Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
Elevation: 1,085 ft
GPS: 47.0231, -119.97493
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 391,087 total · 1,772/month
Shared By: Luke Stefurak on Feb 2, 2006 · Updates
Admins: Jon Nelson, Micah Klesick, Zachary Winters

Description Suggest change

The tallest, busiest, most solid, prettiest, most exemplary of Vantage, hardest, softest, most controversial... all such superlatives apply to the Sunshine Wall. Five distinct sections cover the upper basalt columns forming the south facing-wall of Echo Basin. Heaps upon heaps of classic cracks and bolted aretes are found on this the perfect winter crag. Now, to deal with the superlatives...

Tallest - 100 feet into the sky rise the biggest columns, taller than anything at Vantage except perhaps a rare route or two at Fugs Wall.

Busiest - there's something for everyone here, and thus everyone comes.

Most solid - while nothing at Vantage is 'solid,' some might say, the King Pins is the best rock in Vantage besides perhaps the center of Middle East.

Prettiest - subjective, but the wavy columns are packed and uniform enough to see the pattern of the basalt flow...

Most exemplary - you either know this is true or you learned it just now.

Hardest - well, there's 13c at the Sanctuary but the hardest gear climb in the Coulee is Red M&Ms 12a.

Softest - simply peruse the dozens of comments claiming George & Martha is 5.9 or 5.8 in Index, or PIYP is 5.6 if you can hand jam.

Most controversial - well, there's always Winter Walk Wall to speak of but where else in Vantage (or even Washington) have a route's bolts been chopped and replaced 3 times or more?

Getting There Suggest change

The approach from the campground to the first gully is 15 minutes and straightforward if you know where you're going. The 2019 guidebook's description of this is of limited utility for those completely new to the area. This description should make things painfully clear.

From the campground, head west towards Agathla Tower. There is a path (not a road) that passes closely to left/south side of Agathla tower. Continue on that path, you should be headed west. You'll see that path continues up the Mesa, traversing to the right as it ascends. Follow this. Once at the top of the mesa, look left/SW and you'll see a path that heads in the general direction of the sunshine wall. (If you don't take this quick left at the top of the Mesa then you'll head NW towards Middle East wall)

As you follow the path, within a minute you'll see a rusted sign low on the ground that points left for Sunshine, right for Gully's. Go left to Sunshine. You'll follow this path, now heading basically straight south for only a few minutes to what looks like a random cliff. You'll be standing at the tops of columns wondering why the path would lead you to this point. Look down and to the right and you'll see a narrow slot between columns that is exactly one climbers body width wide. This leads to the base of the columns and to a new path. Once you are down, turn around and remember what this gully looks like from the bottom as this will likely be your route back to the campground.

Now at the base of the gully, go right/west towards Sunshine Wall, or go left/East towards Kotic Memorial Wall. 

155 Total Climbs

Route Finder - Best Climbs for YOU!

Location: Sunshine Wall Change
Type:  to 
Quality:
Pitches:
Sort by:   then:
 

Classic Climbing Routes at Sunshine Wall

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 204
Seven Virgins and a Mule
Trad
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 319
Party in Your Pants
Trad
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 228
Crossing the Threshold
Trad
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 297
Ride 'em Cowboy
Sport
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 238
George and Martha
Trad
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 352
Air Guitar
Trad
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 231
Sunshine Buttress
Sport
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
 187
Boschido
Sport
5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 164
Sinsemilla
Trad
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
 53
Mr. Clean
Trad
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 115
Stems and Seeds
Trad
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 103
Bob's Your Uncle
Trad
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 62
Mix it Up
Trad
5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a
 96
Crossing the Delaware With Your…
Trad
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 122
Red M&Ms
Trad
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Seven Virgins and a Mule (c) King Pins
 204
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad
Party in Your Pants (e) Near End (aka Twi…
 319
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad
Crossing the Threshold (c) King Pins
 228
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad
Ride 'em Cowboy (e) Near End (aka Twi…
 297
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Sport
George and Martha (c) King Pins
 238
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Trad
Air Guitar (c) King Pins
 352
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Trad
Sunshine Buttress (c) King Pins
 231
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Sport
Boschido (c) King Pins
 187
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b Sport
Sinsemilla (c) King Pins
 164
5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Trad
Mr. Clean (c) King Pins
 53
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b Trad
Stems and Seeds (c) King Pins
 115
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Trad
Bob's Your Uncle (c) King Pins
 103
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Trad
Mix it Up (c) King Pins
 62
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Trad
Crossing the Delaware With… (c) King Pins
 96
5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a Trad
Red M&Ms (c) King Pins
 122
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Trad
More Classic Climbs in Sunshine Wall »

Weather Averages

High
 
Low
 
Precip
 
Days w Precip
 
Prime Climbing Season
J F M A M J J A S O N D
J F M A M J J A S O N D

Photos

loading