Usually begun with

Free For All

, this link-up of classic (mostly) hand cracks takes a direct line up the South Face, ending at the hiker's trail for an easy descent.

Dod's Jam

(5.10b): Lieback & stem your way up an off-width corner that's actually quite fun, not awkward. From the top of the corner, monkey past a tree with some slings, then tackle an exquisite thin hands crack (.10b) splitting a steep, exposed face below the spacious Big Ledge.

Dastardly Crack

(5.9): Step left from Big Ledge into a deep right-facing corner. It's classic hands and stemming pretty much the whole way to the top, with the crux coming where the crack bulges about halfway up. Finish on a nice ledge with rap hangers. Rappel from here with two ropes or a single 70m, or...

Get ready for some adventure. Climb more or less straight up from the belay, then wander left up steps and into a corner system that ends right next to a switchback on the hiker's trail. This pitch is brushy, mossy, and dirty in places, but it's kinda fun in a perverse alpine sort of way.

Dod's Jam + Dastardly Crack Linkup

Excalibur

Fall Guy

Tennessee Walker

The 3rd Rail

South East Corner

Sky Fishermen (free variation of Grunge Book)

Windwalker

Whit's Wall

Fear of Flying

Stardust

Borderline

Spring Fever

The Pink Panther

Bladerunner

Pipeline

Dod's Jam P1

Right Gull

Rockmaster

Local Access Only

The Dirty Double

Free for Some

Flying Dutchman

Cloud Nine

The Norseman

Windsurfer

Crazy Horse

Free for All

The Beekeeper's Apprentice

Bluebird

Fresh Squeeze

Left Gull

Wild Turkeys

Cruisin'

Jill's Thrill

Bears in Heat

Ground Zero

Blownout

Flight Time

Stone Rodeo

Old Warriors Never Die

Reasonable Richard

Rock Police

Boardwalk

Aging Fruits

Jensen's Ridge

Rise Up

Flying Swallow

Seagull

Rookie Nookie

Lost Warriors

Sufficiently Breathless

Icy Treats

Couchmaster

Young Warriors

Winter Delight

Little Wing

Free For All, Direct

Blood, Sweat, and Smears

Blownout Direct

Rhythm Method

Uprising

The original start for Free for All is just right of the Free for All Direct route. The first twenty feet are difficult to protect with a flaring offwidth between the pillar and the face of the rock. There's a crack on the inside right of the offwidth however I didn't find this of much help with pro. From the pillar top, a seemingly endless exposed steep hand crack finally leads to a ledge. Climb up and slightly right past the ledge to a semi-hanging belay tucked deep inside a corner (rap hangers on right-hand wall).

Excalibur begins on top of the Beacon Towers, which are just to the left of Blownout.  There are many ways to reach the belay spot on the Towers, but Wild Turkeys is probably the best approach at 5.10C.  Excalibur is a demanding lead, with both powerful and delicate sections, and, since it is rarely done, requires a good head and the ability to find not so visible holds.  The crux comes high on the route and involves a very thin seem and crimps to gain a wide section in the crack.  Even though it is seldom done Excalibur is a very good climb on solid rock.

Start as for

Aging Fruits

off the top of the mossy ledge. Step right and get into the seam. The first clip might be a little scary. Fight your way through small edges, side-pulls, and body positioning past three more bolts. Make cruxy moves onto a ledge with some bad fall potential. The rock above has been cleaned and trundled, but climb gingerly through this easy section. Clip left and then step left at the huge jug to join

Aging Fruits

then climb through the now-clean but still somewhat spooky runout through the upper ledges to the anchor.

This is a great route on which to learn the Beacon stem-game. The gear is spaced and tenuous to place though. Start up off a boulder and find small edges in the crack and on the face. Pump those glutes and trust the friction. Hidden jugs may exist. The difficult eases as you get higher and eventually the crack turns into hand-sized victory romp.

In Olson's guidebook, the route "Av's Route" is shown in this route's place on the topos. Obviously Tennessee IS Av's route. The double cracks of

Seagull

are separated in the book, and thus the confusion.

Jim Opdycke had sent Joseph up into the vertical wilderness looking for "an old pin up there somewhere" thinking there may have been a previous ascent. Joseph had originally boldly led up through the moss and choss belayed by Jim and had lowered off, then came back and finished it ground up to the belay shared with Reasonable Richard and Local Access with Bill Coe. It was one of those full on sun 100 degree days, with sweat rolling every which direction (No chalk of course) so he could retrieve his gear. Then he just kept going up. Bold lead. Joseph came back and did the 2nd ascent lead as well with Bill Coe and Ujahn Davisson in tow, Ujahn took the pictures you see here.

Later learned that there is a strong possibility this was a line which had been cleaned some by Mark Deffenbach 2 years earlier but not done.

The climbing starts easy on the lower slab and gets harder as the wall becomes vertical. The pro gets better as you ascend, however, be good at putting in your own gear as the route has challenging placements although the long runouts become less long as you get higher up.

Airy views of the Columbia gorge, good rock, and superb climbing make this route a classic and THE most popular route at Beacon Rock. Almost every climbable weekend will see ascents.

Finding the start of this route can be a challenge. Go down the climbers trail on the East side of Beacon. After turning the corner watch for a rise in terrain. Just past the rise the route starts in a right angling corner.

Pitch 1: 5.6 Climb up the right leaning corner and then up a crack to a nice ledge. Be careful pulling onto the ledge as there may be loose rocks. Belay from a bolted anchor

Pitch 2: 3rd class Traverse down a few feet and then straight right for a pitch. Belay at bolted anchors. Pro is sparse but the climbing is easy. Most people link pitch one and two.

