Crag Climbing

Easy Crag Climbing 

Multipitch Climbing 

Types of Rock

Climbing Gear 

Warning!

Crag Climbing is NOT feasible or safe for most Scout Units.

Climbing crags requires special training and equipment.  Even with the right training and equipment, climbing has inherent risks.  Without proper training and equipment, climbing crags places you at real risk of catastrophic injury. 

We are lucky enough to have Adults and Scouts with special training and equipment.  This has allowed us to climb many of the crags in Washington and Oregon State.  

Do NOT Attempt Outdoor Climbing without properly Trained Instructors!

Types of Rock

Rock types dictate climbing style, texture, grip, and how a route feels or erodes. The three main categories are igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary.  Each behaves very differently on the wall.

Igneous Rocks 

• • Cooled and solidified magma or lava

  • Solid and durable

  • Features crisp crystal edges, friction-heavy faces, and clean, deep vertical cracks (e.g., Yosemite, Joshua Tree)

  • Slower to weather, offering reliable protection and gear placements.

  • Examples

    • Granite

    • Basalt

    • Rhyolite

  • Most local climbs are on Igneous Rock

Metamorphic

• Existing rock altered by intense heat and pressure underground

• Hard and compact

• Often smooth, blocky, or interlocked

• Can feature sharp edges or slippery/foliated sheets depending on grain alignment (e.g., Seneca Rocks, Mount Arapiles)

• Cracks and features can be more inconsistent than granite

• Examples

  • Quartzite

  • Gneiss

  • Marble

  • Slate

• Most local climbs on I-90 are on Metamorphic Rock

Sedimentary 

• Layered, compacted, and cemented sediments or organic remains

• Variable strength (often softer/more fragile than igneous or metamorphic)

• Famous for pockets, overhangs (limestone), and high-friction or finger-ripping cracks (sandstone like Indian Creek)

• Prone to breaking or becoming crumbly when wet

• Examples

  • Sandstone

  • Limestone

  • Conglomerate

• Most "local" climbs on Sedimentary Rock are found in Eastern Washington

Igneous Rocks 

In Washington State, the interaction between these igneous formations and millions of years of glacial carving has created some of the most legendary, high-quality rock climbing landscapes in North America.

The structural differences between intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks dictate the specific styles of climbing found across the state.

Intrusive Igneous (Granite and Tonalite) – Pure Friction and Cracks

Because intrusive rocks cool slowly deep inside the earth, they form massive, continuous subterranean blocks called batholiths. Over time, tectonic uplift and heavy glaciation stripped away the softer overlying surface layers, exposing sheer, vertical walls. For climbers, granite offers incredible structural integrity, sharp crystalline friction, and reliable crack lines formed along natural cooling joints.

Extrusive Igneous (Basalt and Andesite) – Hexagonal Columns and Sport Crags

Washington is also heavily shaped by its volcanic history, specifically via the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the ancient Columbia River Basalt flows. Extrusive rocks cool quickly on the surface, which causes the shrinking lava to crack vertically in geometric patterns, creating striking polygonal columns.

Granite

• Formed by magma that cools slowly deep underground, resulting in visible crystals of quartz, feldspar, and mica

• Famous for high friction, slab climbing, and long parallel crack systems

  • Incredible shoe grip and durable anchor points, though the coarse crystals can shred skin and tape

• Local Climbs

  • Index

    • Located in the Skykomish Valley

    • Famous for its sweeping, fine-grained vertical granite cracks and technical face climbs

  • Leavenworth / Icicle Creek & Tumwater Canyon

    • Features high-quality granitic batholiths, diorite slabs, and iconic alpine granite walls like Snow Creek Wall and Castle Rock

  • The Enchantments & Mount Stuart: 

    • The massive Stuart Range batholith provides thousands of bouldering, sport, and trad routes on exceptionally crisp, high-friction granite

  • Exit 34 (Middle Fork / Mount Garfield)

