exit 38 north side of hwy, easy walk up to set TR routes? climbing with kids.

[genepires]

Time for my young prodigy to graduate from indoor rock gym to real rock.  Looking at the guidebook for exit 38 shows lots of routes that would be a good transition from indoor gym to outdoor gym-like environs.  Would like to start on 5.6's and work upwards for him.  Found lots of places on the north side of exit 38.

Chances are that it would be just him and me so obviously I need to walk around to setup a TR.  He is only 80 some odd pounds and I don't want to poison his life with a "dropped his dad and killed him situation". 

any good easy crags with easy walk around for TR setups?  Hopefully the holds are not too exit 38 wierd like at we did it rock.  

 

thanks folks!

 

[DPS]

The Gritstone would fit the bill.

[Rad]

Hi Gene,

There are a few X38 top-rope crags, but for the most part they are short and unsatisfying. Gritscone is a scraggly lump in the forest that's like 15-20 feet high. You want to get out in the sun!

One idea is to go to a popular area with a friendly attitude, no problem for you, and get others to put up your rope, share a rope, or belay you on lead. On a sunny spring weekend you can be confident you'll find people out there. If you don't want that uncertainty, bring along some folks from the dads thread who have kids of about the same age/ability. Or from your gym? I'd suggest the Interstate Park / Headlight Point Area as it has a high concentration of moderate routes of 50-90 feet. FWIW, Far Side rock is very grippy and generally not shattered, so it has a very different from the sharp yet slippery holds of We Did Rock or Nevermind. For true beginner routes, aim for Sunshine Vista.

If you're just going once then hit up MP: https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105797433/exit-38-far-side

If you plan to keep going then def get Kurt's book. It's excellent. https://www.snoqualmierock.com/

Cheers,

Rad

Ps. Edit to add that the trail goes right past Gritscone, so you can look at it and decide for yourself.

 

[genepires]

3 hours ago, DPS said:

The Gritstone would fit the bill.

I looked at gritscone and I don't think it is very kid friendly.  Hell, it doesn't look adult friendly either.  thanks though.

 

 

Edited April 30, 2019 by genepires

[genepires]

3 hours ago, Rad said:

One idea is to go to a popular area with a friendly attitude, no problem for you, and get others to put up your rope, share a rope, or belay you on lead. On a sunny spring weekend you can be confident you'll find people out there. If you don't want that uncertainty, bring along some folks from the dads thread who have kids of about the same age/ability. Or from your gym? I'd suggest the Interstate Park / Headlight Point Area as it has a high concentration of moderate routes of 50-90 feet. FWIW, Far Side rock is very grippy and generally not shattered, so it has a very different from the sharp yet slippery holds of We Did Rock or Nevermind. For true beginner routes, aim for Sunshine Vista.

If you're just going once then hit up MP: https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105797433/exit-38-far-side

If you plan to keep going then def get Kurt's book. It's excellent. https://www.snoqualmierock.com/

 

 

I got Kurt's book.  Was thinking about sun vista and headlight among others but just curious about the walk to the top.

I think my boy likes to climb without a lot of crowds around.  Yes the exits are not the place for solitude. 

 

[Rad]

Squishy Bell has 4 routes and is easy to set up top ropes. 

For Sunshine Vista, just bring an extra rope, anchor it on a tree above the crag, and use it to get down to set up the anchor on your chosen line. Then use it to move the rope between anchors. It's low angle so pretty easy to do that. Be careful not to knock rocks down onto other climbers if there are other people there. You can probably do something similar at Off Ramp, though it's not quite as easy. Between those three crags you should have more enough routes to keep you occupied for the day.  

[genepires]

3 minutes ago, Rad said:

Squishy Bell has 4 routes and is easy to set up top ropes. 

For Sunshine Vista, just bring an extra rope, anchor it on a tree above the crag, and use it to get down to set up the anchor on your chosen line. Then use it to move the rope between anchors. It's low angle so pretty easy to do that. Be careful not to knock rocks down onto other climbers if there are other people there. You can probably do something similar at Off Ramp, though it's not quite as easy. Between those three crags you should have more enough routes to keep you occupied for the day.  

thanks Rad!

hopefully we can graduate to more pleasant granite routes. 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2019 by genepires

[DPS]

19 hours ago, genepires said:

I looked at gritscone and I don't think it is very kid friendly.  Hell, it doesn't look adult friendly either.  thanks though.

 

 

I personally don't find anything at Exit 32/38 particularly inspiring.  Leavenworth should be not too much farther for you.  Clamshell Cave, The Hand, Bruce's Boulder, Barney's Rubble, Roto Wall are all easily top roped and kid friendly, but I suspect you know all that.

[genepires]

4 hours ago, DPS said:

I personally don't find anything at Exit 32/38 particularly inspiring.  Leavenworth should be not too much farther for you.  Clamshell Cave, The Hand, Bruce's Boulder, Barney's Rubble, Roto Wall are all easily top roped and kid friendly, but I suspect you know all that.

yes about the icicle.  just looking for a mid way place between indoors and granite.  I always felt the exits as a outside gym place.  Much like face climbing at the feathers.

we should get out this year. 

 

[Rad]

We are fortunate that there are many types of rock and styles of climbing in Washington. Each has pros and cons, and we are entitled to our preferences. I love granite, except that friction climbing is so temperature dependent - my performance changes by a full number grade over a 40 degree range. 

X38 and X32 have at least two main rock textures: shattered and sometimes sharp or slippery (e.g. World Wall, We Did, Nevermind) and gritty and high friction with more slopers (Blackstone, most of the Far Side, Bob's Wall and above). These climb very differently. If you don't like one, seek out crags of the other type and give them a try. Personally, I like the grippy rock much better than the more shattered crags.  

[selkirk]

anothet idea but there are a few moderate climbs out in the British Isles at Exit 32.  5.5, 5.6, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, which i think you can walk to the top of and settup a tr.  they're trad lines so dont get the attention the sport lines do?  pretty short and in the shade as well.  was thinking about taking my girls there for their first trip outdoors.  Keep the ideas coming as i defintely want to get the little ones out this summer. 

[Off_White]

Not mentioned yet, but as it turns to fall think about Royal Columns in the Tieton. There are a lot of moderate routes, but you mostly need to be ready to learn to crack climb. Took my daughter there years ago and we had a blast. Western Front is a great 5.4 that you actually have to jam, a good introduction. Rattlesnakes though, but that's also a good thing to learn about.