P3: 5.7 Pull the steep mantle immediately up and left of the anchor and continue up the ramp above (or the right-leaning, right-facing dihedral just left of the ramp) until you have pulled a couple of vertical moves past some old pins. Make a short traverse to your right, around the corner, to a hand crack, and then head straight up for a short distance to the large belay ledge with tree. Do not belay off the tree! 30m.

P4: Ascend the obvious left-leaning, right-facing dihedral/ramp up and left from the belay. Build a trad anchor shortly after you gain the narrow dirty ledge. Anchors for

Jill's Thrill

are down and to the left, around a slight rock outcropping. Ignore these if continuing to the top. 40m.

P5: Walk left along the dirty ledge for a very short distance then turn right up a wide, shallow gully that is littered with dirt and loose rock. The short offwidth is at the top, and slightly to the right, of this gully. I personally prefer to build an anchor here at the top of the offwidth. ~20m.

P6: Head up and right along the low-angle ramp, and clip the ancient bolt off to your left at the top (for the rope) before walking right along a ledge a short distance and around a bit of a corner. Go straight up the face above you and build an anchor on the large ledge at the top. ~40m.

P7: Many people solo this pitch as it's unexposed and easy (5.4?). Go up and left from the ledge, taking the line of least resistance up the low-angle ridge/spine of clean rock. At a large ledge on the last of the solid rock, you'll have a hard-to-see piton down low and a bolt scar. Body belay, redirect off the piton, or belay off your harness with the piton for backup. DO

NOT

GO UP THE SCREE SLOPE TO BELAY FROM A TREE! ~ 30m.

Unrope and walk off initially to the north (climber's right), then up the trail through the trees to the hikers' trail.

Sky Fishermen is one if the best, most aesthetic lines in the Portland area. It has some of everything: dihedral, arête, face, and crack. The position, above Beacon Towers, is amazing! Begin up an open dihedral to get to a fixed nut.  A technical series of left hand underlings, arete slaps, and hip scums takes you to better holds and through three bolts. Then the crux; a desperate foot match and traverse to the arête out left (a bit heady). Keep it together through some wild slaps and a crazy cross to a good left hand edge. Then work back left via face moves and up through a little roof. Finally, commence up the most spectacular dihedral Oregon or Washington has to offer!

The route starts down and just west of big ledge. Face climb on gear to gain arete. Climb bolted arete and face past distinct crux below roof. Pull the roof crack on gear and continue up right-facing corner to anchor on top of dastardly crack. Either rappel back to big ledge or continue to the top.

This route has been a long-standing project and was originally envisioned by prominent Beacon climber, Joe Healy. His write up about a bold, hard and slightly crazy line captivated me and has stayed in the back of my mind. Hard roofs, loose blocks and not a lot of pro. Healy had attempted pitch 3 previously. Andrew Traylor and I began a ground up ascent to finish off this route. We placed two bolts on lead and one anchor for pitch 3.

Pitch 1: 5.7 Begin up Rhythm Method, a nicely bolted face climb.

Pitch 2: 5.10+ R From the Rhythm Method anchor, head right and then up into the large dihedral system. Quoting Joe's description, "goes up the right facing dihedral through two roofs exiting left to an anchor on the face once the dihedral starts to slant right." It's a long pitch with some good climbing highlighted by runouts (there is one bolt, two pitons and a fixed stopper/ball nut on this pitch). It shouldn't be taken lightly. Serious fall potential and one enormous loose block after the fixed stopper and ball nut makes for a spooky lead.

Pitch 3: 12 c/d R Head right (bolt) and then venture up some not so inspiring rock, clipping a few pitons and intermittent gear. Under the roof the rock quality improves. Rest up for some exciting climbing (jam/chimney/stem/boulder) and unleash your wild grunts for the last hard move out the lip. Over the lip, work your way up the Texas Death Flake and then climb right (save a #4 Metolius for up here). Continue up and eventually back left to a bolted anchor about 30 feet above the lip. The crux section of this pitch is primo!

Pitch 4: 11a Climb straight up and clip a bolt. Pull up onto the face and then traverse left (fun). Head up and eventually step around the buttress. Some mossy climbing (hopefully I'll get back to clean this section) leads up a ramp and then to a one bolt anchor (easily supplemented with gear). You've met up with Lost Warriors at this belay stance.

Pitch 5: 11a From this anchor, go up and gain access to the slab above. Mantle onto it and traverse right (super cool!). Crux culminates with a fun mantle onto the summit ridge - airy and fantastic! We found an old piton up here, but are unsure if this section of amazing rock was ever freed? Short but amazing.

Continue up ridge to the climbers trail - about 350 feet.

This climb starts in a corner about fifteen feet below and to climber's left of the snag ledge anchors. The route can be easily identified by the three fixed pins lodged in the seam at the back of the corner. The first pitch, which is 5.10a, climbs this corner using mostly stemming moves and some face holds on the right-hand arete. When possible climb over the left-hand arete and finish up another crack to the ledge with the Jill's Thrill anchor.

You may then optionally continue up a second pitch consisting of a 5.10b thin crack before again joining up with Jill's Thrill higher up.

This cryptic route is sequential and challenging.   The gear is good but spaced nuts and small cams, and not always easy to place. Start up the face stemming and face climbing, under the overhang traverse right and then straight up the thin crack, joining with Cruising at the second roof, or traverse left into the Rockmaster upper dihedral.

