WILDCAT CRACK (5.10c) Wildcat Cliff, Tieton River Canyon, Washington

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Ed Mosshart on Wildcat Crack

The Wildcat Creek area of Tieton River Canyon is distinct from the other climbing areas in the canyon. It is higher up, and thus more mountainous than the semi-arid scabland farther downriver. The climbing is pretty much the same, on steep columnar andesite, but for some reason it just feels more invigorating to climb here, especially on crisp autumn days.

The area has two main crags, Wildcat Cliff and Honeycomb Buttress. Wildcat Cliff is the largest of the two, a 100-foot high andesite colonnade, with about two dozen routes in the 5.10 to 5.12 range climbing steep, thin cracks, corners, and aretes. Among them, Wildcat Crack is the most popular, and for good reason. This steep, continuous, pumping thin crack is one of the best, most sustained 5.10 routes in the Tieton. A variety of techniques, including jamming, liebacking, stemming and face climbing are employed on the pitch, making it a challenging and interesting climb.

The only bad thing about the climb is the belay anchor, which consists of a single chock. It's stuck in there pretty good, but doesn't inspire full confidence until you're safely back on the ground. It's best to back it until all but the last person is safely down. Hopefully someone has or will put in a better anchor. The other bad thing about the climb is that it ends right below a hanging column, which seems as if it is going to fall off any minute, but miraculously hangs in there year after year.


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