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noshoesnoshirt
climber
Arkansas, I suppose
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 6, 2010 - 03:00pm PT
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I'm moving up to Vantage for a wind project in the middle of February.
Looking for beta, climbing partners, and a place to live.
Anyone have any inside info?
Regards,
Kerry
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Uh, how about: "Leavenworth is just 45 minutes away"?
Of course in mid-February Leavenworth is buried in snow, and everything on the west side of the mountains is soaking wet. So, if it's rock climbing you're looking for, you're kind of stuck with Vantage. Which will probably be cold, but at least it's dry.
How long will you be there?
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GILL
climber
Minden, NV
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I grew up in Yakima.
There is a lot of climbing up White Pass(HWY 12).
Anywhere from just West of Naches all the
way up to Rimrock Lake(15-20 miles).
The rock is Andesite and there are a lot of columns.
Lots of mtn goats too. It would be a good day trip and
nice and cool compared to the Columbia basin in the summer.
The drive should only take you hour and a half.
Lots of nice camping too. In high school we could camp almost
anywhere for free ( mainly on the side of a Forest Service rd).
That could have changed that was 12-15 years ago.
I don't know how new to the area you are and hate to point
out the obvious But Frenchman's Coulee is in your back yard. Take the
Amphitheater turn off in George. Its the state park right off the exit.
Very large cragin area and pretty at sun down.
Plus the Gorge Amphitheater is one of the best in the country. Shows always start when the sun is going down over the Columbia River. That's the back drop for the stage.
If your looking for partners or a place to live there are plenty of climber at Central Washington University in Ellensberg ( 20 minutes away ). Wouldn't be surprised if the is a climbing gym now. Pretty cool town, mellow and laid back. Small College ( 15K students ) meets cattle town. Lots of small restaurants and plenty of bars. You should be able to get from Ellensberg to Vantage on I-90 ( 70-75 mph ) in 20 minutes.
Have fun. I live just east of Tahoe now and love it, but I do miss how laid back Central Washington is.
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noshoesnoshirt
climber
Arkansas, I suppose
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2010 - 01:03pm PT
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Thanks y'all.
I have already done some quickie research, found Frenchman's Coulee and Index from an old copy of Rock 'n Road.
At this point I'm mostly looking for info on close bouldering, an housing options. I'm going to be in the area maybe a year, building a windfarm. I'll prob end up renting a place, but if anyone knows someone who wants to rent out a room, I'm tidy and no smoking or pets. Prefer the same.
Regards, and thanks for the help,
Kerry
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ryanb
climber
Seattle, WA
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There is some bouldering at French Man's coolie and more could be developed in the steep bits of the various cliff bands but the real treasure trove of local boulders is in the granite canyons around Leavenworth...spend your summer evenings bouldering by headlamp to beat the heat.
Vantage itself is a really small town, you might consider Quincy (maybe 30-40 minutes out couple of grocery stores, another basalt area) or Wenatchee or Elensburg (both maybe an hour and a bit out). There are some climber houses in the peshashtin/leavenworth area and I know some climbers live in elensburg as well though the rock isn't as good down that way.
You might try posting for housing on cascadeclimbers.com.
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Hardly Visible
Social climber
Llatikcuf WA
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Nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there sort of thing.
That being said Frenchmens Coulee is only about 10 minutes away and often warm in the winter during the day anyway. Lots of people bitch about the rock quality and admittedly much of it is a pile but there are a few gems in the pile.
Then of course there is the stuff Gill speaks of going up towards White pass about 45 minutes away.
And like Ghost sez Leavenworth is also only 45 minutes away which even in normal weather years is pretty climbable in April. It has been much drier than normal this year so who knows could be earlier.
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Srbphoto
Trad climber
Kennewick wa
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Though it is a commute, Ellensburg has the University so there is some life there.
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noshoesnoshirt
climber
Arkansas, I suppose
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2010 - 02:01pm PT
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Yah, looking at housing in Ellensburg. College town, not a bad commute.
Thanks everyone for the tips. If anyone is in the neighborhood, drop me a line sometime if you don't mind hanging out with an out-of-shape sandstone climber (I swear I'm gonna hit the mt. bike when I get there).
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General Ripper
climber
GnarthWest
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I'd put a post on cascadeclimbers.com looking for a place to stay in E-Burg.