Begin this stunning climb on top of the Beacon Towers.  Use the arete on the right and a small seem and crimps on the left to get into a large jug and flake.  Then move up a rail and do some exhilarating moves to reach the left facing dihedral, which is followed to the top.  The crux comes low, but there are some exciting moves on lead throughout the climb.

Start up just right of the tunnel and climb the thin crack as it widens and shrinks. Plug good gear when you can and enjoy the movement. Step left near the top to join

Winter Delight

and make a final exciting mantel onto the anchor ledge.

Extension into

Bluebird

: Instead of traversing left to the low anchor, continue straight up through the bulge into the shattered flakes. Climb gingerly here - it is eerie but easy. Mount the pillar/flake, belay up your partner, and continue up

Bluebird

.

The beautiful seam just left of Beacon Tower.

P1. 10c . 80'

Climb the first pitch or wild turkeys to a slopping ledge. Standard beacon crack in a corner.

P2. 13a. 120'

The money pitch. Climb off the belay with an interesting stemming move and into the seam and corner above. Technical and thought provoking, this pitch has some of the best climbing I have found at beacon.

Originally an old TR. As the lore goes the route 'may or may have been climbed clean on TR'. After TRing the route last summer with Matt, I decided to give it an attempt on all natural gear- I bailed halfway up the climb realizing that the route, particularly the upper section, needed bolts to be safe

This route now sports 6 new bolts protecting the cruxes and is a safe, yet demanding lead.

Get after it!

Climb up a short step to a broken overlap being careful with the delicate rock overhang. Clip the first bolt under the overlap with a draw long enough to avoid rope drag. Power through the overlap to good holds and continue up the shallow corner past four more bolts. Delicate stemming and small edges brings you to a low angle finger crack finish. This is fine sustained Beacon climbing.

Start in a corner just below a vegetated crack. Move a few feet up and traverse slightly right to a thin flake. (At the bush is a wasp nest). Many fun liebacking moves lead to the barndoor crux where the flake is very close to the arete. Fun liebacks lead to a ledge below the anchor.

Start next to the third tunnel and move up possibly dirty rock with some awkward stemming, searching movement. Make for the series of hand cracks up and left. Climb up to and past a series of small ledges until you can sink your hands into some quality fissures. This section involves a healthy bit of exposure, fun straight-in jamming, with regular jugs and nearby cracks for alternate hand and gear placements. Clip a couple ancient pitons for kicks. You will eventually merge with

Free For All

at a small ledge after a semi-crux, then make a final strenuous move to another ledge where you will have a wonderful opportunity to get intimate with your partner. Rap with a single 70m to the ground, or two ropes, or do a second rap from the mid-anchor of

Free For Some

without a stance (not recommended).

One of the earliest lines at Beacon, and considered a super-classic of the area. Quite adventurous for the grade, though the climbing itself is short and scrappy. The route can be climbed in different ways but locals have pieced together an ideal variation which requires a bit more gear. Both the original and alternative routes are described below.

RIGHT GULL ORIGINAL, 5.10a

P1: Approach by climbing

SE Corner

to Snag Ledge's bolted anchor. 25m

P2: Move down and left, stepping around a corner to a ledge with a piton. Clip it and make an airy step across to the next pillar and climb the right facing corner to its top. Make another more airy step across to the next pillar and belay at the bolted anchors. 25m

P3: Climb up the thin crack on the right of the belay, protecting it early with small gear and passing a piton to a large ledge. Move slightly right and up follow an offwidth to hand-sized crack to another large ledge. Walk left along this ledge to find the bolted belay anchor. 25m

P4: Ascend the wide crack by laybacking and utilizing face holds and pull over an awkward bulge reaching a ledge with an oak tree. Climb past the tree and into another easier layback right facing corner. Another short step takes you to Grassy Ledges where you can belay from a tree. 30m

RIGHT GULL ALTERNATE VARIATIONS 5.9

P1: Climb

Little Wing

and link into the second pitch from the piton ledge: make an airy step across to the next pillar and climb the right facing corner to its top. From here climb the crack directly above this pillar (VULCAN'S VARIATION, 5.8) to belay on the next ledge building an anchor with gear. 40m

P2: Climb the offwidth to hand-sized crack to another large ledge. Walk left along this ledge to find the bolted belay anchor. 15m

P3: Ascend the wide crack by laybacking and utilizing face holds and pull over an awkward bulge reaching a ledge with an oak tree. Look to your left and spot the clean finger crack (MURIEL'S MEMOIR VARIATION, 5.9). Climb this straight up to another ledge and follow a short step to Grassy Ledges where you can belay from a tree. 35m

Rockmaster is located to the right of Rookie Nookie and left of Stardust.  It starts in a shallow dihedral and is currently protected by fixed pins to the roof, gear from then on.  Pull the burly roof on gear and relish the sweet 5.9 finger crack to the top.  The route has been recently cleaned.  Back up the pins when possible.

This route provides for an excellent warm up to the upper lines. Combine this with Blood Sweat & Smears for one of the BEST 2 pitch lines at Beacon.

Climb the low angle slab clipping a pin shared with Reasonable Richard aka Tricky Dick. After another 20 feet trend right from Tricky Dick, clip a bolt and aim for a left facing corner. Climb the tight short corner past a couple of bolts and then angle up left (crux) to a good stance below the clean upper dihedral. Nice holds and good gear leads one to the top.

First climbed at 5.7 A3 in the 70's, the dirty double is the two tiered corner system just right of 'Beekeepers apprentice'. The two pitches are a mixture of technical and burly climbing, and will keep you on your toes while fiddlin in the sometimes sporadic gear. On the crux pitch no move is harder than V4, but the sustained and pumpy nature of the route will surely keep you engaged.

