Weekend Rock Washington: Trad & Sport Routes from 5.0 to 5.10a

* More than 300 trad and sport climbs from 5.0 to 5.10a

* Topo map or photo with route overlay for most routes

* "Choose a Climbing Area" chart compares destinations by climbing type, rock type, best time of year, length of approach, and drive time from urban areas



This guide is for climbers with busy lives who want to make the most of their time on the rock. Trips can be completed in a day or two: most approaches are short, drive time from urban centers is noted, and estimated climbing times range from a few minutes to a full day for these routes rated 5.0 to 5.10a. But-more important-these routes have been selected for quality of experience, rated on a three-star system.



There is something here for everyone: sandstone pinnacles, alpine granite, and cliffs rising above high desert terrain. There are classic routes like Midway on Castle Rock (Washington's first rock climb and a super-classic 5.6, a great multi-pitch route for intermediate leaders) and routes in two previously unpublished areas, Banks Lake and The Half Moon Crags. Other major climbing areas featured are Leavenworth, Index, Darrington, Tieton, Mount Erie, Exit 38, and Frenchman Coulee.

DAVID WHITELAW has over thirty years of experience rock climbing and mountaineering all over North America and Europe. During that time he's established well over 150 new routes and authored or co-authored six climbing guidebooks, including Fat City and Urban Ice: A Climber's Guide to the Frozen Waterfalls of Southcentral Alaska. In 1982 he co-authored, with Don Brooks, A Climber's Guide to Washington Rock for The Mountaineers Books.