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Seattle gyms and structures


Jimbo

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I am new to the area and I am looking for a good rock gym. Good price, good people, mellow atmosphere, and in Seattle. Can anyone suggest a place. Also looking for buildings to boulder on. Any nice stone structures to boulder on?

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Thy the University of Washinngtonn outdoor rock. Has cracks and slabs. Free, ignore signs. Located between Husky stadium and the ship cannal. Parking and trafic suck on weekdays so ride your bike. Parkinng is free in the lot on weekends if there is not an event. Also there is the water tower in Volenteer park on the north end of Capital Hill. Ther is also an ouutdoor rock at Marymoor park in Redmond. The one at the UW is better for solo bouldering.

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There is/was a sweet climb-from-the-water pillar on one of the many abandoned freeway pillars in the Foster Island Marsh on the Union Bay waterfront. There is/was a 5.8 route equipped with plastic holds that ascends the smooth featureless concrete pillar then pulls through two fun overhangs. The other route involves climbing up the backside of the same pillar then leaping across about 2 meters to another pillar which then climbs the pillar, pulls an overhang, makes a hanging monkey traverse under the roadway(abandoned) and pulls the final overhang. BUT... last thurs. a photo was printed in the Times of a climber scaling the pillar and most likely a TOP-DOG in the Dept. o transportation said, "Hey! what's that lil' f#cker doin' on my edifice!?!" "Yo bobby ma' boy, go yank them things off for yo' uncle!" So now, one must down-climb the overhang(no easy task) and finger-traverse under the roadway, mantle, crawl through a cave and continue on route, because the DOT only yanked the bottom five holds and top hold to an overhang of increased difficulty sans the top hold. I've been excited about this place for over a year now, because I knew more routes would be added to the endless pillars in the area (Most over 15 meters above the deck/lake) and make the place a builderers dream, and because I live minutes from the place. It's on Lake Washington Blvd. where there is an exit-on ramp for 520.

[Frown] Oh well, the jump/plunge is still rad. Don't let tales of rebar and old shopping carts below the water scare ya! I've checked it out with a scuba mask [big Grin] I'm more worried about getting sucked into the mud on bottom and never wiggling free! [Eek!] I hope the routes are replaced and no one is gored by hidden rebar!

So basically... We rock scalers are being hassled by the man, what's new? DAMN THE MAN!

 

Other less-known buildering spots in the Emerald City: THe Alaskan Way Viaduct has a perfect #2 hand crack in flawless concrete! anywhere along the viaduct will work but my favorite is across from the Aquarium where the tourists gawk at your bare-ass! [Wink][Moon][Wazzup][hell no]

 

Also, Dave Burdick has posted the old University of Washington Campus Buildering Guide Book on his website with some digital photos http://students.washington.edu/~dbb/uw_buildering/index.html

 

Or across from the UW Rock try the obvious buildering crag... Huskey Stadium

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http://students.washington.edu/caloeffl/halloween_ascent_2001.htm

 

Welcome Jimbo and enjoy!

"When it gets dark... it gets Ka-rasy!" [Wazzup]

 

[ 07-14-2002, 08:33 PM: Message edited by: headmasterjon ]

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Vertical World has three locations: Seattle, near the Fisherman's Terminal; Redmond; Bremerton. One membership grants access to all.

www.verticalworld.com

 

Stone Gardens, located in Ballard near the locks.

www.stonegardens.com.

 

You should check out both gyms to see which has what you're looking for. I don't think either gym is accurately represented by their websites. YMMV.

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quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo:

I am new to the area and I am looking for a good rock gym. Good price, good people, mellow atmosphere, and in Seattle.

vertical world in ballard rocks for routes and hours. good bouldering, too ... if you like that sort of torture. [Wink]

 

mellow atmospheres anywhere are best found during "off-peak" hours.

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