A quintessential Beacon outing!

Pitch one: 11d 35m

Climb the mossy slabs to the base of a detached pillar to the right of the scrub oak tree- Climb the right side of this pillar. Moderate laybacks will take you to a triangle ledge just below a splitter seam. Tech your way though a few pieces of small gear until you reach a good undercling. Reach high, clip the fixed pin (bomber) and cast off into the crux and through to the P1 anchor- 3 equalized pins with rap rings. These will eventually be replaced with bolts, but are bomber for now.

Pitch 2: 12c ish 40m

Stem off the anchor and and clip some more old fixed gear. Pull into a stance below the giant detached block (don't place gear behind this geological time bomb! - two new bolts higher up now protect this section), place a pice (in the corner) and move into the meat of the pitch. Jam, stem and side pull your way up to the first 'overhang'. Cop a rest above, and climb through some pumpy 5.11 climbing before pulling the second 'overhang' and onto the cruxy headwall of the route. A bolted anchor awaits on the grassy ledge above.

Either rap from here or continue on another route of your choice!

A testpiece of Beacon climbing.  Free for Some starts in the thin crack to the right of the Windsurfer corner.  Hard moves off the ground with the crux coming down low has led to more than one injured climber.  Climb up the gradually widening crack to an intermediate anchor or continue up to a ledge and bolted anchors with chains.

70m rope or two ropes required to lower or rappel from the upper anchor.

Left facing dihedral with crux near the bottom.  Straightforward climbing with finger locks and stemming.  Small roof/bulge near top.

From the belay on Grassy Ledges head up right following a shallow ramp, finding good pockets and vertical seams for gear. It doesn't look like it from the belay but the start protects well with a smaller cam and another larger a few moves further. Continue up the slab trending right until below the first bolt. Climb up through the bolts (crux) finding good edges and a fun series of moves until the terrain eases. From the last bolt step left and continue straight up the corner and crack until you pull up on to a clean slab with a piton to the right. Traverse right to the piton and join the Young Warriors line from here; onward and upward through more fun climbing. Stop at the belay ledge typically used on the SE Corner route or in the alcove just below it, otherwise there is too much rope drag.

Finish up the 30' 5.4 section of the SE Corner route to the notch and then continue leftward for 160' up the rib to the end of the climbing.

Alternatively move right from the belay following the Young Warriors finish. Move up another slab ramp, then continue on passing a piton and one last bolt. Belay from the upper notch at a 2 bolt anchor.

This route ascends up the buttress on the right side of Big Ledge.  The crux comes just a few bolts below the anchors and involves tension moves around the corner.  Yet, the route has a difficult section above the second bolt too.  The position is amazing and the bolts are just far enough apart to keep you on your toes. . With more ascents this already quality climb could be amazing

Windsurfer is a fun and interesting classic corner with several small roof features.  True to the climbing at Beacon, the climb requires innovative moves and fun positioning.  It is easy to get tunnel vision on this route but looking for stems makes the route much easier.  A real McGowen classic.

Can't find much info on this gem, but apparently it originally branched off of

Right Gull

. This description is only going to cover the final finger crack section immediately left of

Jill's Thrill

final pitch. This is clean and stellar.

From the anchor bolts, move straight up via finger locks to a finger-tips crux. This is athletic and exciting. Make sure to feather in some decent gear so you don't deck onto the ledge. The climbing remains engaging through some better jams, a few pods for hands, and face holds as the angle slackens. Continue up to the same anchor as for

Jill's Thrill

. Rappel back to the ledge and descend as for

Jill's

.

This five pitch climb ascends the prominent south face of Beacon Rock. The second pitch is one of the best pitches you will ever climb.  The entire route requires proficiency in almost every style of climbing and the ability to stay calm while placing gear through hard sequences. While the first 40 feet of the route is nothing to write home about, the remainder of the climb is one of the best hard multi-pitches around Oregon and Washington. Get on it!

Pitch 1: 11c PG-13 40m

Begin at the second tunnel and walk uphill to the small tree. Clip bolt and climb up to the questionable underclings and another bolt.  Utilize side-pulls to get to a small ledge below “the tube.” Stem and smear for three bolts.  Move up through some wild face moves and aretes, and out a small overhang. Eventually pull into another stem and a heartbreaker move. Pitch takes a single rack (including 00 Metolius) and Bolts. (May want doubles in #1 & #2 Metolius). I rappelled off the end of my rope while cleaning this pitch. Don't forget to tie knots - always!

Smooth Dancer, Pitch 2: 12ish. 35m (This pitch was established via aid in 1974, see above).

Bouldery moves from the anchor lead into the spectacular dihedral above. Palm, stem, and smear up what is one of the best pitches in Oregon. This pitch is incredible - really, really incredible.  Takes single set of stoppers, #1-#5 Metolius, and Bolts. (Save a medium sized stopper for between the last two bolts).

Anchor Shift, Pitch 3: 5.6. 20m

Climb left through a series of ledges and then up a short ramp to gain the large ledge.

Thick Blue Squiggle, Pitch 4: 12ish. 35m

Climb a thin seam through bolts up to the Rocker Locker move.  More face, crack, and bolts, as well as a few gear placements, will take you to a short, steep lie-back. The pump builds. Then ascend the amazingly textured slab, veering left to the "Point." Bolts, and Metolius cams from #1 - #5. (Astro Nuts #6 - #7 or comparable for the Brassy Move).

