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BOULDERING GUIDE TO WASHINGTON by Jeff Smoot |
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| Bouldering at Skyline Ridge, near Stevens Pass. |
Bouldering has been described as "rock without risk." Yeah, right. Tell that to the guy who fell off a boulder problem and broke his ankle, wrist, leg, back, skull, spirit, etc. It is probably safe to say that more climbers have been injured while bouldering than while leading. The thing about bouldering is that when you fall off, you always hit the ground. Sometimes you land badly and hurt yourself. Sometimes the repetitive strain of falling off and landing takes a toll so that years later you're puttering around with a walker. Blown tendons, torn ligaments, concussions, strains, sprains, cuts, scrapes, not to mention bruised and battered egos, are all inherent risks of bouldering. People have even been killed from short falls off of boulders. So don't assume that bouldering is risk-free, because it isn't.
That said, bouldering is one of the most popular facets of rock climbing. Not everyone is a sport climber. Not all of us climb cracks. We aren't all hanging out on El Capitan or even Midnight Rock or Snow Creek Wall. But it's safe to say that every rock climber in the world goes bouldering. Bouldering offers the simplest form of climbing there is. No equipment. Just you and the rock. It is not only a fun and pure form of climbing, but an excellent training method to develop strength and technique for "real" climbs.
Washington is blessed with hundreds if not thousands of excellent boulder problems throughout the state. Some areas, such as Swift Water, the Icicle Creek Canyon, Larrabee State Park and Minnehaha, are very well known. Other areas are well known to locals but not to the rest of us. Many wilderness bouldering areas have barely been explored. This guide is presented to the climbers of Washington so they can fully appreciate the variety of bouldering opportunities to be found in our fair state. Enjoy!
I subscribe to the old Gill system of rating boulder problems, which has three ratings: B1, B2 and B3. Under the true Gill system, a B1 is a problem of difficulty equal to the hardest moves being done on lead, a B2 is so hard that only a few climbers have done it, and a B3 is so hard that it has been done only once by anyone, ever. In the old days, a B1 was about 5.10, but these days everybody and their dog can do a 5.10 move, so the Gill system really doesn't work if the easiest B1 problem is harder than 95 percent of boulder problems. The Gill system has been modified to include B0, meaning anything easier than B1, with B1 starting at 5.12, B2 at 5.13, and B3 at 5.14c, with a plus and minus thrown in to denote easier or harder climbs in each category. Confused yet? Just wait. The current popular bouldering rating system is the "V" system, devised by John "Vermin" Sherman. This system starts with VB for any problem easier than 5.10a, then V0 for 5.10 and on up to the current extreme of V15. (I asked John about this "V" rating system, and he said it was originally intended not to be taken seriously, so naturally it has become the rating system everyone takes seriously.) There are other systems of rating boulder problems, all equally confusing. Why we don't just stick with the YDS scale and rate problems as we would real climbs I don't know. What I like about the Gill system is its simplicity. It's really "hard," "harder," and "too hard." Either you can or you can't. That simple, just like bouldering itself.
Probably the best comparison chart available on boulder problem ratings can be found on the Fish Products website. I've based the ratings in this guide on Fish's chart. If you disagree with one of my ratings, please contact me and tell me what you think.
This is a work in progress. I will start out with some selected problems at several areas, then add more problems as time goes by. If your favorite problem isn't here, be patient. If your patience wears thin, please contact me and tell me to get off my butt and add your favorite problem. (If you have a good photo of someone climbing the problem, that will help get my attention.)
Included in this guide are toprope problems that have been climbed sans cord, and which may be considered "highball" problems (that is, problems that are high enough that you will probably hurt yourself badly if you fall off). I will try to denote which problems are commonly toproped. You might also find some of these listed in my toproping article on the Features page.
This guide assumes you already know where everything is. Those who don't should refer to Rock Climbing Washington or another guide for maps and driving/hiking directions. Maps for each area will be posted to help you find the boulders and figure out which problem is which.
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| Index's best boulder problem, the Arete Eliminate (V3), Lower Town Wall. |
In addition to the many excellent routes at Index, there are several worthwhile boulder problems scattered throughout the area. Most of these are concentrated along the base of the Lower Wall, on isolated boulders, quarried corners and aretes, and in the broad talus slope immediately right of the Lower Wall proper. Index won't soon be on anyone's bouldering hot-spot lists, but while you're waiting around for those slowpokes finish the route you came to climb, give some of these problems a try. Of course, these are only a few of the possible boulder problems at Index. Warning: Many of these are dirty or overgrown with moss, and may require cleaning to be restored to a climbable condition.
To see topos of the Index boulder problems, click here.
Slab AreaThese problems are located in the vicinity of the Great Northern Slab, on the far left side of the Lower Town Wall. To get there, follow the climbers' trail from the parking lot to the base of the slab area. The problems are fairly evident once you are there.
