Your Favorite Route You've Done This Season

England wrote:Snake Dike in a day

It's a worthy haul for sure!

I onsighted 4x4 in Indian Creek.

By far the hardest route I've onsighted....by almost a number grade.

That was pretty cool I guess.

North Ridge of Ellingwood Peak, Wind River Mountains (.6, 1800'). A scenic 10 mile approach to base camp, a consistently outstanding long climb in the mountains on good rock, an atrocious descent, and a healthy newborn at home with mom. Doesn't get much better.

Christian C wrote:Wages of skin in Rock creek takes the cake in my book

Also one of the best from my season.

Climbing Cathedral Peak after the first snowfall was also a great finish to the climbing year.

Besides that some other notables were Pratt's Crack (Pine Creek Canyon), From Chocolate to Morphine (ORG), taking my first big gear whips on Static Cling (Wall St), getting scared and passing the rack on the 2nd pitch of Tonka Tower (Arches NP) and getting taken up Kor-Ingalls (I led the easy stuff, but man that i was glad to be following that "5.9"). Shout out to Ian for those last 2!

Airavata up in Smuggler's Notch is the most exposed climbing I've found in the east. 4-pitches and I can leave the cams on the ground? How can you not get on it??

This was my first real season of climbing (up in NW WA), but two really come to mind:

Prime Rib of Goat: An 11 pitch, 1300' 5.9 sport route in Mazama, and it was awesome! The exposure on a couple of pitches was incredible, and a definite test to my fear of heights, but it felt great to do the entire climb without weighting the rope! The rappel down in my too-tight climbing shoes really did a number on my toes though.

Cold Beer in the River: 5.10b/c sport route in Newhalem that's been my project since I first got on that wall last fall. Finally led it in late July, a couple weeks before a wildfire rolled through and closed the wall. Most memorable for taking 8 consecutive 15'-20' whippers on the second crux before giving up for the evening, a couple weeks before I finally got to the top.

England wrote:Snake Dike in a day

Are there people who do this as a two-day climb? Why?
I can't really think of a reason let alone a place to bivy on that climb...

COUCH => FRIDGE

Highlight definitely had to be the complete North Ridge of Stuart, when the full ridge came in to view it just looked entirely too massive. First time I had the "holy shit we're going to do all of that!" since the first time up Rainier. Supposedly around 30 pitches if you weren't simul climbing. Great technical pitches in the 5.8-9 range and tons of incredibly aesthetic ridge climbing on perfect rock.
mountainproject.com/v/upper…
mountainproject.com/v/the-d…

My second favorite was backbone ridge on dragontail, another grade IV in the Stuart range. What it lacked in clean ridge travel it made up for in more technical pitches. We didn't bring point bits for the descent, faced with ice we ended up wandering around at night for hours before finding a weakness down. Turned in to a 27 hour car to car day climb :)
mountainproject.com/v/backb…

Last one for the top pic is Pigeon Spire's west ridge, it honestly might be the greatest 5.4 in the world. Everyone in camp from those climbing 5.12 to people leading mid 5th all were stoked on it. Incredible views, great rock, don't skip it.
mountainproject.com/v/west-…

Wow Nick...

I had no idea that quality of alpine rock was near the Seattle area. Thanks for those ideas! Certainly on the list now...must be some of the best rock in the country there by the looks of it.

I also did the West Ridge of Pigeon this year and it probably is the most fun route I have ever done and the rock in the Bugs looks very much like the others you listed.

Good stuff.

Toss up between Riparian Daydream in Ojai, 3 pitches up the tallest wall in the gorge. Last pitch is trad up a crack over a small roof, and Chocolate Pocket in Alabama Hills, 40' of chimney followed by a long steep slab to plates.

Either White Whale at Lumpy Ridge, or The Yellow Spur.

Maybe I climbed too much this summer the most recent climb seems the best .although Ira and I had some great days at wheeler. Today we finially figured out the 2nd pitch of ben worthy of waden at marshfield .My 3rd try, as they say 3rd time is a charm. First 2 times were pre guidebook.