Pitch 5: 11a. 35m

Traverse right across the bushy ledge and head up through ancient, closely spaced bolts.  Eventually, these will be replaced. End on the trail. Scary, rusty bolts and a small assortment of cams. This pitch has been done previously (aid or free?), but I couldn't find any history on it.  It’s an exciting cap to an exciting route.

It blows my mind that this pitch doesn't get more attention! It is utterly fantastic - clean, splitter, but still has lots of variation.

DO NOT CLIMB THIS VIA THE ORIGINAL START!!!

The top of the huge, leaning pillar is completely detached and moves if touched! The new approach is to come up either

Spring Fever,

Winter Delight,

or

Sufficiently Breathless,

continuing past the anchor up a broken crack to a new bolted anchor and start straight up from there. This adds the best bit of

Bluebird Direct

- the part that can be protected - and leads seamlessly into the upper section of this pitch.

Once at the anchor atop the flake, stem and layback your way up on small gear in the right-hand crack. The crack will slowly widen to allow for locking finger jams. As the left pillar gets further away, switch to stemming off of small features on either side of the obtuse dihedral. A distinct, thin crux hits you right before you get a rest on a ledge 2/3 of the way up. The crack opens to hands here but remains strenuous. A glory face-jug greets you at the top as you pull onto the ledge shared with

Right Gull

. Continue to the Grassy Ledges via this route and rappel

Jill's Thrill

or

rappel down the route with a 70m rope.

For being a very unique climb with fun moves, Fresh Squeeze sees very little traffic.  Somewhat questionable rock at the bottom may be the cause, but solid rock beginning after an obvious roof about a third of the way up makes for fun face climbing protected by intermittent cracks.  The redpoint crux is up high, pulling into a right facing corner, but a tricky section in the middle makes the entire climb interesting and enjoyable.

The original start takes you up through some very large detached flakes. Not recommended. Otherwise start up the first 20' of

Spring Fever

and step right at the first ledge. Climb a short crack and mantel onto the next ledge below the 5" crack. Climb this chimney-style, bumping the #5 as you go. Near the top you will be forced to switch to the right and climb to the top of the pillar, and back down the other side. Rope drag will be pretty bad, but make sure you ditch that #5 late so your second doesn't take a heinous swing out of the crack and around the corner...

This route shares anchors with

Tenacee Stemming

and

Seagull

and is thus a great climb for putting top-ropes on these harder gems.

Originally this route continued across the ledges, around a corner into an easy crack, and joined up with

Right Gull

. Rockfall in 2016 seems to have erased that boring option completely.

An amazing route with great position!  The first pitch (10c) follows a neat dihedral system just right of the second tunnel.  Several pitons protect the first dihedral, which is gained by scrambling up the mossy blocks.  Keep going up and slightly right to gain the left side of "Beacon Tower."

The next pitch, amazing, continuously hard, and long (I'm a bit biased, but I would say again that this pitch is stellar), follows the dihedral left of the belay (which consists of one great bolt and one not so inspiring bolt).  Climb the thin seam and pull onto some face holds (crux #1) and then rest on a slopey hold before entering a very balancey and techy section (crux #2).  Relax and keep it together through the next 15 or so feet before entering crux #3, a pull of a left hand side pull to a good right hand edge!  One more section brings you to the last 20 feet of 10ish climbing.

I pre-placed the gear for my lead ascent, primarily because of how thin the crack was and how delicate the placements were.

Given a 5.7 grade in Tim Olson's

Portland Rock Climbs

book, this route is thin and intimidating even for the 5.8 grade. Start up a slabby face with a shallow crack near a tall oak tree, just before heading around/up to the start of

South East Corner

. Utilize face holds while finagling small gear into the pods in the crack, continuing upwards through a very thin section of the crack (long reach helpful). Hit a roof, step left with good gear, then continue up through a few more hand-foot matches to grassy ledges. Traverse right to the Pitch 2 anchors of

South East Corner

. Continue up via this route or rap from two fat Metolius bolts.

NOTE:

This route was originally named "Cruisemaster" but was later changed to "Cruisin'" to avoid confusion with other -master routes nearby.

The route is the right-most crack just above and right of the Snag Ledge belay. This can be accessed in many different ways, the most popular of which are

Little Wing

and

SE Corner

first pitch.

From here, scramble up the dirty blocks to the obtuse corner/crack system. Follow this, clipping a couple old pitons and utilizing lots of unique holds in the crack more than crack technique. At the first ledge, which has a set of anchors on the left, you can belay or make a tricky move back into the crack (thin). Continue climbing the low angle cracks to another ledge and pull the tricky crux up to another ledge with bolted anchors.

The final short pitch climbs the crack to the right of the anchors. Jam the finger crack and squeeze into the flaring pod until it eases as you find features on the face above. A short step leads to another bolted anchor belay.

Either walk left around the corner and onto Grassy Ledges and continue to the top via another line or rappel the route. Do not skip any anchors with a 60m, but a 70m might allow you to skip one.

Bears in Heat offers a little bit of everything (and it was just cleaned fairly well!)  The first pitch follows a zig-zagging crack that forces you to be creative, lie-backing, high-stepping, etc.  The pitch takes a lot of smaller gear (mainly cams).  The second pitch is BEAUTIFUL and begins with the amazing "bear hug," which eventually gives way to a brilliant just-off-hands-crack (too small at the start and too wide at the top!)  From the anchors at the top of the crack keep going by stepping right into the dihedral of Flying Dutchman and finishing at the large grassy ledges.  Pitch one is roughly 11b/c and pitch two is roughly 11a.  A fantastic route, especially when it sees more traffic.  Get on it.

