PRINT: Rock Climb Heretic's Highway, South-West & Tacoma

Heretic's Highway

5.7 A1, Trad, Aid, 225 ft (68 m), 3 pitches,

Avg: 2.7 from 3 votes
FA: Spring 2019 - Eric Linthwaite, Geoff Silverman, Kyle Silverman, Adam Baylor
Washington > South-W & Tacoma > Columbia Gorge > Beacon Rock > W Face

Access Issue: CLOSURES: South and East Faces (NW & W Faces Remain Open) Details

The South Face and access trail is closed from Feb. 1st through July 15th, depending on peregrine falcon nesting. Portland Area Climbers Coalition, Washington Climbers Coalition, and the Access Fund are coordinating on this issue. Disregarding this closure will harm their efforts to adjust it and their relationship with land managers.

The east face is closed to climbing year-round due to possible sensitive/endangered plant species.

The NW face and West face routes remain open.

See Closure section below for more details.

Description

Heretic's Highway is a three pitch free and aid link up put up over a few years by local Beacon boys.

Below is the 3 pitch description:

Follow Drill's Thrill (Geoff's name) climbing what you can and otherwise using it like a reachy bolt ladder. From the first anchors you move the belay up and over 30' to the right slightly to belay in the corner below Rambl'in Rose (or just go there directly, the first anchors work best if rope-soloing)
Climb Ramb'lin Rose (Unclimbed when we did the first pitch and only my necessary wedding anniversary weekend with the lovely wife kept us from claiming doggonit as I'd eyed it deep n' longingly)
The last pitch is a casual all-bolted jaunt that clambers up to the hiking trail through the lilliputian woods and only gets kinda hard at the very end, much to the aghast of the ample tourists

Location

First route right of King Pin conveniently located at the larger flat landing near the wall.

Protection

Bolts and gear to 3"

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Geoff on first ascent, pitch 1

Geoff on first ascent of first pitch

First ascent of final pitch, taken from the hiking trail

First pitch on first complete ascent

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Adam Baylor
Skamania, WA

Has anyone free climbed all of this yet? Feb 14, 2022

Sage Bedell
Seattle, WA

I sent Drill's Thrill but haven't tried the rest yet. I assume I am not the first.

Edit: It was a pretty brutal onsight so harder to judge. The highest grade I have onsighted is 11C so I guess 11C... Feb 23, 2022

Eric Linthwaite
Vancouver, WA

the last pitch is certainly easier than the first, no more than 5.7 to the last 3 bolts - 2nd pitch is 5.7 - i heard someone say they thought the first pitch is 5.11 Mar 4, 2022