VantageAn early srping trip to Vantage, WA for some rock climbing. This would be chancy to find some clean, dry rock because snow is still all around us in the northwest.
I beheld a frightful sight as I saw Jay's face in the window at 5 AM - he was about 10 minutes early. We had some coffee as I finished packing and ensuring we had everything (including the rope!). It was about 6AM when we hit the road. The day started out overcast, and slightly drizzly, but since we were climbing in an area on the East Side of the mountains, where it's normally very dry, it didn't matter. (In fact, it rained all day in Seattle.) About an hour into the drive, we stopped at a Greasy Spoon and had breakfast. After breakfast, it was another hour and a half before we found our place and began the 1/4 mile hike to the cliffs.
All the way in, we were ahead of this storm system that, to the west, looked pretty nasty. We wondered if today would be the one-day that it would rain here. I didn't take the truck, but the Saturn, as it gets much better gas mileage, and rides a bit better, too. The temperature was a comfortable 65 degrees, with a slight breeze. To get to the cliffs called the 'Sunshine Wall'; we followed a path to the top of the cliffs. This led to the other side of the cliffs, where a narrow cleft in the rocks, led us down to the other side. The whole area looks much like one of those cowboy movies, with a lot of scrub brush, dusty air and tall, rocky cliffs. The cliffs are actually part of a canyon formed by the Columbia River, and are now dry. The Columbia is still a major river (see a map, look for Ellensburg, then go west another 6 miles to George and there you are.) I have pics of the area, which I hope will give you an idea of what I described.
We have a climbing book that describes the various cliffs, or 'routes' that have been climbed. Many of them have some very off color names, like "Seven Virgins and Mule", or Count Crackula", or "Sex With Vegetables". We climbed one called "Stokin' the Chicken" and "Party in Your Pants" ("Party" is the one I have the good pics from) Each route is rated for difficulty - ranging from 5.0 (easy-roped climb) to 5.13d (like climbing overhanging smooth glass). We climbed in the 5.6 to 5.9 range. We walked along the base of the cliffs for a while until we found one that we though we recognized.
We were wrong! I started here (see the pic with me all geared up) and I took the first lead. Unfortunately this wasn't the route we wanted. I managed to get only half way up before I realized I was a bit over my head. Here it's difficult to come down. The preferred method is to rappel or find a place to walk off and around to the starting point (both were available, but not at this time.) I needed to downclimb what I had just climbed. Not easy, but one step at a time; and I was down. Jay tried it then, and found it too hard too, so I didn't feel too bad.
By this time the storm system caught up with us and it began to rain lightly. This makes the rock very slick, so it appeared that we drove all this way for a measly 30-minute attempt. We looked for another route that was sheltered from the rain, and found "party in Your Pants". It was raining, and rated 5.8/5.9 so we decided not to do it. But I convinced Jay to wait it out, have some lunch and see if the storm would pass. (Thought it would, because I could see to the west and it looked like it was breaking up. By the time we finished eating, the clouds were dissipating, and the sun came out. And now it was time to "Party"!
This time, we saw the route was still dry and getting dryer in the warming sun. We prepared for the climb, Jay would lead this one, and a pair of parallel cracks leading 100 feet straight up! Jay moved very smoothly up the crack, pausing to place a piece of 'pro' (protection) every 6 to eight feet. This is done so that in the event of a fall, the fall distance is minimized. After about 30 minutes of solid climbing, Jay makes it to the top, sets in an anchor, and I prepare to follow his lead.
Each step up the vertical wall, I become more impressed with the lead that Jay put in. Being on the 'pointy end' of the rope is the most dangerous. As I climb, I'm 'top-roped', so if I fall, I won't go anywhere. However, I don't want to hang on the rope, so I climb as if I'm leading, too, working my own abilities. It's hard! I'm sweating, but Jay is belaying me real well. As I reach each piece of 'pro', I need to stop, and remove it, then sling it over my head to bring them up with me. Several of the moves, I need to really lift with my arms in a pull-up fashion; others, it's a power leg lift. But I make it, the hardest climb I've done. The weather turned out great; we enjoyed a tough climb and company.
We tried one other climb with me leading again, but it turns out that the crack I was following ("Stokin' the Chicken") was too wide for the 'pro' I was carrying, therefore I had to downclimb once again. (Bummer!)
As we hiked around the cliffs to the top of the plateau. The one thing that I really noticed were the plants. Springtime is a time where there are flowers blooming everywhere. There was one that was particularly aromatic and pretty. It smelled like lavender, but I think it was desert heather. A small, bushy, 5-petaled flower, growing in bunches. Flowers were a light pinkish and a light bluish color. Very nice topping to a great day! |