OUTER SPACE (III, 5.9) Snow Creek Wall, Leavenworth, Washington        topo map

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Outer Space topo

Nicola Masciandaro on the crux traverse pitch

Of all of the classic rock climbs of the Cascade Range, none is a truer classic than Snow Creek Wall's Outer Space. In a climbing world gone mad with rappel bolting and 5.14, one might not think anyone would be interested in a six-pitch 5.9 route with only about four bolts. But on any sunny spring, summer, or autumn weekend, you will find out differently, when you find a traffic jam of roped teams vying for belay ledges on Outer Space. The route was first climbed by Fred Beckey and Ron Nicoli in 1960, and was later free climbed by Beckey with a new partner. The route's classic status has been confirmed over the decades with hundreds of annual ascents by climbers of all abilities, ages, and nationalities. Many climbers make an ascent of Outer Space at least once a year. Some visiting climbers have Outer Space near the top of their list. Even climbers who are otherwise retired from climbing break out their EBs and RRs and climb Outer Space every so often, for old-time's sake.

Outer Space is by far the most popular route on Snow Creek Wall. There are usually a dozen or so parties on Outer Space at any one time on a sunny weekend in May or June, more than on the cliff’s forty-two other routes combined. The route's only rival for traffic is Castle Rock's Midway and Saber routes. But the popularity can make Outer Space an unpleasant prospect, causing tiresome delays waiting for others to finish. Overcrowding has led to fatalities here. Two Canadian climbers were unable to tie in on a belay ledge because all of the anchors were in use by other climbers; one climber fell off, pulling his hapless companion with him 300 feet to the base of the cliff.

Nicola Masciandaro cruising the knobs

Outer Space takes a fairly direct line, except for the first two pitches, a 5.7 dihedral which begins far right of the rest of the route, and a long, leftward Class 4 traverse to reach the central portion of Snow Creek Wall. The traverse pitch is longer than a ropelength, so most parties either employ a running belay or belay two pitches to reach the left end of the big, blocky ledge known as Two Trees Ledge. Some parties bypass these two pitches of "easy" climbing via one of several more-direct options leading up from the base of the cliff (up to 5.10d). However you get there, the crux pitch is next. An initial 5.8 or 5.9 flake must be overcome to reach a right-angling ramp, from where an airy crack traverse continues to a ledge. After the traverse, a meandering pitch leads up ledges, ramps, and big knobs, ending atop a pedestal among a sea of knobs at the base of the upper shield From here, the route is obvious. A striking, singular 300-foot long finger and hand crack splits the shield above. A short leftward downclimb and traverse from the pedestal reaches the base of the crack, from where seemingly endless 5.7 and 5.8 jamming and face climbing leads up the knobby shield all the way to the veritable heights of Snow Creek Wall. Well, not quite. There is one more short 5.4 pitch from the end of the crack to the top, where you will most likely be greeted by one or more mountain goats.

The climb is worth every step of the two-mile hike in, and then some. But it may not be worth the descent hike, a miserable maze of rocky slopes, ledges, gullies, and talus. If you can manage the "hike" out without a rappel on your first try, congratulations. For the rest of you, don't pack the rope away just yet. Most parties rappel at least once. If you find rappel slings, your best option is probably to rappel.


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