Originally done with only passive pro and no cams for pro. P1 - up the low angle dirty start to a shallow dihedral/thin crack/. Belay on a small pillar or if you slung your pro well keep on to the anchor that ends P2. You can avoid clipping the anchor and actually run P2 together as well, very small cams/wireds on a right rising traverse ends P3 under the roof. P4 - clear the roof on the left (Lone Wolf is on the right and ends here as well) for a full length/long extremely hard pitch to the top.

Beautiful long perfect dihedral after some interesting face work.

P1: The original approach was to traverse in from the left, up the grassy ledges below

Wild Turkeys

. Nowadays everyone climbs

Blownout Direct

(5.9+). To do it this way, climb the detached flake up to and around the tree to a ledge. Stem between the pillars and move into the technical seam with three pitons to a stance. Go straight up to a zig-zagging hand crack that takes you to the belay "in a protected corner beneath the great upper dihedral."

P2: 100 feet of dihedral! Stems, chimney moves, lieback, all you ever wanted! Strenuous bulge at the top. Beacon inside corner climbing at its finest.

From the Local Access Only anchor move up to the right passing a dead snag and live tree.  Some gear can be placed but the traverse is mostly protected by slinging the tree.  FT starts with a rusted, smashed pin.  Place gear, clip pins and 2 new replacement bolts.  Awkward block in the first 20 feet is difficult to get around.  Achieve a small ledge half-way on P1 and climb to the right up a very thin seam with very old pitons.  Stop at the Flying Swallow anchor and continue upward to P2.  Rap or continue up and right to Grassy Ledges.  Or continue up Flying Swallow.

Stone Rodeo offers fun and interesting moves, but the aesthetic is decreased because of a few loose blocs.  The first mini roof offers your first crux, but is followed by a good shake.  After resting use a very interesting undercling (a slopperyesque downward point to the left) and then match it to move up and right.  The final roof is the business.  Jam the hand size crack with the left (I have big hands) and then shoot up and right towards the bloc.  Just before the moves to the jam you have a good rest...place a longer runner on the bolt here.  I hope with this little extra beta more of you will get on it and Stone Rodeo will become better!

This route needs a better anchor, yes.  It needs one extra bolt, hence the current pg-13 grade.  But, Old Warriors Never Dies offers the 5.12 climber the chance to get familiar with Beacon Rock and the movement you often find there.  The moves are fun, you are often hugging the pillar, and balance is key.  I just cleaned it yesterday, but it may need a little extra dusting.  All in all, if it gets done more, it will be a great PDX test piece and is worth it! Sweet!

In recent years Reasonable Richard has been known for its thick carpet of moss, abundant blackberry canes and shrubs, and non-existent pro.  In September 2016 it received a cleaning which exposed cracks for slotting gear and a couple of fixed pins.   It’s now quite reasonable and provides fun access to some classic 5.10 routes above.

Reasonable Richard starts approx. 40’ east of the third tunnel. It follows left-trending low-angled slabs to a vertical shallow dihedral ending below Blood Sweat and Smears, Flying Circus, and Flying Swallow.

Follow the low angle slabs (4th and easy 5th class) past a fixed pin and then look for cracks and pods for cams and nuts. After 25 meters, the route transitions to vertical at a shallow right facing corner. At the vertical section, look for a fixed angle pin which can be backed up with a cam, then a 3/8 bolt, followed by discontinuous cracks and pods that accept stoppers and cams up to 1.5 inches. The RR anchor consists of 2 recent good bolts with Metolius rap hangers and a collection of old bolts from an earlier era.  Return to the trail with a 35 meter rappel on a single 70m rope, or 60m rope and some easy down climbing.

Rock Police climbs a short step to a slab and then proceeds up the face, staying to the right side and uses the right leaning arete to get you to a set of anchors. Fancy heel hooking, reaches and high steps should round out your climbing style as you stay on the outer right edge of the face on this route. It was rebolted in 2015 and so is fresh to go.

A second pitch continues to the belay ledge at the base of the classic SE Face corner. From here continue up right of the anchors (old bolt) and onto the outer edge of the steep slab. Climb the outer edge until it joins the SE Face route at the top of the slab.

Start 10 feet left of rhythm method, it's just approx 20 feet right of Young Warriors although there is a direct trail that turns off to the right before you get to Young Warriors. A dihedral for 30 feet leads to face holds that follow an indistinct crack @ 95 feet to an anchor just right of an obvious roof. An alternative route that has been done more than once is to top out on rhythm method, then head up and left to these bolts so a group can toprope the line. Run out, but do-able as it's easy ground.

Scramble to the top of the mossy ledge about 10' up shared with

Fall Guy

. Step left and climb delicate edges with no pro to a heads-up move before you clip the first bolt - a rusty 3/8" bolt with a homemade hanger! Despite the Tim Olson topo, this is the only fixed pro on the route. Make strenuous moves up the inside of this stemming feature, using occasional finger locks and good edges for feet. The first gear placement comes far above the first bolt, don't blow it! A thoughtful, core-intensive crux move hits you before the angle drops and you can make tenuous moves through the now-clean but still somewhat spooky upper ledges to the anchor.

Romp up the ridge line on the southern most tip of Beacon rock, left of the arena of terror. Pass one set of anchor bolts, continuing further right and up. P1 is dirty, perhaps climb one of the face routes instead. P2 is money! Step right from a block to an awesome 11- finger crack. The pitch steps right to a hand and pumpy fist crack, ending with a short off width. Full value!

