Recommendations for 1st W. Pass Route

[orion_sonya]

The Wife and I have been here for over two years and still haven't made it out to Washington Pass, unbelievable.

 

Anyone have any recommendations for our cherry pop? I'm thinking something around 5 pitches long and 5.10 or easier.

 

Thanks all

Orion

[Alpinfox]

 

NW corner NEWS

 

SW Rib SEWS

 

DEB SEWS (a little long and has some 11-/aid)

 

Barber Pole

 

NW corner Lib Bell

 

EF Lexington (its got some wideness)

[eric8]

EF of LEX

NW corner of north spire

are the best 2 in imo

[genepires]

A little intro to your skills may be in order before handing out recommendations. Can we hopefully assume that you are experienced in trad climbing at the 5.10 level and not a exclusive gym monkey?

 

if you can handle the trad lines, then the west face of NEWS and the west face of SEWS are my faves. (5.10 with a little a1 and 5.8 respectively). north face burgundy would be a good intro to 5.8's up there.

 

if you are a gym rat, then head over to goat wall for some of those bolted lines.

[mattp]

The Beckey route on Liberty Bell gets my vote. Yes, you'll hear 25 cc.comer's whine about how it is clogged with gumbies, or the approach gully sucks, and it is nowhere near 5.10, but it is a great climb, to a great summit, and you'll get a feel for the place. It makes a low-stress but fantastic outing, and there is more to it than the guidebooks suggest.

 

Be sure to check out the view from the overlook near the visitor center after you get back down.

[orion_sonya]

Thanks for all of the feedback so far.

 

As far as our experience, we are not gym rats (well at least not spring through fall;). We both were primarily sport climbers until a few years ago, so we tend to trad climb well within our abilities, and neither of us have any alpine rock or real aid experience. But, we are both solid climbers with are comfortable placing gear, building anchors ...

 

Anyway, my goal is to climb a fun, not terribly commiting, reasonably protected climb so I can get "a feel for the place".

 

thanks again.

[DirtyHarry]

WA Pass is probably a good place for you then. Its not remote or committing, and offers longer routes with usually good pro. Its "alpine light" if you will.

 

I'd second recomendation of East Face of Lex, though a bit funky to start and some wideness up top (though well protected). Barber Pole, though easier climbing, doesn't have the best rock and is probably not the best route if you dont' have much experience in the alpine. Have fun!

 

Oh if you want to hike more, N Face of Bergundy is sweet.

[bwrts]

I agree with Matt P on the beckey route. If your totally green in the WAPASS area, this has all the spice that won would encounter in the WAPASS area, so the experience would mos def be devirginizing.

 

PLUS it was my own cherry popping mountain experience in the area...years ago with MitchM...so I suppose I am jaded. Another good one is the SouthFace of Kaga Temple.

[Rad]

The big detractor for the Beckey route is the gully. If you go make sure you're the first one up it so you don't have people knocking rocks on your noggin.

[DirtyHarry]

The gulley isn't that bad and the route isn't that great (well, its a pretty good route for 5.6). If you can climb 5.10, do something else though. Shit.

 

Has anyone mentioned SW rib or South? Excellent and pretty long route at 5.8 with the potential for some easy 10 variations.

[TrogdortheBurninator]

I would say NW Corner NEWS is the closest fit for your criteria. 5ish pitches, 5.9, follows cracks the whole way so you can place pro whenever. Some of the cracks are a bit wide, but no real off width climbing. It is one of the coolest looking lines at WA Pass IMO. Probably the most consistently good rock of any route I've done at WA Pass.

 

I'd also second NF Burgundy, but it makes for quite a bit longer day.

 

SW Rib SEWS has some really fun climbing, but the line isnt nearly as striking as NW Corner NEWS (some of those variations are very cool looking though ).

[still_climbin]

Another lower commitment ( but excellent into to WA Pass alpine rock) is Rapple Grapple which is next to the Beckey route on LB. It's 5.7 to 5.8 depending on who you ask and its on consistently good rock with fewer crowds than Beckey. The rappel route is straight forward (two single or one double rope rap) and you get to see half a dozen LB/Concord Notch routes up close. On your second day try one of the longer, more committed routes like SW Rib SEWS or NW Corner NEWS.

[bwrts]

The big detractor for the Beckey route is the gully. If you go make sure you're the first one up it so you don't have people knocking rocks on your noggin.

This is the real mountains.....

K.I.S.S.............

[kenp]

Beckey route is fun but that gully! yikes

SEWS has an easy approach and fun routes. When do the larch trees start turning color, late Sept? almost sur-real up there

[Sol]

if you climb 5.10, don't waste your time on the beckey route, or the southwest rib. go climb something good like the Boving route on the NW face of SEWS:

 

or the rebel yell route on the east face of chianti spire:

I also recommend Clean Break on Juno Tower, w face of NEWS, and at the bottom of the list the NW corner of NEWS. pm if you want any beta.

i reread your post and these routes might be a bit too much for your first time. but maybe these pics will inspire your second round at the pass. Note: wa pass is super soft, the 5.11 on the w face of NEWS goes at about 5.10c, and the 5.11 on the boving route is more like 5.10d.

[DirtyHarry]

First pitch of the Boving route proper on SEWS is tricky 5.10 on some thin gear if I remember right then some easy 5.11 fingas. But it is a killer route!

[orion_sonya]

Thanks all for the info. We are planning on heading up there this Sunday or Monday. I'll let you all know where we ended up going.