Top Ten Top Roping Places in WA

[DCramer]

Where are they? Washington seems to have no really great top roping cliffs. I am thinking of places like Donner Summit (Wolf Crack), 90’ Wall on the South Shore, various in the Valley or numerous J-Tree formations.

[Pilchuck71]

Mt Erie.

Premier top roping in the North sound.

 

[DCramer]

Erie is awesome! I have never gone there to TR and it’s been years (decades) since I’ve been to some of the “walls.”

 

Can you just walk up to the anchors on the Orange Wall?

[matt_warfield]

Quite a few in the Icicle if you don't mind hunting and pecking to find the ones with good criteria.

[DCramer]

What do you think are the best TR crags in the Icicle?

[summitchaserCJB]

hmm, what is toproping? There's not that many good places. Tons of good trad leading areas, multipitch, just not much toproping. L-worth has some for sure.

Edited January 14, 2010 by summitchaserCJB

[tomtom]

The Upper Town Wall at Index is a fun toprope. The last time I was there, someone had left their rope up on Green Drag-On.

[summitchaserCJB]

Barney's Rubble, clamshell cave, mountaineer's buttress (not all that hard). Classic crack buttress (doing the dishes is a good 12 there.)

[cbcbd]

Frenchmen's Coulee seems to have the perfect height and layout. Not the best for setting up TRs without leading but if you have someone to take the rope up then you can string up a wall.

[DCramer]

Hi Tom! I'd love to TR the UW but the approach to the top knocks it off the best of list. Pressure Drop Wall is a really good TR cliff. Big trees on top for anchors, several high quality routes, it's short but not too short. The only problen is the routes need to be cleaned.

 

Fun Forest is a good TR cliff too!

[DCramer]

Frenchmen's Coulee seems to have the perfect height and layout. Not the best for setting up TRs without leading but if you have someone to take the rope up then you can string up a wall.

 

I was thinking that the Jig Saw wall would be good if you could get to the anchors easily.

[DCramer]

So far the Wa top ten look pretty weak.....here's some inspiration!

 

 

 

 

 

[ivan]

seige tactics at beacon's a great top rope - when you blow the initial hard-as-fuck move you immediately fly backwards 50 feet out into the shrubbery

[Off_White]

The quarry in Tenino would be in the running for the top ten:

 

>easy acccess to the top

>double chain anchors on all routes with 1/2"x6" bolts

>longest route is 75' - top rope using that cord you had to cut 15' off

>very short approach

>35 routes 10b to 12d

>has seen climbing traffic every month of the year

 

 

Oh, and don't forget: superior base accommodations!

 

 

 

[matt_warfield]

What do you think are the best TR crags in the Icicle?

 

I agree with the above on Icicle post but would add Rotowall for newbs, the Hook Creek Boulder (depending on access), can't remember the name for sure but I think it is Playground Point, and the various crags right across from 8 mile campground

[DCramer]

Ah I Forgot about that Southern (Tenino) gem! I haven't been there since the 90's. Looks like the accomodations have been improved. 75' is the PERFECT TR length!

Edited January 14, 2010 by DCramer

[matt_warfield]

Frenchmen's Coulee seems to have the perfect height and layout. Not the best for setting up TRs without leading but if you have someone to take the rope up then you can string up a wall.

 

I was thinking that the Jig Saw wall would be good if you could get to the anchors easily.

 

Many Vantage routes have rubble at the top and anchors set lower in solid rock and require hoofing around, leading a neighbor route, and other less than desirable attributes for TR. Party in Your Pants is a good TR with fairly short access back up the chimney and around.

Edited January 14, 2010 by matt_warfield

[DCramer]

This would be sweet except you got to climb a route to get to the top...so it's out of the running.

 

 

Minnehaha is an amazing place....well worth the drive from Seattle.

 

OW - Do you remember if you can scramble (easily) to the top of the Golf Course rock at Banks?

[Off_White]

Hey Darrel, that one's short enough you can throw a rope over the top and batman up, no climbing involved. Isn't it a bit of a march out from Stevens Pass to that craglet though?

 

You can definitely scramble to the top of those golf course crags at Banks, there are some really swell pitches there too.

Edited January 14, 2010 by Off_White

[DCramer]

OW You're missing several things...

 

1) It's quality not quantity. Have you forgotten your Mt Woodson heritage?

2) It's "alpine" top roping! Quite a bit different from "lowland" top roping.

 

 

 

 

[Off_White]

Oh, and Ozone in the Columbia Gorge has a lot of the elements of a great top rope crag, including great route density, but I think anchor access from the top would be problematic. A lot of those routes are a full half pitch too, so you'd need your 60m to TR. It's a pity, because otherwise it would be ideal for the list.

[DCramer]

It's a rare crag that has all the elements.

[G-spotter]

i was at Smith once and remember hearing someone asking a Redpoint employee if there was any toproping at Monkey Face

[G-spotter]

& he said "Yes, but you need a really long rope"

[ryanb]

Most people on this site seem to walk right by the best TR crag in WA

Edited January 14, 2010 by ryanb