Climbing the palisade cliff?

[LinHiNun]

Near Mt. Rainier, on Hwy 12, there is an awesome looking band of columns called The Palisades.

 

I've searched the googles and found no climbing beta. I cannot believe this has gone un-noticed. Google even shows a logging road going near.

 

So whats the issue? Access? Choss? Law? Lazy climbers?

 

[Off_White]

I'm sure its great, but given the west side location, cleaning is a lot of work and its been easier for folks to focus on the drier areas of the Tieton river valley. I'm pretty sure I've heard of people climbing on the Palisade Cliff though. Access may not be as cush as google maps might lead you to believe.

 

If you spend the time looking around up at the ridges and such, there is a lot of potentially interesting rock in the Packwood area. Its just not close to any major metropolitan area. If you do work this crag, you'll want to be pretty public about it, lots of active traffic is the only way to keep wet side climbs clean. Even Index, close to the hordes of Seattle, loses lots of climbs to the moss.

[mattp]

Wow. How many "Palisades" are there? I've climbed at some column's called the "Palisades" in the NE corner of Rainier park but you have a different "Palisades."

[keenwesh]

theres much better kayaking in the gorge below that choss... supposedly it's choked with wood right now though unfortunately.

[Off_White]

Kayaking? That shit is crazy and will get you killed!

[keenwesh]

I came pretty damn close last spring. was held underwater for 6 minutes. If it wasn't for my buddy getting me out I wouldn't be here today. If you're running class V, don't swim. I'd love to get on the clear fork though, supposedly one of the most beautiful places in washington/the world according to people who've been there.

[sobo]

So whats the issue? Access? Choss? Law? Lazy climbers?

See highlighting.

I've seen that stuff across the river over there for years (the picture is most likely taken from the small USFS rest area a couple of miles below the crest of the Cascades on the west side). You will likely have to rap in and climb out, given that I hear an enormous roar of whitewater every time I stop and admire those cliffs. Although I haven't actually been to the bottom of the cliffs, it seems to me that you'd be starting the routes from an extremely moist and frothy belay...

 

As OW says, it's a long ways to go for a bunch of mossy choss, and it will take (literally) thousands of trips to keep it clean. Does that make us Lazy climbers...?? Mebbe so...

[LinHiNun]

The cliff band is actually on the East side of the park. Its on the way to drier land, maybe slightly drier then the west side.

 

From the USFS rest area, the rock looks to have some level of quality (this is from looking across the river - could still be crap). It also looks to be about 2 long or 3 shorter pitches in height.

 

[andyf]

I think Sobo and Off mean on the west side of the Cascades, not the park...

 

Anyway, yes, I know of people climbing there over the years. Not me, but people I know. From what I recall hearing, there's a lot of wall hidden below the tree line with a lot of moss. Above the moss (which I think they aided through), the rock was supposed to be pretty good, with lots of edges like some of the Tieton rock.

 

Despite the proximity of the road, I think it might be pretty adventurous getting in there. It's also something of a scenic landmark (I've seen photos of the wall in coffee table books) in a VERY visible location. I've always felt kinda squeamish about public/Forest Service reaction to the extensive cleaning, anchors, etc. that would be required for anything more than a few exploratory routes on the wall.

[sobo]

Yes, Andy, you are correct. I am referring to the Palisades that are on the west side of the Cascades, but NOT in MRNP, and are easily viewed from the USFS rest area along US-12 as it descends toward its intersection with SR-123.

[mattp]

I didn't mean to introduce uncertainty as to which Palisades we are talking about.

 

I agree with Andy that as a general rule we should look to practice our particular hobby not on landmarks or at in-your-face locations. Not all others share the enthusiasm for human movement over vertical stone that we do and some may even be offended by our mere presence in the landscape.