swauk pinnacles

[Charlie]

anybody ever climb there? The rock climbing wash. book mentions it, but doesnt describe any routes. Is it worthwhile? Are there any access issues? I just noticed them yesterday on the way back from lworth- they're only 1/2 hour from eburg!

[Wopper]

My wife and I went to Swauk last summer and I was underwhelmed as well. We started out by taking the wrong trail, heading up the big sandhill, realizing it, backtracking and heading in the right direction. Got to the base of one of the climbs(I forget the name), scoping and thinking it was sketchy but deciding to do it anyways. We got racked up, flaked the rope and it started to pour on us. Waited for 10-15 minutes, packed up and walked back to the truck in the rain and drove home. I won't go back either. There is a reason it is not a very popular place. The bolts look manky and the routes wander all over the damn place.

Charlie - I do not believe you can see it from the road. The turn off is right on top of Blewett Pass on the north side of the road. The road then wanders down into the valley.

[Peter_Puget]

I agree with the sentiment that the rock is generally quite bad esp. when compared to Peshastin. That said I must admit to having gone there several times to climb and several times for a hike with the family. The routes are generally small with a propensity for looseness esp. - pebbles prone to popping. Sometimes the routes cross layers that seem like unconsolidated riverbeds. There are two approaches. One as Whopper described, where you descend into a valley. The other starts much closer to the highway. It might be possible at some points to see some of the crags from the road. The landscape can be quite pretty and the mix of trees even includes some true Firs and Larch. If you approach from the Upper side, the Sphinx has a couple of good climbs. At least I think it’s the Sphinx and there is a good TR (Steep groove, 5.10) to the right of the main route. Further up the trail are a few more worthwhile routes although they are quite short. If approaching from the Lower side there is a 5.10 (a?) in the guidebook that is fun and right to its left a new 5.10. Uphill from those climbs is a 5.10d route in the guidebook that is very intimidating just to look and when the rock quality is considered it’s even more amazing. A 35’ route is a big wall here!

Capt. – The rock here is nothing like the desert sandstone.

 

[Drederek]

Good work guys, with all the badmouthing noone will go to swauk and it will maintain its solitude and lack of trash. Of course the routes need more traffic to stay clean. Maybe we can train the squirrels to only run up and down on the routes. But seriously I didn't think they were that bad, at least the few formations we went to. Well the first one was kinda nasty but the sphinx was great. OK good. If that place got the traffic it would be fine. I'm sure the rock is as good as Peshastin's.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Peter I was not referring to it as the same rock. Duh well is it not sandstone? Duh well are not many Utah Desert towers Sandstone?? Duh

More like lead all the cracks and then your brain would be in synch with shitty rock. Are'nt you mister know it all sometimes == I hate mindreaders.

[This message has been edited by Cpt.Caveman (edited 09-24-2001).]

[nolanr]

Me and another guy took some beginners out there last year, we set up some top ropes, the rock quality may not be the highest but it was perfect for us because there was NOBODY ELSE out there the whole weekend, beats waiting in line in the Icicle. I'm not sure if you would see it from 97 or not. It's a fairly spread out area, there's 2 different access roads to it. No access problems that I know of. It's fairly much off the radar screen.

[rat]

can't get enough of that sandy, ball bearing feeling under your shoes? head up mission creek outside of cashmere for more. roadside slabs complete with compression bolts and dirt slopes above the routes. true grit and truly stupid.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Rumor has it there is low quality rock. I dunno but I have seen a guide at REI.

[Andy_Bourne]

I explored around there once last year. The rock where I walked around is a lot like Peshastin but a little more crumbly. I saw two bolted routes on a couple of minor formations, but nothing to note. There may be other stuff around, maybe even higher quality rock. But from what I saw, honestly, I didn't think it was worth much as far quality climbing potential. Though I am sure someone has found some stuff around there worth doing, it depends on how much you want to explore around.

Two things good about going there, I found an ancient ring piton on top of one of the pinnacles, and it was pretty fun scrambling around on some of the weird formations.

[Ade]

There is indeed a guide. I even have a copy. Haven't been there yet, supposed to be like Pe-shite-stin Pinnicles but not as good. I hate to think what that means.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Ade it means go climb a lot at those 2 places before heading off to those desert towers in the spring\fall

[chris_w]

I was there about a year ago and don't plan on going back. We had a hard time finding the correct trail. If you miss the trial it's like climbing up a steep sand pile.

I remember leading a 5.7 bolt route (don't remember where). When I clipped the 3rd bold the hanger started spinning so I took a closer look. The bolt had a rounded top and was pounded in. Each bolt only had 3-4 hammer marks on it. Never seen this type of bolt and I didn't know how good they were so it freaked me out. I tested every piece and every move. The slowest 5.7 bolt route I ever lead. My parter then pulled off a 20 pound rock that I stood on earlier. It was not a good day.

I told my partner that I would never go there again, it was his idea to begin with. It just wasn't worth it. It makes peshastin (sp?) look like smith rocks.

Just my opinion.

Chris

[Charlie]

after searching the web- are swauk pinnacles the crags visable from 97, way up on the hillside sticking out? Im talking about the crag right off of the road. Anybody know what this is?

[AJ]

I went there to explore around about two years ago. (North of Swauk Pass and to the west of 97.) We used the little yellow guidebook that is really someone's joke on the world. The directions were poor, the rock was poor, and overall the atmosphere wasn't that great. Lots of loose cobbles and pebbles coming out of shaky sandstone. The best route we found was a 40m slot chimney. I'm not planning to go back - two days was enough.

Oh, if you look around behind the Swauk campground you can see evidence of someone else trying to make something of the same type of sandstone - the occasional hangerless bolt here and there on slabs and short pinnacles.