2 old rusty bolts are found on the left at the tip of the pitch. Cracks can be used to make a gear belay instead. A final 10+ hand and finger crack pitch lands you into sandcastle climbing, be wary of loose jenga blocks. End on the trail at a tree.

This route starts just to the right of pipeline. Climb  the discontinuous crack and face on gear till you get to a lone bolt. Finish up a finger and hand crack to the windsurfer anchor.

Many of the 1980s Beacon Rock climbers viewed Flying Swallow as the highest quality climb on the crag (yes, better than Dod's Jam + Dastardly Crack, better than Blownout). The old Jeff Thomas guidebook mentioned a runout, but this probably  referred to the 5.4 ledge traverse prior to gaining the Flying Swallow dihedral.

P1: climb any of Local Access Only, Reasonable Richard (best choice), or Black Maria. Continue right along an obvious ledge and belay at the base of the Flying Swallow dihedral (5.9, 100 feet).

P2: Stem the dihedral (crux) up clean rock with bits of red lichen, past a bolt to a ledge (5.10d, 75 feet).

P3: A remarkably clean and beautiful dihedral starts with fingers and widens to hands. Belay at the obvious ledge. (5.10b, 60 feet).

P4: A short dihedral with hand crack ends on the far left edge of Grassy Ledges (5.10a, 40 feet).

There is a variation to P3: another less clean dihedral just to the right. Although not as aesthetic as the standard P3, it's worth top-roping at 5.10b/c.

Start up onto the boulder then clutch desperately to the edges in the twin cracks. Get your stem on early. Work it quickly up on good finger locks and occasional arete holds. Once you've reached the ledge at about 2/3 way up, you can cheat out for a rest, or commit to the left crack while slapping for hidden edges on the right. Tough climbing gives way to an easy top-out on huge jugs.

Haven't climbed the second pitch yet, but it's currently teeming with grass and grunge. Ends at the

Right Gull

anchor below the last pitch. Supposedly 10d.

Rookie Nookie starts in the wide crack  that leads up to a bolt and pin you can see from the ground.   Clip the pin with a draw and pull through the mysterious move or levitate through, and continue up the beautiful corner placing cams and nuts as you go.  There is a new set of anchors at the top with slings allowing you to lower off, or continue up the southeast corner route.

This new route occurred primarily by the vision and dedication of Joseph Healy in 2005.  Its an adventurous climb with some serious sections and classic basalt features.

Pitch 1:  5.8 Climb the first pitch of Young Warriors.  This pitch contains many bolts and several optional small gear placements low on the pitch.

Pitch 2:  5.9 From the top of pitch 1 of Y.W. climb straight above the slung p1 anchor until you can move right onto short ledge leading to a shallow right-leaning, left facing dihedral. Climb this dihedral and the arete formed by it until it turns vertical and then go straight up to a small ledge with bolted anchors.

Pitch 3:  5.11 This crux pitch goes up from the right end of the small ledge and up broad and steep left facing dihedral. Climb the diherdal until you can't free climb any higher and you'll be at a changing corners area. Either aid two moves or and traverse right around arete (crux).  This move can be protected by a two medium size cam placed up in the underside of the angled slash going out right. Above the crux continue up and right. Once you reach a good ledge the pitch continues up and left straight up a rough looking face to a ledge and anchor above it. [

However, up and right of the first good ledge is another anchor that can be used to bail the route with two ropes which will get you back down to the Boardwalk p1 anchor. This is effectively the last point to bail.

]

Pitch 4:  5.10+ Move out right from the anchor up a steep slab and protect with loweballs and a pin to a steep mantle.  Clip fixed pin and then climb up under a large roof.  Pull roof through the left side slot and climb right and then left above the roof to an anchor on yellow rock in an low angle slab alcove.

Pitch 5:  5.9 Move left around a corner and up diagonally left angling cracks on a face to top out. The crux of this pitch is through an obvious confluence of cracks; at the crux there are three wedged shield shaped rocks which are slightly loose. Carefully use the leftmost rock and move up to the final moves which go slightly right to top out with an interesting twist. Head up to the large 'bonsai' looking tree and belay from there.

Pitch 6 / Descent:  At the large bonsai tree you have reached the lower part of the overall high SE Corner ridge ramp. Continue up the ramp which joins with both the SE Face and Young Warriors routes for the final 6th pitch up the upper ramp. At the top of the ramp before the trees unrope. Exit left for about 30' (north, away from the river) and follow switchback trail up the guardrail and tourist trail and take it back down to the parking lot.

[ Note: the large bonsai tree at the top of the route was blown down during a storm in March 2010 and is no longer there. In it's place will be a large 30-40' scar in the lower corner ramp. ]

Once cleaned, this route revealed itself to be quite a gem!

Start up just left of the tunnel and make fun moves on jugs before reaching a slight left-trending crack system. At a small pod, clip the quick-link on a piton (solid) and then commence up the thin seam. Fun body positions and holds you might have to search for. Small nuts work well through here. Clip another solid piton and keep firing, enjoying the cool slopey edges. Plug a cam or two near the top, make a strenuous final pull and you're on the anchor ledge. Odd anchor bolt placement requires a final easy move to reach.

Extension into

Bluebird

: Continue up and to the right into the shattered flakes. Climb gingerly here - it is eerie but easy. Mount the pillar/flake, belay up your partner, and continue up

Bluebird

.

Start up some low angle rock into a left facing, white colored dihedral and follow this to the top anchors shared with Switchblade.

