What's so great about PNW climbing?

[chucK]

The responses to another thread got me thinking.

 

It seems there must be some essence of what makes PNW climbing great, if people feel that some climbs aren't what makes it great.

 

What is that essence? What are the qualities indicative of climbing in the PNW that you really appreciate?

 

Or if you want to be more concrete ... say you are acting as climbing tourguide for an out of state friend or anonymous internet hookup; where would you take that person to show of our great state/region? Lists would be cool. Reasons for your choices even better.

 

Finally, since negativity is what often seems to get the posting juices flowing around here, what climbs would you specifically discourage, and why?

 

[Knottygirl]

I've taken alot of brand new climbers out to Pete's Pile because; its close to P-town, its raw, the camping is nice, the climbers are faily moderate, its trad...which newbies seem to get stoked on watching...

I haven't been to Horsetheif or French's Dome so I don't know....

[MCash]

1. Variety. You can climb glaciers, alpine ice, some big walls, alpine rock, volcanoes, world class trad cragging (Index), and winter desert cragging, plus winter mountaineering and bachcountry skiing. Neither Colorado or California can offer all that.

 

2. Scenery. Go do some routes in the Pickets then go hike a couple Colorado or California 14ers. There is NO comparison. I love the change in scenery avaialable from the North Cascades to the Olypics to the Pasayten.

[DirtyHarry]

What are the qualities indicative of climbing in the PNW that you really appreciate?

 

Getting TO the climb / ski is often the hardest part about the whole endeveor.

[John Frieh]

I think people climb because they love/enjoy climbing itself... not because the PNW is x, y, and z or has climbs a, b, and c.

 

Or maybe a better way to say it is you make due with what you got. It just so turns out what we got is a pretty cool place

[ivan]

shit, it's simple - b/c the NW gots the best access to the finest n'

[Alpinfox]

WA is like a small, accessible, less-snowy, not as dramatic version of AK. We have glaciers. Specifically, we have maritime glaciers (glaciers plus nice forests). CO & CA have rocky peaks and nice forests, but they don't have glaciers or peaks/forests/glaciers together.

 

This is what passes for a glacier in Colorado:

 

 

We also have decent/good cragging, alpine rock climbing, a little bit of water ice, alpine ice, some backcountry skiing, etc, but other places in the contiguous US beat the shit out of WA in those categories.

 

To sum up, we have this:

[mattp]

For sure, the views and the relative remoteness that lie so close to Seattle are big components for me. For a sample of Washington rock climbing, I'd take them here and to Washington Pass, for starters:

 

For skiing, I took my brother and nephews to Pemberton for similar reasons:

 

 

And for mountain climbing? I might want to go a little further afield:

 

 

Though, closer to home, there is a cool, easy ice climb in the middle of a moderate route on Mount Baker:

 

 

All of these places have good rock or good snow or whatever, and magnificant scenery -- all in a location that isn't hard to get to but has a feeling of remoteness to it.

[G-spotter]

Just take them to Vantage, it's the most popular so it must be the best.

[layton]

and having the most fun

[Stefan]

Wilderness. I think there are more climbing opportunities in Switzerland though...but that place does not have the "wilderness" feel for it.

 

But Alaska kicks all ass.

[DirtyHarry]

The one thing about Alaska is there's lots of bugs and you can't go swimming in the rivers in the summer. And the weather sucks alot.

[sexual_chocolate]

Just take them to Vantage, it's the most popular so it must be the best.

 

Yeah Vantage is so sucky!

 

[billcoe]

Do we consider Canada as part of the PNW? Cause if we do, then it might be as good as Califonia.

[G-spotter]

well Bill, since we know that "the best climbing in Oregon is in Washington", it follows that the best climbing in Washington is in BC.

[chris]

Why's PNW climbing so great? I count my blessings every time I think of Iowa. Or Missouri, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

[still_climbin]

Mount Rainier in itself is unique in the lower 48. Compared to Colorado's 14Kers Rainier has 12,500 ft of elevation gain form the surrounding valleys vs. 5-6K. And the alpine starts at 5K elevation or so. Can't be equaled in CA or CO.

[Alpinfox]

Mount Rainier in itself is unique in the lower 48. Compared to Colorado's 14Kers Rainier has 12,500 ft of elevation gain form the surrounding valleys vs. 5-6K. And the alpine starts at 5K elevation or so. Can't be equaled in CA or CO.

 

What's the relief of Mt. Shasta?

[ivan]

don't matter - shasta's an ugly piece of bull-dung w/ crap glaciers and a thousand hours hell n' gone from any of ca's populated spots

[AlpineK]

I think that there are a number of mountain ranges that could beat the Cascades hands down at any aspect of climbing.

 

Colorado has better and a lot more rock. The Canadian Rockies have (or had ) better alpine ice and still have world class winter ice.

 

What the PNW has is mountains that feel like a classic alpine environment that are within a reasonable distance of a major population center full of employment opportunities that are better than working for shit pay in a resort town.

 

Also climbing here can be an adventure (bushwack) right from the car, which in my opinion adds to the alure of the Cascades.

[BackCountryPunk]

Me.

[Animal]

I am from Colorado, and have lived here for over eight years. There is nothing like Olympic choss that makes this state great! Real men climb loose Olympic rock! Actually the cascades kick ass!