Castle Rock 1952- Angel

[catbirdseat]

Mountaineer Annual Climbing Notes, December 15, 1952 by Fred Beckey

 

Castle Rock, Tumwater Canyon

 

Few accessible rock faces can compare with the excellent granite of the sheer south face of Castle Rock, in Tumwater Canyon near Leavenworth. Ideal for spring conditioning climbs, this face has numerous routes.

 

Usually the sport begins from "logger's ledge" about 250 feet above the road. The many climbs of a buttress here (Jello Tower) led to the eventual completion of the "Midway" route (see 1948 Mountaineer) and later the 55-foot white overhang, class six, proved to be the key to the "Devil's Delight" route followed to the summit by Fred Beckey, Pete Schoening and Wes Grande. Around the corner on the east face Schoening and Dick Widrig worked out the fifth class "Saber" route, and in 1951 Schoening and Jim Henry established the "Angel" route beginning fifty feet west of Jello Tower. Two days and a considerable number of pitons were consumed in the ascent, which included fourth, fifth and sixth class climbng. The ascent consisted first of a 50-foot traverse to the left, a vertical 30-foot pitch, a climbing traverse to the right, another vertical pitch of 40 feet and then a precipitous climbing traverse to the right to a point 80 feet above the top of Jello Tower, ending the severities.

 

Of interest also is a new route in the river face of Tumwater Tower made by Pete Schoning and Tom Miller (class five).

[jja]

Cool.

What's the deal with "class six" ?

[Mtguide]

"Class Six",old school terminology, refers to direct aid.