Tieton is a Kingly Name

Well, it is hardly news now. I’ve been climbing in my boot. Hooray!
Last weekend was a great trip out to Tieton. This place is really just one good time. Not only was I able to climb one of the most stellar 75 foot 5.10a’s in the state (naked), I also got a reverse jersey sun burn! Thwarting ticks and spiteful rattlesnakes that nipped at our naughty bits, we played in the sun on several excellent lines at Lava Point, The Chunkyard, Dream Wall, and The Cave (the highest concentration of rattlesnakes were found here).

Tieton is such a kingly name, and indeed, this area has very little in the way of futuristic lines with mindboggling grades that launch our sense of what’s possible into the stratosphere, but is a kingly place indeed. The valley stretches out for miles and the Tieton River rolls right alongside highway 12, tempting rafters, waders, campers, and fishermen alike. Certain areas have an alpine feel, while others are downright exposed, windy, and uncomfortably (or comfortably) hot/cold! The rock type is basalt, jumbled holds make for confusing onsights in some instances, and in others the face climbing and features are sublimely straightforward.

Dream Wall is a overhung jug paradise. The routes are junky looking, but climb really well and are LONG! The belay stations are wonderful and the afternoon/evening sun is refreshing. Take it from me, this is a quiet little crag that provides a perfect opportunity to let it all hang out.

Lava Wall is just one classic stretch of rock. The thin ledge can be a bit bothersome, but once you get situated, you don’t really think of it and you just climb. The sun absolutely bakes this place from the morning until late afternoon. But the routes are long, the sequences vary from complex to agonizingly straightforward and there are some gems to be found here. The rock is gas pocketed basalt in some places, and bullet hard basalt in others. The far left side of the crag has one of the best 5.11d’s I’ve ever tried, and the middle section is bursting at the seams with excellent 5.10’s and 5.11’s.

The Chunkyard is a new area not found in the guide book. Just a small walk up from Moon Rocks (which is accessed by a foot bridge across the mighty Tieton) the Chunkyard is a nice outcropping of rock. Highway 12 can be heard constantly (especially when a local is taking his gun powder fueled rage out on the nearest mountainside), but the routes take your focus off of the traffic below. The rock is jumbled basalt streaked with neon yellow lichen. MANY options for hand holds and feet are found on each route, but usually the line emerges and is quite good. I only climbed three lines here but enjoyed them all thoroughly. Much thanks to the guys equipping this wall, I could tell a lot of work has gone into making this a safe wall for climbing.

The Cave is just a steep hike from the road and opens you up to an area that varies in difficulty and style. We were greeted by an elk carcass on our way up the winding trail (I’m assuming it was a victim of the terribly angry rattlesnakes that terrorize all that cross their path). The left side of the crag (the first part you come to) has short sport climbs on semi-pillars. The rock is bullet hard with edges and side pulls, but the routes are STOUT! I warmed up on a 5.8 that felt like 5.11, sheesh! I did manage a 5.10 there that was awesome! Edges and small ledges with a sweet boulder problem start. The right side of the crag is long and boasts a high concentration of routes in the 5.11 range that are all 3-4 star classics. The rock in this area is broken and jumbled basalt, but the tops of most of the climbs finish on rock that is like no other I have climbed on. High textured bullet hard basalt that is streaked with bright orange lichen, beautiful. The far right side has a couple 12’s and some 11’s but the rock is pretty crumbly. However the routes for the most part climb quite well and the Live Oaks in this part of the crag offer some shade if the sun is ablaze.

Well, there you have it. Besides getting stuck in the mud and subsequently pulled out by our neighbors at the free camping who looked at me and nodded before driving over to my car where it sat with one half of the front wheel hopelessly submerged in a thick sweaty black paste, the trip was a great success. The young man whose mercy I threw myself upon, baseball hat cocked to one side, dropped his tail gate, and there; as if he had been waiting all day for me to come along and get stuck no more than 50 yards from where they camped in a black lagoon, sat all of the equipment needed to pull ANYthing out of a mud hole. I went from slightly annoyed, to livid, to scared, to standing next to my mud splattered Forester sheepishly grinning and holding out a couple beers to my new best friend. Other highlights include trying to start a fire with wet wood, star gazing, and climbing with ten of my friends in a very beautiful setting.
Thanks everyone for making this last trip a great one. Looking forward to this weekend and Vantage!