    • Composed of solid gray granite, offering slabby buttresses, bolted slabs, and alpine or forest routes

  • Washington Pass (North Cascades):

    • Towering alpine spires like the Liberty Bell group

      • 48-million-year-old Golden Horn Batholith (an orange-hued granite rich in potassium feldspar) 

      • 90-million-year-old Black Peak Batholith (a dark, salt-and-pepper tonalite)

    • Washington's premier destination for high-altitude multi-pitch alpine trad climbing

• Famous areas

  • Yosemite (California)

  • Squamish (British Columbia)

  • Joshua Tree (California)

Basalt 

• An extrusive volcanic rock that cooled rapidly from lava

• Frequently found in vertical columns or sheer faces

• Local Climbs

  • Frenchman Coulee (The Feathers): Characterized by desert columnar basalt walls, offering sun-drenched cracks and sport routes

  • Tieton (Lower Canyon to Upper Tieton): Composed primarily of andesite (a volcanic rock similar to basalt) exhibiting dramatic columnar jointing

• Famous areas

  • Sonora Pass (California)

  • Devil's Tower (Wyoming)

Dolerite 

• Dense, dark igneous rock rich in minerals like feldspar and hornblende

• Climbing on diorite is very similar to climbing on granite

  • Solid, high-friction, and coarse-grained crystalline surface

  • Tends to be slightly darker and denser with a distinct salt-and-pepper appearance

• Moutn Erie

  • Part of the Fidalgo Ophiolite, a stranded slice of ancient oceanic crust and tectonic plate

  • Formed during the Jurassic period, roughly 155 to 170 million years ago, when molten magma pushed up from deep inside the Earth.

  •  The diorite is also interspersed with later gabbro intrusions

  • The summit and surrounding areas show signs of Quaternary glacial erosion, and the rock itself is strong enough to have resisted thousands of years of ice sheets

Rhyolite Welded Tuff (Pyroclastic Rock)

• Rhyolite welded tuff (also known as a welded-vitric tuff or ignimbrite) is a hard, dense volcanic rock formed when hot ash, gas, and glass shards from a high-energy explosive eruption settle and fuse together under intense heat and the weight of overlying layers

• Local Climbs

  • Smith Rock 

    • Smith Rock is primarily made of volcanic welded tuff (hardened volcanic ash) with caps and surrounding bands of columnar basalt

    • Welded Tuff - Texture, Pockets, and Crimps 

      • Knobs and Pockets: As hot ash settled and cooled, gas pockets and fragments formed natural holes, ledges, and small protruding "nubbins" (finger knobs) that create unique face-climbing features

      • Case Hardening: Mineral oxides reacted with water to form a harder outer crust ("case hardening") over the softer interior ash, creating durable climbing surfaces

      • Finger-Strength Intensive: Routes rely heavily on technical vertical face climbing, small crimps, and pinching grips rather than massive jug-hauling

      • High First Bolts & Technical Starts: Many routes feature physical or bouldery starts with the first bolt placed relatively high off the ground, making a stick clip a standard piece of gear

    • Columnar Basalt - Cracks and Splitters

      • Geometric Seams: The basalt caprock and lower gorge areas cooled into distinct, regular vertical columns

      • Trad and Stemming: These formations provide clean basalt splitters, corner dihedrals, and classic crack-climbing or stemming opportunities distinct from the pocked tuff

Welded-Tuff Breccia (Silicified Tuff Breccia) 

• Features cliff walls studded with knobs, ranging from small pebbles to large blocks, giving it a texture similar to conglomerate concrete

• The rock is historically known in local alpine climbing (such as through The Mountaineers) for its natural knobs that can be slung with runners, alongside modern bolted protection

• Local Climb

• • Pinto Rock 

    • Southern Cascade Mountains in Washington (northeast of Mount St. Helens)

