be able to find something to climb. Neverland routes vary in how quickly they dry. Seepage is an issue for the lower crags. Gun Show is only modestly affected by seepage and dries pretty quickly. It also gets wet quickly when it rains because it is not protected. Endless Bliss may have a wet patch around the first bolt even when the rest of the route is dry. Trucktown cave stays dry most of the time. Eastern Block and Headlight Point are East-facing and dry pretty quickly after it rains. There are a few routes where seepage is an issue, but the rock is high friction and can be climbed when it is damp. The first 20 feet of Displacement can look quite wet, but the holds you need are generally fine and the upper part of the route is generally dry unless everything is wet. Mirror wall is protected from light rain. It is only modestly affected by seepage. Most of Shangri-La stays pretty dry in light rain. Seepage is less of an issue here than at many other crags. Winter Block generally dries quickly because of its exposure to wind and sun. Hopefully others can add more. Cheers, Rad

Or just jump across it like this

Nice, Makes me want to jump in a lake!

Route overlay. Dots are belays. Yellow is approach ramp.

There is a rap line just right of the climbing route that should alleviate traffic jams. You can now get up and down w a single 60 rope. Use the LOWER anchor when coming down from the summit (just below the top of p6). Use the UPPER anchor above the dihedral pitch. Use the p1 anchor on the last rap instead of the rap anchor skier's left and below it, or else be prepared to make sure the rope doesn't run in a constriction and get stuck...been there done that. Enjoy!

So nice to hear good news for a change!

The MRNP has required climbers to register for many years, and this would include info on party size, route, and date. There's probably a lot of interest info and trends on those data.

Sounds like a wonderful trip. My favorite sunset beach out there is Ruby Beach. Nearly flat sand bars make for incredible reflected light, and the best viewing areas are quite close to the parking. You'll want low to medium tide if possible. Enchanted Valley is much further East and thus much drier than the Hoh. Both are very long valleys where you can easily go 25 miles in a day to get from trailhead to alpine terrain and back again. If you're willing to cover that kind of mileage, perhaps by jogging, I'd suggest the Hoh. It's far more lush, you stand a decent chance of seeing elk, and the glacier views from the end of the trail are pretty amazing. Also, the Hoh is pretty close to Ruby Beach. Another hike to consider is Lake Constance. Maybe bring a bike for the road section. It passes one of the most incredible moss-covered boulders I've ever seen on a very steep approach to a narrow valley. If you're fit and have the experience, consider continuing on to summit Mt Constance. On a clear day, it's got one of the best views anywhere in Washington and the summit spire is rad.

I second @JasonG. You could also try a sports med doc. Some combination of physical exam and imaging may reveal your issue, which is the first step in coming up with a solution. Good luck!

Oh, I'm not second guessing your decisions. I'm just glad you're OK. Really. Trying to get out. It's never enough.

Still standing in a pile of pea gravel!

Somehow I missed this. Nice job! Looks like a lovely adventure - except for falling into a crevasse/hole up to your chest - were you roped up? If not, yikes!

CBR. Not sure what route(s) were lost.

I climbed the iconic face of the Old Man on Cannon Cliff in New Hampshire about a year before it finally fell off the mountain. In terms of famous routes, the NW Face of Half Dome is probably near the top of the list.

That's a lot of dice rolling. I'm glad y'all came out on top. Pretty pics.

Sounds like good times. Looks like I didn't put gear notes in my cc.com TR. Kurt has the rack info in his guide. I trust his memory more than mine You won't be clipping bolts because there aren't any. The first 2-3 pitches have some nice cracks. The next several pitches you're climbing slabs and looking for any solid gear you can find. The upper section is more like a Fred Beckey alpine approach with a mix of gear and slung shrubbery. Leave qdraws at home and bring some slings. One thing I'd do differently is bring a few tricams as they work better than cams in shallow placements in the middle slabs. Also bring your experience. With no trail of bolts to follow you'll have to go where experience tells you is best. We started on the lower right side of the main slab, went diagonally up left across it to some overlaps with good cracks, straight up from there, and then up and right to exit to the upper section. Oh, and bring gloves for the approach and descent. The opening cracks are clean and fun, the slab is not scary, the rock is pretty darn clean from top to bottom given the mountain setting, and the views and ambience are very nice. I think you'll have fun. Let us know how it goes!

You'll find it pretty casual compared to many of your epic routes, maybe even type 1 fun.

Yes, fortunately unhurt. I did test it by pulling on it! Agree about testing rock. Kurt and I did plenty of that on Revelation across the way!