OKclimb

Sadly just this last Saturday a 28 year old Everett man fell to his death while rappelling from Liberty Bell. The initial report is a bit vague, but a friend of his wife told me that he had only tied one knot in the end of one of the ropes, and when he got to the end the other rope pulled through. It was their 1st anniversary. Tragic. My deepest condolences go out to his family and friends. http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2014/sep/09/climber-killed-rappelling-liberty-bell-mountain/

Thanks for the report Butch. This is really a tragic story, and it's good to have some details on how it happened. The landing in that area has a lot of boulders, and so the internal injuries must have been severe. Can you tell us if he was wearing a helmet and if this might have saved him?

Chris, access to the trailhead is well marked on the highway, but the climbing routes are not - yet. I'll be putting up a map/topo and list of routes on the back side of the parking lot kiosk soon, and there is some beta on the crag already on rockclimbing.com. Most of the routes have bolts, but usually require gear if there are cracks. Beware of loose rock and rattle snakes! (RB, local climber on Vapor Trails (5.11d **)

Chris, this is public - right above the Whistler Canyon Trailhead (a couple of miles South of Oroville on the East side of Hyw 97). There are 37 established routes there so far (5.3 to 5.12), a few trad, mostly bolted.

The Whistler Canyon trail head crag just east of Hwy. 97

Shae doing the whole ("5.4") pitch 5 hands-free, South face of Yak Peak BC.

At Minnehaha, Spokane

108 Stupas below Mt Kailash's North Face, Tibet

Shae atop Mt Remmel, Pasayten Wilderness

Good point about the tourist draw - and the county has been working on it. There is a wonderful trail now along the old railroad line from Oroville to Enloe Dam (really cool place), but it stops there and is officially restricted through the tunnel. The rumor is they are going to build a new dam above the old and so flood much of that section of the Similkameen...

Ten years later... old thread but still the rock is sitting there. Wanted to add my 2 cents worth in case you're ever in the area again and want to climb those gneiss cliffs. There is actually a lot of rock in the northern part of Okanogan county that is on public land (FS and BLM), but a couple of the places do have access issues. The cliff east of Hwy. 97 just before Oroville is called Whistler Canyon, and it is now being promoted as a no-fee recreational access point to the West side of Mt Hull by the county (hunting, hiking, horse and mtn bike riding as well as climbing). There is a smooth dirt road going right to the base of the cliff (not well marked). There are now 31 established routes on this compact but varied crag, mostly bolted, ranging from 5.3 to 12+. There are also more developed areas to the West (along upper Toats Coulee), and south along 97 - the lower SW face of Mt Hull and Burge Mtn East of Tonasket. In short, lots of great climbing, some of it is written up on rockclimbing.com. As for secret and restricted - there are areas that fit that description south of Tonasket and around Omak, but there is plenty of public rock for the rest of us to the North. The largest area of good rock (SW Face of Hull) has tremendous route potential from bouldering to 600' multipitch, but easy access is still an issue as private orchard land has to be crossed in some areas. There are public access areas, but they are not obvious or direct. But from mid April to October you have to be prepared to share it with the rattlers and mtn sheep. For more info on Whistler Canyon stop by the Tonasket visitors center as you're driving through town.