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!

The Fire Burns Within

Dom and Jimmy


Laura

One day spent at Little si, and two spent in Tieton. Why not? My weekend was looking jam-packed with climbing. I would share this trip with three great friends and outdoor enthusiasts Dom, Laura, and Jimmy. We drove aimlessly (at least for the first hour) before finally realizing we had missed the exit for highway twelve and had to back track. We wrote down the proper exit number this time so all misguidance’s and wayward run downs could be avoided in future trips. It was near 2:30 in the afternoon when we pitched our tents in the free camping area and sought out the Oasis, our first stop. The shade was a welcome break from the weight of the sun but as you climbed higher it became inescapable. Warm-ups were .10c, .10d, .11a, and then onto the coolest looking .12a around. I forget the name (probably because I didn’t send) but it was an amazing route. The first thirty feet were brilliant! Face climbing on small to medium edges with a multitude of foot options and great movement. Then steeper climbing on good holds with short cruxy sections that had pronounced crimper/slimper sequences. It was all good fun! Dom came close to the OS, I came really close to the flash, and Jimmy bagged the flash but not without the uncovering of a jug that turned the top crux into a not so much crux. It was a great route, I can’t wait to go back.

We ended the day in the shade once again at Dream Wall, a crag we had not been to on previous trips. It was blocky and junky looking but the first climb I got on was a really fun .10a that was long and juggy. Next I tried a .10c that was rather awkward and did not climb so well, and by the time Jimmy got down from his go we were all ready to leave. It was getting late anyway and we needed to collect firewood. Lucky for us the wood was in great abundance a mere 20 yards from our campsite. We stacked the logs high and wide. By the time we were done breaking them down and stacking them we had a pile at least three feet by four feet, it was very comforting. We ended up burning the whole pile, including a mama log and stayed up until one watching the blaze, chattering away, and teaching Dom the finer intricacies of ‘shot-gunning’.

It was a pleasant night’s sleep and we woke to sun and a full day of climbing at The Cave area. There were a lot of highlights! Jimmy started out strong with an onsight of Elixir (5.12a), flashed a few .11b/c/d’s, and polished the crag off by flashing the hardest thing there, a .12c arête!! It was a great weekend for Jimmy, three days on and non-stop climbing the whole time; I might have to start calling him ‘the machine’. Dom also had a strong showing with several .11b/c flashes/OS’s as well as flashing the .12c arête too!! I was surrounded by animals!! I could not manage to attend this power packed party as I flailed on several routes and yielded to the lactic acid and sheer terror that pulsated throughout my body. But, I have this to say: The Cave is definitely one of the best crags in Tieton. It has three very different areas all side by side with three very different styles of climbing, rock quality, and aesthetics. The .12c arête is a total gem with great movement and I am super psyched to come back for the send. We were all beaten up by the end of the day and ready for some QB back in Oly’.

Dom starting the long journey on his flash of Trigger Finger (5.12c)












What a weekend! My friends are amazing!! So psyched for more of these kinds of trips to come over the next three months. I start part time in a couple of weeks and I’m ready for a little R&R and skin shredding!! Now it’s time for the last week of the world cup, a lot of really hot weather, and hopefully a few Exit outings this weekend. Hurry up and get yourself out here Nick!!


The End!!