Pitch 5, Methow Inspiration Route (5.9), Goat Wall.
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Ownership/Management:
United States Forest Service, Okanogan National Forest.
Land Manager:
John Newcom, District Ranger
Methow Valley Ranger District
24 West Chewuch Road
Winthrop, WA 98862
509-996-4003
Current status:
All crags are open.
Access considerations:
No known access or environmental concerns.
Other resources:
Weather forecast
Weather cam (Sun Mountain Lodge)
For discussion:
East Slope
Crags forum
Climbing in the Mazama/Upper
Methow Valley area is often thought of as a rainy-day alternative to climbing at
nearby Washington Pass. As its climbing continues to develop, however, Mazama is
becoming a destination in its own right.
The traditional hub of Mazama climbing is the Fun Rock area, which is made up of
several small crags of metamorphic rock approximately a mile west of the Mazama
Store. The climbs are mostly sport routes that range from 5.6 to hard 5.12 on rock
that runs from slabby to cave-like. The rock quality varies as well: the rock
is shattered choss in some places, while solid and aesthetic in others. A
few boulder problems are located east of the crags. The Forest Service has been
supportive of climbing at Fun Rock, including creating a parking area for
climbers.
Goat Wall, which is really a complex of buttresses and crags, is a short distance
up the road from Fun Rock. Route development is still relatively limited but
there are a handful of bolted climbs up to about ten pitches in length that offer
great climbing and magnificant views.
Bryan Burdo's long awaited guidebook titled "Mazama Rock" was finally released at the
end of the 2008 climbing season. This book features some amazing crags on hardened
sandstone and limestone up toward the north end of the Methow Valley. It also
presents some bouldering areas nearby, and includes information on a few routes up on
Washington Pass.
Highway 20 is the most convenient access to Mazama from Western Washington. The
highway is closed each winter, usually from the middle of November through the
middle of April. There are a number of campgrounds between Mazama and Washington
Pass.
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