I need a topo for infinite bliss

[eliza]

can anyone help? A friend and I are coming to Wa. (from Boulder)to climb infinte bliss and possibly some other climbs (sport climbing, not enough time for trad or anything else this time)and we have been searching everywhere for a topo for this route. does one exist? can anyone recommend a decent sport climbing area too? we will be in the seattle area. thanks!

[Alex]

I would recommend you climb something else entirely if you are really travelling all the way from Boulder to climb in WA (or BC). There are many many other high quality climbs - both trad and sport - that anyone could recommend that are much better representations of the climbing to be had around here than that route.

 

Exit 38 and Exit 32 are good sport climbing areas close to Seattle.

[JosephH]

I'll second that recommendation. Skip ignorant bliss and climb something real. That's like saying you're going to Red Rocks and only have time to climb prince of darkness. If you have time to climb that abortion you have time to climb any number of great trad climbs throughout the NW.

[Alpinfox]

If you wanna go sport climbing, go to Smith or Skaha.... or better yet, stay in Colorado and go to Shelf Road, Rifle, Eldo, et al.

 

As the folks above said, I would recommend climbing something other than IB.

 

Get David Whitelaw's book "WEEKEND ROCK " for a good reference to 5.10 and under climbing in Western Washington.

 

If you aren't persuaded and really wanna climb IB, use the search function on this website and you'll find lots of stuff.

 

[Off_White]

Also, as no one has pointed out, IB is not really a sport climb. There is a long section of largely unprotected loose easy climbing towards the middle with significant route finding difficulties and lots of exposure. It's too long to rappel through on the descent. If you're looking for a clip up type sport climb, this one offers good prospects for having an epic.

[EWolfe]

Maybe they just want to climb "The longest sport climb in North America.

[Off_White]

Then they are very wise to make local inquiries, aren't they?

[corvallisclimb]

here you go

[chucK]

I climbed it again the other day and had FUN! What a bunch of sourpusses you guys are.

 

The cautionary notes are in order though. Easy to get lost starting at the pitch on the topo labelled "Easy 5.1, 1 bolt". Bring helmets. There is spontaneous rockfall on that route (and more if someone's above you).

 

For other sport climbing that these curmudgeons would deign more worthy you might check out "the Country" area at Index

 

If you're looking for a longer route or two check out Jacob's Ladder on Exfoliation Dome or other stuff in the Darrington area.

[layton]

or Sysiphus on Goat wall.

[ken4ord]

I climbed it again the other day and had FUN! What a bunch of sourpusses you guys are.

 

The cautionary notes are in order though. Easy to get lost starting at the pitch on the topo labelled "Easy 5.1, 1 bolt". Bring helmets. There is spontaneous rockfall on that route (and more if someone's above you).

 

For other sport climbing that these curmudgeons would deign more worthy you might check out "the Country" area at Index

 

If you're looking for a longer route or two check out Jacob's Ladder on Exfoliation Dome or other stuff in the Darrington area.

 

I agree with Chuck, I climbed it twice and both times I had fun. It is not the most spectacular route there far better routes in the Cascades, but it is a good day outing with some good views and no brainer type climbing. If you are there during the summer time though be warned that the route is a completely south facing amphitheater with no shade, so you can get seriously baked (and not the good kind of baked). The final 5 pitches is what really makes the climb the rest of it just approach pitches.

[chris]

The climb is great for the length and exposure. Unless you stay right behind them, I would never climb this route with another party. Though a two-team ascent could be ideal - with two teams and 60-70m ropes you'd have the two ropes you need for the rappels. Since the climb goes right up the center of a large bowl, and crosses a large and loose 4th class zone, every rock crying "freedom!" gets funneled right at climbers on pitch 14 or lower.

 

Two 60 meter ropes are mandatory for this climb - 70meters would be even better, as some of the rappels are rope-stretchers, and the fourth class route-finding crux of the route requires a little mandatory downclimbing on big bivy-type ledges above a big drop.

 

Eliza, please excuse the initial response. IB has gathered some conflict, if you couldn't tell by some of the crotchety replies. Some local climbers are upset that the climb breaks with tradition in the Northwest, and other user groups were upset initially with the work the FA team took to establish an approach trail. We've had this conversation before. IB is worth climbing, even if some of you are too slow and cranky to check it out. You should be ashamed of recommending EXIT 32 or 38 instead!