Descend via the rappel anchors above Bladerunner or on either end of Snag Ledge.

Alternatively join up with some other line and climb to the top of Beacon Rock.

This route got done ground up led/wirebrushed and Jim named it Couchmaster. As we were climbing it Jim spied a mossy line just to the left and later went up and dug that out I named that one Cruisemaster (changed later to Crusin'). That led to Jim seeing the route to the left of that and those guys named that one Stardust. All good lines, although Crusin' seems to be the only one getting much action as it is the best. This slab all had so much moss on it that it looked nothing like it does now.

Adventurous, wandering multipitch through mostly good rock.

P1 5.8 Straightforward march up mostly blocky slabs. If continuing upwards, step left to bolt-and-pin belay on ledge. Otherwise rappel from two bolt anchor. A 70m rope is required to rappel from here to the ground.

P2 5.9 Head left towards the A-shaped feature. Cool moves over the flexing flakes... head more or less straight, not left to the tree belay, but up to 2-bolt anchor.

P3 5.9 Routefinding adventure. Straight up arete with fun moves, then scrambling to a stance at a short dihedral with pins. Pull through this and scramble leftward to a big grassy ledge. Continue up and left to another ledge with two rusty pins in the back corner.

P4 5.9 Traverse left, then up some easy terrain. Crux is getting on to, across, and over a slab section protected by a bolt and a piton. Fun stuff. There is a small grassy ledge a bit above this, or you can keep going up some nice rock until meeting the SE Face Route.

P5: Join the SE route for an easy scramble to the top, then walk off.

Begin immediately left of tunnel #1, and pull bouldery moves up to the high first bolt. It would be a good idea to stick-clip this. Otherwise, make sure your belayer is spotting. After the first bolt, there is a pod for a 3/4" cam that protects the run-out to the next bolt. From here it gets easier, but you will have to make continuously strenuous pulls while finding creative rest stances. Romp up the finishing flake to a heady mantel onto the ledge. This is a good introduction to the steeper routes at Beacon.

Extension into

Bluebird

: Continue up and to the right into the shattered flakes. Climb gingerly here - it is eerie but easy. Mount the pillar/flake, belay up your partner, and continue up

Bluebird

.

In a corner up and left of the classic

SE Corner

route is this gem of a climb. It is probably deserving of 5.8+, and definitely of CLASSIC status.

Climb some fun finger, hand cracks and slab to Snag Ledge. Don't forget to protect your second before traversing right to the anchors!

Links up easily with either

Jill's Thrill

or

SE Corner

if you belay at the ledge. Otherwise, step out left for

Right Gull

or continue up

Fear of Flying

if you're down for the challenge.

Start on the left side of the pillar. Starts with good jams and gear. The crack opens up and pinches back down allowing you to sling the pillar at a couple spots. From the pillar top, a seemingly endless exposed steep hand crack finally leads to a ledge. Climb up and slightly right past the ledge to a semi-hanging belay tucked deep inside a corner (rap hangers on right-hand wall).

Blood, Sweat, and Smears follows a dihedral with an obvious, small triangular roof.  The belay stance for the pitch is down and left from the young tree that is growing near Flying Circus.

Commence up left from the belay, get some tricky gear in, pull up onto the small square ledge, and get your smear on for the next 160 feet.  The crux comes about 30-40 feet up, getting up a smooth section of the dihedral and through a small roof.  Up higher, you'll have to navigate around a small sapling before hitting a perfect layback splitter to the Big Ledge.

Once on the Big Ledge finish up Dod's Jam or Dastardly Crack.

Blood, Sweat, and Smears has great moves, amazing position, but sadly is quite dirty.  If more people climb it and clean it up there is no doubt that it would be a Portland Area CLASSIC, but until it and its approach pitch get cleaner I think its a bit committing.

Start just left of a large maple cluster below a horn of rock. Climb up to this and mount the horn, slinging the top for pro. Grapple with the face momentarily then use the tree (or not, harder) to mount the ledge. Stem up this to a stance above the pillar on the left, clipping pitons in the seam on the right. You can fiddle in a small cam just above the 2nd for backup. Crux stemming and high feet get you to the last piton and onto a ledge system. Continue directly up to get into the real goodness of

Blownout

or traverse right to the first anchor to setup TR's for

Aging Fruits

and

Fall Guy

.

The first pitch makes for a fun little climb. It is an excellent climb as a warm-up or as the last climb of the day. The second pitch is a different story. If the second pitch was cleaned and a few bolts added it would be a recommended climb. Currently I cannot recommend the second pitch unless you are very bold and skilled at mid-5.10 run out. If cleaned it would probability be 5.9/5.10a R. The R rating could be removed with a few bolts.

P1: Simply follow the bolts for 80’ to a bolt anchor. There are 6 bolts and if you want to supplement the bolts with gear, a few small cams and or small to medium nuts would be more then enough.

P2: From the anchor head up and left to a small notch is the ceiling. Climb through the notch and then head straight up, avoiding the loose moss and loose rock to the anchors.

Descent: If descending from the top of the first pitch a single rope rap will get you to the ground. If rapping from the top of the second pitch you will need two ropes or one 70m rope. From the top anchors rap down and to the right to the top of the first pitch Young Warriors. From that anchor it is about a 110’ rap to the ground.

This pitch is on a moderate section of rock and is kind of an easy 5.7 with the crux about 20-30 feet up.  Bomber gear placements.  This is a good alternative if you want to skip the final pitches of the SE Corner ... but! .... you must take caution when topping out due to loose rock in the 3rd class sections.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in South Face