    • The knobs make it seem like you are climbing on all colors at the gym

Other Igneous Rocks

Dolerite (Diabase)

• Typically rough, dense, and dark-colored with great natural friction

• Cools in shallow sills and dykes, often splitting into massive vertical columns

  • This creates clean cracks, corners, and steep balancing slabs

• Exceptional for traditional (trad) climbing

  • Parallel cracks, tapered shapes, and deep fractures take nuts and cams very securely

• Blocky overhangs can sometimes feature loose or unstable blocks that require care

• Famous Locations

  • Fair Head (Northern Ireland)

  • Tremadog and Dinas Mot (Wales)

  • Tasmania’s Totem Pole

Andesite

• An extrusive (volcanic) intermediate rock that provides generally reliable grip

  • Can range from finely grained and smooth to porphyritic (containing small embedded crystals)

• Similar in many mechanical benefits to plutonic rocks like granite or diorite, offering solid edges, pockets, and friction faces depending on local weathering

• Generally dependable for bolt-protected sport climbs and trad gear when fractured well, sharing structural strength common in volcanic arcs and subduction zones

• Surface texture can vary

  • Weathered or glassy/smooth sections require more delicate footwork compared to coarse-grained granite

Metamorphic

Metamorphic rocks are formed when existing rocks (sedimentary, igneous, or older metamorphic rocks) are deeply buried and altered by intense heat, tectonic pressure, and chemically active fluids over millions of years. Common examples include schist, gneiss, quartzite, phyllite, slate, and greenschist.

Washington’s rugged mountain ranges - especially the North Cascades and parts of the Central Cascades were sculpted by intense tectonic collisions, mountain-building, and uplift. This history creates a diverse and challenging rock-climbing landscape:

Iconic Alpine Scrambles and Summits

• • Peaks like Mount Shuksan are famous for being composed primarily of Shuksan Greenschist, a metamorphosed ancient oceanic basalt and sediment

  • These high-grade or low-grade metamorphic cores provide dramatic, sharp-ridged alpine terrain where mountaineers combine traditional glacier travel with exposed rock scrambling and technical routes

    • Sulphide Glacier 

    • Fisher Chimneys

Varying Rock Quality ("Choss" vs. Solid)

• Because metamorphic rocks have experienced extreme compression, folding, and shearing, their quality varies widely across the state

• Areas with foliated or heavily sheared rocks (like phyllite, slate, or broken choss) can be crumbly, loose, and challenging to protect with traditional climbing gear

• Other regional metamorphic zonesoffer well-developed sport climbing on compact faces and slabs

  • Mazama metamorphic rock on the dry east slope near Mazama 

  • Fun Rock area

Slippery or Specialized Textures

• Certain metamorphic formations contain microscopic minerals like serpentinite that can feel slick, waxy, or soapy to the touch, changing how climbers edge and smear on the rock

  • Examples include ancient sea-floor meta-tuffs or serpentinite-rich zones

  • Liberty Bell Mountian is made of granite, but has greenish Serpentine Rock in section that are quite slippery

Gneiss & Quartzite 

• Older rocks transformed by intense heat and pressure underground (gneiss is often altered granite; quartzite is altered sandstone)

• Shared Climbing Characteristics

  • They offer sturdy, crystalline, and abrasive surfaces

  • Sharp edges, micro-ledges, and durable crack systems rather than the smooth, water-worn pockets common in limestone

  • Both tend to be skin-rippingly sharp or abrasive in friction, and both can be difficult to drill or bolt compared to softer stone

• Local Climbs

  • Mazama / Upper Methow Valley: Composed of mixed metamorphic rock crags (such as around Phun Rock), ranging from solid and aesthetic to varied quality

  • Exit 38 (Deception Crags, Mt. Washington, Far Side): Composed of metamorphosed volcanic rock (similar to Little Si), which is fractured, steep, and features mostly single-pitch sport routes

• Famous areas

  • Magic Wood (Switzerland)

