Stuff other than Frenchman Coulee

[AlpineMonkey]

After getting disapointed with the crowds at Frenchman Coulee recently, decided to go check some other stuff out. I was impressed, no people, very scenic, solid granite, lots of fun.

 

 

 

 

[bwrts]

Nice. Looks like a great time.

I still want to check out that area...

In recent years, Frenchman's coulee seems to be getting more and more overrun with crowds.

A major dissappointment but at least you know what to avoid on the weekends. Hopefully the other Eastern WA areas do not become guide book (instructional book) tractor beams.

For those who care: HINT, HINT.

[kevino]

Its all about timing...on thursday there was one guy soloing and thats it out at vantage, while the previous weekend we saw about 8 people at tieton.

[sobo]

Craig,

Do you need a boat to access the start of the climb in the first pic? Or can you rap in from the top? I take it it's the one on the west side of Highway Rocks at Banks Lake, yes?

[AlpineMonkey]

Sobo, we did a rap in from the top, but I later learned, once I was down there that you can traverse down to the shore on the right of the climb and do about a 10 foot class 4 traverse above the water to access the climb, probably much easier then what we did. Its on the W. Side of the rocks as you suspected.

[sobo]

Thanks Craig.

I've been wanting to do that route for a while now.

Being a dad makes it tough to get out often.

 

Have you checked out the other stuff across the road and south a bit, in Northup Canyon? Go do Gibraltar Rock in the "horse camp" area. Nice. Also lots of great boulder problems to the west of GR.

[Off_White]

There's three routes down along the water there, easily approached by heading up and over a saddle beyond Bono (the 5.8 everyone does) and down a gully. That left most route, Aqualine, was my fave of those three. I thought traversing in was a fair bit harder than 4th class.

 

The other two are worth doing as well. I'd bring some gear for the top of the middle one. All in the 5.9 range.

 

 

[pindude]

Nice. Glad to see others finally doing some of my favorite climbs on Highway Rock. I usually rap in for those, for several reasons. Whatever your choice of approach, be looking out for poison ivy, which--while not currently in full summer foliage--can still do a number on your gear and the allergic.

[sobo]

Thanks O_W and pindude for the approach beta and the tip on the PI.

My sensitivity to that shite has increased markedly over the years ever since I was rabidly exposed (read: covered from head to toe) to it in my mid-20s.