Crown Point / Vista House rock

[nomad]

Climb: Crown Point / Vista House rock-

 

 

 

 

I'm looking for any kind of beta for The Zuchinni route at crown point... Since I've moved to PDX I've slowly slunk into urban climber mode, favoring short, straightfoward approaches and plenty of stainless steel on the rock. I need bigger, less traveled rock of questionable quality to cure myself.

Anyway, since I'm thinking of soloing, I would like a bit of beta as to routefinding and wether or not to take a hammer for the aid.

[wayne]

The only thing I can offer is an instinct, You will encounter much vegetation in the weakness lines in that area . Prolly some major loose rock too. Poor anchors too. Other than that it should be great! There are maybe better places to get your fix. If you are doing aid consider st peters dome or apocolypse needles. Look in the back of TOs book for other ideas, I have looked at Zuch and it just doest look fun.I also think it hasnt seen a second ascent too, Sorry I cant be more helpful. We want to hear about it if you go for it though

[corvallisclimb]

where in oregon is this? i have never heard of this area

[Dan_Harris]

Crown Point is east of Portland and considered the western edge (the beginning) of the Columbia River Gorge. The cliffs to the right of center is Crown Point and the building is the Vista House.

[corvallisclimb]

oh okay thanks for the picture. now i know, for some reason that was in the back of my head, but wasnt to sure. what are the routes like there, or is that the only one?

[larrythellama]

adventure choss, guides need not apply.

[JosephH]

I suspect that anything qualifying as an "interesting" line up any part of that rock would be a semi-horror fest from a quality of rock perspective. Be careful what you hammer or nail up there, you might bring the whole thing down if you pull the wrong block.

 

I'd be happy to go out to Beacon with you if you want to do some trad or there are lots of great routes there for roped soloing...

Edited October 1, 2004 by JosephH

[billcoe]

Joesph, this could be a new potential partner, I only climbed some TR stuff with Michael but he pulls strong. Kind of young, but looks to have the experiance.

 

Michael, as you're new tot he area, Wayne may be the #1 voice of experience about that POS. If he raises an eyebrow it speaks volumes IMO.

 

I'd highly recommend climbing with Joesph out at Beacon, a better partner can't be found, you guys, from outward apperances would make a great team. (You're looking for a safe-choss like adventure and Joesph has about 3 or 4 of them up his sleeve!) Your schedules may in fact be compatible.

 

So hook up, but remember to drag me along if I'm free.

[rbw1966]

There is a TR of some adventure climbing on Crown Point that Shredmaximus and myself did last summer.

 

Wear goggles in addition to the helmet. The memory has faded almost enough where I might be interested in going back out there. Drop me a line.

[shapp]

best climbed with tools in winter during one of the gorge freezups

[nomad]

Awesome. maybe I won't be doing it. Or maybe I can find a better variation to p1 of the Alpenjager. It looks oddly enticing

[JosephH]

rbw1966,

 

The memory has faded almost enough where I might be interested in going back out there. Drop me a line.

 

You are a badass...!

 

Nomad, jump on that offer - you're unlikely to get another...

[stiffler]

I've climbed the alpenjager, it's not that bad.

If you are serious about the zuchini route, do the alpenjager first. You'll get a feel for the place, and a better picture of the size, etc.

Park @ the pull off across from Rooster on the E bound side. Walk up the scree slope through elderberries and nettles to the base. The first pitch is runout 5.4 or easier, almost no gear. It angles left to right, following the path of least resistance up mossy steps. You'll come to a fixed anchor consisting of some wacky pins and a good cam placement, at about 135'. Step right, and move over a slight bulge (crux) passing a bunch of old, weird fixed gear below the chimney. That pitch we cut short, stopping at some crappy bolt(a 3.5" bolt in a 1" hole, nice) and once you're in the chimney, you've got a couple options. We climbed straight up to the summit of the detached thumb that forms the chimney, on the W side. that pitch was very long, and we simul climbed a portion of it. It was very run out, and there was one section where the rock was quite friable on the W side of the chimney. I think Clif only got maybe four pieces of gear in 200'+, and a couple of those were fixed pins. Once on top, we rapped off of slings around elderberry stalks. If you got into the chimney, and weren't up to bridging up all that way (which comprises at least half the route), you could walk up the talus slope in the back of the chimney, which comes out on the W side of the crag, just below the Vista house. We hitch-hiked back down to our car on 84. PM me if I can give you some more info. Before I tried Zuchinni, I would definitely do Alpenjager, the Rabbit Ears, and a couple of the Apocalypse Needles.

[rbw1966]

You can walk back to your car down an obvious trail/former access road contouring northwestward down around the alpenjager, from the backside.

 

Wear pants. The nettles are bad.

[cluck]

stiffler.... Apocalypse Needles? Not famililar. Any beta you want to post or PM? Thanks... CLUCK

[stiffler]

Yeah, the Apocalypse needles are located out by the Dalles. If you're on 84 E, and you drive out that way, go about 6 miles past the Dalles. look up on your right, and you'll see detatched columns leaning out about midway down the hill. They blend in with the columns behind them. I've climbed 2 of them, one I would call 5.5 pg, and the other one 5.7x. It is definitely adventurous. I'd post a couple pics if I knew how..let me know if you want more info..

[JosephH]

Any of you folks know anything about the prominent fin or rock exactly 1 mile east of Multnomah Falls and fairly high up? It looks curiously good, but then so has a bunch of other features I've hiked into only to find choss.

[wayne]

Thats Cougar rock and it makes a good adventure climb, but its of course somewhat chosse'

[Farrgo]

Since were talking about obscure choss piles anybody climbed the Rabbit Ears on Table Mtn?

[Checat]

Is said Cougar Rock outside of multnomah falls the same thats been rumored about around Central oregon (multi-pitch, some sport some trad)

 

If you looked at the state map top to bottom I imagine you could find a couple of Cougar rocks, not all revealing good technical climbing

[markd]

Is said Cougar Rock outside of multnomah falls the same thats been rumored about around Central oregon (multi-pitch, some sport some trad)

 

not the same rock. there seems to be a few around the state.

[Checat]

thanks mark.

 

Its pretty lame to kill 80 bucks on gas hunting down the wrong cougar for the wrong occasion. I do however want to thank you again here for your hook-ups on new stuff in the CRG and COre.

[cluck]

Since were talking about obscure choss piles anybody climbed the Rabbit Ears on Table Mtn?

 

Yup - I cruised up that way a couple years back:

http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB7&Number=325135

 

It's an interesting (and only mildly terrifying) vertical dirt thrutch.

[ols]

Go for West Chimney...it is one of the better d-e-e-ep corner systems on typical Gorge cobblestone rock. And it will give you a good idea of how The Crown area really is. Wear a helmet and expect runout on the first lead. The last portion of the narrow chimney sqeeze is by far the coolest part of this climb, while the Alpenjager summit is quite reasonable.

The Zucchini Route itself has a fair bit of semi-detached rock in the mid section below the Zucchini Ledge so be very careful through that section.

[kevbone]

I'd highly recommend climbing with Joesph out at Beacon, a better partner can't be found,

 

As long as you want a hip belay on what ever you climb and dont talk about bolts, chalk, nesting, meetings, or rangers, you will do just fine.

Edited November 1, 2006 by kevbone