Pitch 1.The challenge this summer has been to find climbs that our elderly puppy can accompany us on. Beacon Rock fits that bill and – as it turned out – also has some nice crack climbing. On Saturday, we climbed the excellent link up of Free For All Direct (10a) to Dod’s Jam (10c) to Dastardly Crack (5.9) to some bushwhacky 5.6 exit pitch. First, I hope that the greenery we were schwacking through did not contain poison oak…time will tell. Second, where else in Portland can you wake up late (in your own bed!), climb a 4-pitch crack route, go for brunch, take the dog swimming in the Columbia, get shitfaced on home-made margaritas, and enjoy an evening dinner with friends?
Sunday was a repeat of the above except that we woke up even later, mulled over what to do over some excellent local coffee and finally ended up back at Beacon and climbing the 3-pitch (done in 2) Blownout with the Direct (hard 9) start. Both routes we did that weekend were excellent and so we’ll probably be back sooner than the 11 years it took us to make this initial return trip.
Saturday
St. Peters Dome (July 2014). The south face. On the left is the 4-pitch link-up: Free For All (P1, 5.10a for the direct start) to Dod’s Jam (P2, 5.10c) to Dastardly Crack (P3, 5.9) to a brushy 5.6 exit. On the right is the Blownout Direct (5.9) to Blownout (5.10b). Click photo for full res. version. Starting up the 10a variation of Free For All (July 2014). Shirley topping out on Free For All (July 2014). Looking west from top of Free For All pitch (July 2014). Leading the (easier) lower half of Dod’s Jam (July 2014). Looking back towards Shirley from midway (the much easier lower half) up Dod’s Jam (July 2014). The ambiance of Beacon Rock (July 2014). Shirley finishing the easier lower half of Dod’s Jam and about to enter the crux… View to the east (July 2014). …and into the crux thin hands section (July 2014). Unknown climber leading The Norseman (5.12b) I think…next door to Dastardly Crack (July 2014). Shirley in the money section of Dod’s Jam – thin hands through a bulge (July 2014). Leading the very nice Dastardly Crack (third pitch of the link-up). Shirley topping out on the very nice (thin hands) Dastardly Crack (July 2014). Shirley topping out on our pitch 4 – some mid-5th class bushwhacking. Shirley hiking down the trail after our Saturday climb (July 2014).
Sunday
Leading the Blownout Direct pitch. Easy until the final fixed pin where it’s not easy (July 2014). As soon as I stepped up to start Blownout Direct, half a dozen garter snakes came slithering out of the rubble/brush at the base…had I seen this many snakes in say Africa or Southeast Asia, I would’ve – no doubt – shit my pants (July 2014). Shirley starting up Blownout Direct (July 2014). Blownout pitch 1 (July 2014). More Beacon Rock ambiance (July 2014). Shirley nearing the top of Blownout’s first pitch (July 2014). Topping out on pitch 1 (July 2014). Starting up the money pitch (#3, our 2nd) of Blownout – easy dihedral to a much less easy finger crack exit (July 2014). Looking back towards Shirley at pitch 1 belay on Blownout…the bulk of pitch 2 feels like 5.9 (or 5.8 if pitch 1 is 5.9!). Higher on Blownout (July 2014). Pitch 2 of Blownout (July 2014). Shirley exiting the crux of Blownout (July 2014). A climber on Beacon Rock’s south face – not sure which route (July 2014). Zoomed in view. First clean the red cam… …and the like this… Shirley on the last mantle move of Blownout …challenging for those height challenged (July 2014). South face of Beacon Rock (July 2014). The girls on the south/southwest faces of Beacon Rock (July 2014).
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