CANARY (II, 5.8) Castle Rock, Leavenworth, Washington

back to classics

---

Mike Jakubal leading pitch one

Canary topo

Castle Rock is perhaps the most popular crag in Leavenworth. This roadside cliff rises nearly 600 feet directly above US Highway 2. It is a varied crag. Its lower half is a broad, flat face intersected with several roofs, ledges, and deep vertical crack systems, with climbs ranging from 5.6 to 5.12, from chimneys to overhanging finger cracks. Its upper half is a curved buttress rising to a point, with many steep, shallow cracks, athletic overhangs, and airy weathered faces. The crag is conveniently split at mid-height by a broad shelf, dubbed Loggers Ledge, providing easy access to the upper routes, several of which are considered classics. One is Midway (II, 5.5), the original route up Castle Rock and still among its most popular, climbing a chimney and wide crack system up the middle of the face. Another is Saber (II, 5.5), climbing a ramp and chimney system on the right margin of the wall. These easier routes get a majority of Castle Rock's traffic. But all in all, the Canary route is probably the best route on Castle Rock, and one of the finest multi-pitch crag routes in the Cascades. The route offers a variety of climbing situations, including steep face, cracks, and an overhang, all on solid rock with fabulous exposure. The route was named for the yellow lichen streaks on the wall, which reminded the first-ascent party of a similarly colored bird.

The route begins with a face traverse or unprotected direct face climb into a dihedral, which gets more difficult as you climb higher, and is topped off with a traverse move under an overhang and a crux mantel onto a big belay ledge. A variation finish just right is the same, with shallow hand jams getting harder and harder, with a sloping mantel onto the ledge. The mantel move is not a thing of beauty. But if you thought the mantel was trouble, just wait. From the security of the broad ledge, you now are faced with a scary 5.8 face back leftward across the lip of the overhang. After a few tenuous, airy moves, after you've summoned the nerve to make the traverse and actually executed it, there comes another crux move at the lip of the overhang. And even after that, it's not over.

Brian Scott leading the second pitch

The pitch continues directly up, via steep, pumping, continuous face climbing, with enormous exposure. Sure, it's only 5.8, but every move from the beginning of the lip traverse until some distance above the roof seems to be 5.7 or 5.8. After the roof pitch, the route eases up, climbing corners and low-angle face moves as the wall eases back toward the top.

The roof traverse at first may seem unprotected. Many climbers, unable to protect the moves, have retreated or taken another variation to the top rather than face the prospect of a nasty fall off the roof. A "secret" big cam placement in the roof above the belay ledge will minimize the fear factor somewhat, although it may contribute to rope drag later on. Once the leader has established a couple of good pieces above the roof, the belayer may want to unclip or put a long runner on this piece to avoid rope drag. There are some rusty old bolts here too, but the route is well enough protected without the bolts.

Those who manage the first pitch without trouble should have no difficulty with the second pitch. However, with commitment and exposure factored in, this is quite an imposing lead, especially if 5.8 is at or near your limit. Quite a few climbers are so intimidated by the roof traverse that they either rappel off or finish the climb via the less-intimidating Saber.


back to classics