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: Fun Rock stone 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 based on some recent exploration, the wall appears to hold a lot of potential for multi-pitch sport routes on rock that is sometimes outstanding. Restless Native (III, 5.11b), for example, roughly follows the prominent water streak of the “Goat’s Beard” for 10 or more pitches on rock that could double for limestone, with its blue patina and host of pockets and huecos.
Other developing crags and bouldering areas (including some granite crags) can be found nearby and in other drainages feeding the Upper Methow Valley. The last guide to the area, Bryan Burdo’s North Cascades Rock, was published in 1996. Bryan is rumored to be working on a new guide that may feature these areas. In the meantime, you can find information on select new routes here at the North Cascades Mountain Guides' website.
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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