[Blake]

Still, if you are travelling from boulder CO all the way to WA state, with good sport climbing in mind, this is more of an Infinite Miss.

[chris]

Blake I'd argue that Washington as a state isn't a sport-climbing destination. Sure, there are several crags, but none of them are worth writing home about. If Eliza is actually on a climbing road trip and has some destination flexibility, I'd recommend heading south to Smith or north to Skaha instead. But if she's here for short visit, is a competent and experienced multi-pitch climber, and wants to check out what all the fuss is about for herself, than IB is perfect. An hour from downtown Seattle, 20+ pitches, looooonnnnggggg. Let's not hijack this post.

[DirtyHarry]

this is more of an Infinite Miss.

 

Or an infinite rappell.

 

Go to WA Pass instead.

[chucK]

No lie on that! ~20 raps, mostly on low-angled rope-snarling terrain (plus the downclimbing sections). What a PITA! Allow about 3 tedious hours for the descent.

 

WA Pass is also where I would send a climbing visitor to WA state, but it doesn't really fit the "sport climbing" criterion (unless you're including Mazama under WA pass). What about Marblemount? Is that currently open to climbing?

 

However, I don't quite get what she means by "not enough time for trad". If they are pinched for time, the approaches for many WA pass climbs may fit the bill, but the drive from Seattle wouldn't.

[DirtyHarry]

Post deleted by DirtyHarry

[DirtyHarry]

More importantly, why would anyone travel from Colorado to climb in Washington in the spring, when the Black Canyon, Southern Utah, and the Valley are all relatively easy drives.

 

Silly, silly, silly.

[chucK]

I understand where all you sourpusses are coming from. It's painful when you are rightfully proud of all the excellent climbing we have in our area and a touring climber is gravitating toward a quite unrepresentative and what many think is mediocre climb. It's like showing a traveling friend around your fair city and taking them to dinner at Wendy's.

 

However, I will say, that Infinite Bliss can be a good experience, and even show off a bit of what WA state has to offer. The climbing is long, mostly effortless, and fairly varied; slick slab, featured slab, steep featured slab, low-angled grassy slab, a heavily bolted chimney, and the finale is a pitch straight out of Leavenworth! (which, of course, is more featured slab ). And most importantly for showing off our area to visiting climbers: the views down into the Middle Fork Valley are really top notch. And for a bit of gravy, the Edgewick Road Truck Stop area has got a weird Twin-Peaks-like vibe to it.

 

Anyway, to summarize...Eliza, you could do better, but you could do worse.

[slothrop]

Exit 32 really does have some good sport climbs. The guidebook "Climbing Washington" shows enough routes there for a full day. Definitely do (from left to right) the 10c next to Human Foot, Mambo Jambo (5.9 handcrack, can easily top-rope it if you don't have a rack), Goddess 10b, Sticky and Sweet 5.9, Godflesh 11a, and most any route at World Wall One except for that shitty 10b next to Reptiles and Amphetamines.

 

Long routes, great rock, just enough sun, and some climbs stay completely dry in the rain. Short hike, too.

[Toast]

Nobody even mentioned Condorphamine Addiction... oops.

[RocNoggin]

I did CA last summer, loved it! recommended! :-)

[TrogdortheBurninator]

CA is a blast, but again not representative of the type of climbing that makes washington great.

[G-spotter]

CA is a blast, but again not representative of the type of climbing that makes washington great.

 

not enough devils' club?

[Freeman]

I haven't been around cc.com much lately, but a really fun alpine sport climb is the Prime Rib of Goat on Goat Wall in Mazama. I'm prepared to be flamed and called an idiot and all the rest for suggesting it, but it is something our guests from Colorado might consider. Eliza, if you e-mail me (I don't read my PM's here) I could send you a copy of the topo. 11 pitches, 5.8'ish, gear list is 14 draws, easy day, wonderful setting.

 

freemanDOTkellerATverizonDOTnet

 

I'll also second the suggestion of CA

Edited May 25, 2006 by Freeman