Central Washington is great. Rock climbing isn't as good as Cali or Coloradob ut a lot of variety and enough to keep you busy for a while.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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If you're going to be there for a year, and not just for a month, then you've got a whole smorgasbord of great climbing to do. Washington Pass has terrific alpine granite with lots of established routes and easy access. And the whole east side of the Cascades is full of great rock climbing. Lots of fantastic alpine climbing too, if you're into that.
For a higher-grade version of Frenchman's you can visit Tieton, just SW of Yakima.
I'm the wrong guy to ask about bouldering (although I did almost get that purple V1 in the gym!!!) but I do know there is an explosion of good bouldering in the valleys between Leavenworth and Seattle. Best example is Gold Bar, which actually even has a bouldering guidebook now.
And if you are looking at doing new routes, there's plenty of scope for that.
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golsen
Social climber
kennewick, wa
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Feb 10, 2010 - 07:14pm PT
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Noshoes,
you hail from Arkansas? Having spent a fair amount of time in Northern Arkansas and a little bit here in WA, I wanted to warn you about the WA Hillbillies. Yeah, I know you are laughing but I am serious. I got thrown off of private property in MO when I was with my 4 year old daughter looking for cliffs, dealt with a rowdy crew of about 12 drunk hillbillies at Sam's Throne, AR. But WA hillbillies are down and dirty. Bastards stole a pack load of gear from my campsite in Icecicle Creek. There are quite a few break-ins at Trailheads and such. Anyway, as other posters said there are some real cool things in WA. The coolest are the Mountains...
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noshoesnoshirt
climber
Arkansas, I suppose
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 10, 2010 - 07:33pm PT
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golsen,
I know rednecks are universal and I've been warned about the hillbllies up there.
My buddy told me about an encounter with a thong-wearing methhead he ran into at a river thataway. Scary stuff.
Thanks for the heads-up mang, I'll do the usual to keep folks from breaking into my vehicle; scatter dirty socks and undies on the dashboard before i disembark.
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kpinwalla2
Social climber
WA
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Feb 10, 2010 - 09:05pm PT
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There are hundred's of routes at Frenchman Coulee and many of them are good and fun - if you like steep jugs. Jim Yoder and Marlene Ford's guidebook is excellent. New routes tend to have some loose rock but the area sees lots of traffic so the popular routes are now pretty solid. I've climbed in a t-shirt there many times in January and February but peak season is March-April and October-November. The granite snobs tend to whine about the rock quality but I never fail to have a great time when I'm there. The climbing area is (or should be) called Frenchman Coulee but there's a weird tradition in Washington of calling every climbing area by the closest town ("Vantage", "Darrington", "Leavenworth", "Index", etc, etc. or even the closest freeway exit - exit 32, etc.).
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Feb 10, 2010 - 10:49pm PT
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Ellensburg or E-burg as its called, is the most laidback awesome town in the state of WA. Great place to hang, except summers are a little hot. Tons of climbing and skiing nearby. Rivers to float and fish. Seattle less then 3 hours a way. You'll love it.
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LostHorseClimbingFestival
Boulder climber
Missoula, MT
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Feb 13, 2010 - 12:18pm PT
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Hi Kerry,
A few friends and I are heading to Vantage today and climbing till Monday, if your around give me a call 406.240.4948.
Corey
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Feb 14, 2010 - 03:29am PT
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Wind farm, Eh? That makes sense. I don't know how many times I have driven through that area from Eburg to the Columbia and noticed how effing windy it was. It makes casting a real bitch , but it keeps the bugs down.
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flyingkiwi1
Trad climber
Seattle WA
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Feb 14, 2010 - 05:08am PT
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Frenchman's Coulee, nee Vantage, is the most popular area in the Pacific Northwest at which to cast aspersions. Since its Sunshine Wall includes more high-quality moderate (5.7-5.9, with the 5.8s being 5.7 and the 10As being 5.9) climbs than any other 100-yard stretch of rock in the state, I've always found this puzzling.
Ian
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MisterE
Social climber
Across Town From Easy Street
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Feb 14, 2010 - 10:25am PT
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Yes, Sunshine wall is the one shining beacon in an area of choss.
The harder sport stuff under Sunshine Wall is short but fun, as well.
I just remembered I used to solo at The Feathers...
"you will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm"
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General Ripper
climber
GnarthWest
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Feb 16, 2010 - 06:54pm PT
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It used to be real chossy but now its cleaned up.
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