The following several problems lie along the base of the Lower Town Wall between the Iron Horse route and Godzilla route.
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| The Hidden Face (V0), Talus Slide. |
These problems are in the big talus slide on the right side of the Lower Town Wall. They are mostly overgrown with alders and brush, and may be dirty or mossy. Beware: many climbers use the talus like a big litterbox, so watch your step!
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| The classic Heel Hook Problem at Swiftwater. |
Swiftwater is a small roadside picnic area just off of US Highway 2 near the upper end of Tumwater Canyon. Most sources list it as "Swiftwater," but the forest service sign says "Swift Water." Whatever. This picnic area is of interest to climbers because of the assorted granite boulders scattered on either side of the highway. There are many very popular boulder problems here, some of the best in the area. Given its accessibility and the quality of the problems, this ranks as one of the finest bouldering venues in the state. Other Leavenworth areas have as good or better problems, but not so close to the road and in such high concentration. For climbers coming over from the west side, Swift Water is a good place to stop, stretch out, and do a few boulder problems to warm up for the day's climbing. There's also a toilet here, another reason this is such a popular stop.
To find out more about the many excellent boulder problems here, go to the Swift Water Bouldering page.
Castle Rock is best known for its long, varied free climbs, not for its few average boulder problems. But there are some good boulder problems up on Logger's Ledge. Here is a small sampling of the best boulder problems on Castle Rock.
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| Russ Erickson on Rat Creek Boulder |
Icicle Creek Canyon has some of the best granite bouldering in the state. Boulders are everywhere in the Icicle, some beside the road, others hidden in the trees, brush and gullies. One can spend days exploring and bouldering in the Icicle, but most are content to do a few problems to warm up or finish off a day of cragging.
Because there is so much good bouldering in the Icicle, I've set up a separate page devoted to Icicle Bouldering.
A favorite bouldering spot near Bellingham. Here are some photos.
Moonwalk 1 Moonwalk 2 Easy ProblemThis is a very good bouldering area, with a variety of problems. Maybe a little too much broken glass for my taste, but the problems were fun and hard. I'll have to make a trip out to Spokane before I can list any particular problems.
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| Bouldering at Skyline Ridge, near Stevens Pass. |
Skyline Ridge is the craggy ridge rising on the north side of Stevens Pass. The ridge has several granite buttresses on its west face, including Ramone Rock. There are also two large bowls on the west side of the ridge, visible from US Highway 2, that are filled with large granite blocks and boulders. These talus fields offer some excellent granite bouldering for those willing to suffer the hike up the ridge. There are also a few small crags along the ridge crest, with many boulder problems, topropes and short leads. One of the best routes on Skyline Ridge is "Skyline Crack," a 20-foot 5.11a crack (that's it in the picture to the left) that makes a sporting boulder problem. Some of the nearby boulders top 40 feet in height, and also offer a variety of toprope and lead routes, and some highball boulder problems for those so inclined. This is a fun area to explore, close to the highway yet far and high enough away to provide a definite alpine ambience.
To get there, follow the directions to Ramone Rock, then keep hiking up the ridge trail or road to Skyline Lake, and find goat trails that lead into the rocks.
I'll add some information about individual routes and boulder problems later. To see a map showing some of the problems I remember, click here.
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| Bouldering at the UW rock. |
The UW rock is a concrete-and-stone affair built in 1975, and is one of the best artificial bouldering facilities anywhere. It is located at the southern edge of the parking lot between Husky Stadium and the Montlake Cut, on the University of Washington campus. Back in the late 70s and early 80s, this was the hub of Seattle climbing. The introduction of indoor climbing at the Vertical Club in 1986 diminished the UW rock's popularity, but it is still a fun place to hang out, and the best place in the state to practice crack climbing. It has some of the hardest boulder problems in Washington, although they are mostly contrived. I'll post some of the most classic and hardest UW Rock problems here.
Please be aware that the UW rock is technically off limits to all but university students, staff and alumni. That said, most of the people who climb here have no affiliation with the university. Rules are posted; please abide them.
I have published a "complete" guide to the best and most classic problems at the UW rock. If you want to order a copy of my guide, "Pumping Concrete," go to the Books page.
Here are ten of the best hard problems from the old days (pre 1990), some of which remain classics. A few seem to have had "first ascents" recently, or been incorporated into "new" problems. I don't understand the V system well enough to vouch for these ratings, but they should be close. I'll post topos of these problems pretty soon so you all can give them a go. Good luck!
I found an article about the UW rock which is amusing. (Those darn UW undergrads!)
Four Rock Problem Palm Arete 1 Palm Arete 2Coming soon!
Water Tower 1 Water Tower 2
