What is a crag?

[dryad]

The past couple of weekends I've been to South Early Winter Spire and Blueberry Hill in Darrington, and it made me wonder, what constitutes a crag? I presume most people consider SEWS an alpine climb. There is a summit to get to and there is a non-trivial approach. On the other hand, I presume most people consider Blueberry Hill/X-Dome a crag, but there is also a summit to get to and it also has a non-trivial approach, which is a little shorter time-wise, but a lot more treacherous than the approach for SEWS. So what characteristics qualify something to be called an alpine climb rather than a crag?

[Dru]

Washington Pass is "alpine cragging" ditto Yak Peak.

 

Mt Sir Donald is only a little further from the road but is not "cragging".

 

I bet that doesnt answer your question.

[Sphinx]

A crag is where Dwayner climbs but doesn't admit it. A mountain is were Dwayner says he climbs.

[chucK]

I think of a "crag" as someplace you go more to practice the rock-climbing than to get somewhere (like the summit or a traverse).

 

Places like Washington Pass or Exfoliation Dome could be either, but I think of them as crags because they are relatively close to the road and they have many different variations of varying difficulty for getting to the summit (and some don't even go to the summit), so it seems like the preponderance of use is more for the pitches, rather than the summiting.

 

That's my answer.

 

[Sphinx]

I think Baker is a crag, cause I go for the skiing, not so much for the summit.

[Crackbolter]

Crags are short climbs or short approaches.

Usually Grade 2 or 3.

[chucK]

Anyplace that has been outfitted using a power drill is a crag.

 

Let the counter-examples flow freely kids.

[Dru]

crags are where you find craghags

[EWolfe]

Dru said:

crags are where you find craghags

 

...and cragrats...

[Jens]

A crag might be a singular rock climbing formation or outcrop that does not end in a summit and is not considered big enough to be a "wall".

[terrible_ted]

Sorry, but SEWS has a pretty trivial approach.

 

-t

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Crag:

 

[Dru]

Dr_Flash_Amazing said:

Crag:

 

 

I can see summits

[Sphinx]

But the routes don't reach them.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Dru said:

 

 

I can see summits

 

That's SOOOOO punk rawk.

[fleblebleb]

MisterE said:

Dru said:

crags are where you find craghags

 

...and cragrats...

 

... and cragfags...

[Scourge]

What is a dictionary?

[Fejas]

Crackbolter said:

Usually Grade 2 or 3.

 

 

Crag = Sport

 

although trad lines are found, the more common lines followed are sport(TopRope is sport as well), this is what I think of when I here crag...

 

crag

 

\Crag\ (kr[a^]g), n. [W. craig; akin to Gael. creag, Corn. karak, Armor. karrek.] 1. A steep, rugged rock; a rough, broken cliff, or point of a rock, on a ledge.

 

2.The neck or throat [Obs.] (referring to a volcano)

 

 

[Crackbolter]

Fejas said:

Crackbolter said:

Usually Grade 2 or 3.

 

 

Crag = Sport

 

 

 

 

Yes, all of Cashmere Crags are sport climbing areas. Especially the North and West Face of the Mole, Snow Creek Wall, West and Northwest Face of the Blockhouse and the Temple ridge crags. Last I checked, no one has taken the time to drill 3/8" bolts on any of the crags. Most are either 1/4" or 5/16" hand drilled.