  • Mount Arapiles (Australia)

  • Rumney (New Hampshire)

Metamorphic Rocks

• Gneiss

  • Formed under high heat and pressure (often from warped granite), gneiss features distinct mineral banding and foliation planes

  • Climbs very similarly to granite, featuring cracks, dihedrals, and sturdy edges

  • Strength can range from solid to brittle

• Schist

  • A metapelite derived from mudstone with larger mica and quartz crystals

  • Schist provides a solid sea of rock with features that change depending on how the foliation dips relative to the cliff face (such as big jugs or friction slabs)

  • Famous at areas like Rumney, New Hampshire

• Quartzite

  • Created when quartz-rich sandstone undergoes gentle thermal baking

  • Extremely dense, hard (sometimes harder than granite), and non-foliated

  • Offers a grippy, durable surface for climbing

• Slate

  • A fine-grained, slick foliated rock that fractures along parallel layers

  • Less common in North America

  • Older slate quarries in Great Britain feature historic routes

Sedimentary

In the rock climbing world, certain sedimentary rocks like sandstone and limestone are highly coveted globally for creating steep pockets, roofs, and high-friction crack systems. However, in Washington State, sedimentary climbing is the exception rather than the rule, heavily overshadowed by the state's premier volcanic and plutonic geology.

Sandstone (Sedimentary)

• Composed of sand-sized mineral grains and rock fragments compacted over time

• Great for desert cracks, towers, and bouldering

  • Provides great natural traction, but must never be climbed when wet because moisture softens the rock and breaks holds

• Local Climbs

  • Peshastin Pinnacles State Park

    • Located in Chelan County, Washington, near the unincorporated community of Dryden and about 3 miles northwest of Cashmere

    • Known for the Chumstick Formation, which consists of steeply tilted sedimentary rock towers made of sandstone and conglomerates

    • Famous for slick, slabby, and often "spicy" (runout) climbing

    • Popular sunny winter and off-season destination when Western Washington is rained out

  • Lost Lake and the Lost Ledge bouldering area

    • Sit directly on the upper slopes of Chuckanut Mountain inside Larrabee State Park just south of Bellingham

    • Features Chuckanut Sandstone boulders with varied features like crimps, pockets, and slopers

• Famous areas

  • Indian Creek (Utah)

  • Red Rock Canyon (Nevada)

  • Fontainebleau (France)

Limestone (Sedimentary)

• Formed from compressed marine shells and coral skeletons rich in calcium carbonate

• Known for steep, overhanging routes, pockets, and petrified water flows called tufas

  • Offers an endless variety of hold shapes and steep sport climbing, but high-traffic routes can become slick and polished

• Local Climbs

  • Metaline Falls

    • Situated in the northeast corner near the Pend Oreille River

    • Multi-faced cliff known as Washington Rock offers steep, pocketed limestone sport climbing with grades ranging from 5.10 to 5.13+

    • Key sectors include Sector Europa, The Arena, Girlfriend Wall, and Public Wall

  • Marcus & China Bend

    • Located along the Columbia River / Lake Roosevelt north of Kettle Falls

    • Developed in the mid-1990s as some of Washington's earliest major limestone crags

    • Marcus: A west-facing, overhanging area featuring a cave with high-end sport routes (grades 5.11 to 5.13)

    • China Bend: A south-facing 150-foot wall with long single-pitch sport routes (grades 5.11 to 5.13) known for steep, technical movement and tufas, though climbers note seasonal nesting closures (typically April through July 15) and natural hazards like rattlesnakes and poison ivy

• Famous areas

  • Rifle Mountain Park (Colorado)

  • Verdon Gorge (France), Ceüse (France)

Other Sedimentary Rocks

• Conglomerate 

  • Pebbles cemented in a matrix, like Hueco Tanks

• Gritstone

  • Coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone of northern England’s Peak District, Yorkshire, and Staffordshire