Smith Rock...is pretty rad.

Smith Rock State Park in Oregon is a place that I spend a lot of time. Each year in the spring, and then again in the fall, I take advantage of its desert climate to have fun and also work among the droves of hikers and climbers. Its pretty great, and nearly always climbable! Smith is home to some of the best and most classic sport climbing lines in the United States. There is a rich history of climbing in the park, and before it gained the reputation as a mecca of sport climbing, Smith was a place that helped push the grades of hard traditional free climbing, To top it off, the scenery is phenomenal! As my friend Jon Manz once said, "You can point a camera in literally any direction and take an amazing photo." Smith Rock State Park is absolutely stunning. The desert and river meet to create a harmonious and lush beauty. Soft greens are contrasted by sharp tans and reds. These are typically laid out below a brilliant blue sky in one of nature's greatest triumphs. Combine that with the great views of snowcapped Oregon volcanoes, daily sunsets that drop jaws, and birds of prey soaring around the park and you have the stuff of postcards. Don't worry about those geese though ;)

Eric enjoying the amazing scenery

Of all of the amazing routes to climb in the Park, my favorite day out is a combination of a couple easy to moderate traditional routes. The link up of Moscow (5.6, though the 5.7 variation to the first pitch is much better) and Spiderman (5.7) gives climbers a day of travel through the majority of the park. The rock quality on both routes is high, with the obligatory choss pitch found on nearly any Smith multi-pitch.

I have climbed Moscow a LOT. It is a great introduction to the park for those interested in traditional climbing. This route has 3 guidebook pitches, though it can be done in two long and fun pitches. It is a direct line up a clean corner with varying degrees of slab, so there are no rope drag issues if you do it in long pitches. For an efficient team, simul-climbing Moscow can be a fun and fast way to get to the top of the Misery Ridge trail. I have literally done it faster than I can walk up the trail. It is also a great route for practicing guiding skills, such as 5th class to short rope transitions and belay station management. When guiding this climb, I usually do it in four shorter pitches.

Cassie hand jammin!

Amy in the middle of the route

Photo of me taken by Tamerea

Spiderman is a super fun climb. It is on the west side of the park, so getting to it can be time consuming. That is why I love the linkup with Moscow! The best part about Spiderman is that it feels exposed, and goes through some dead vertical climbing. It is usually done in two or three pitches. Linking the first two pitches is a convenient way to save time, but when guiding this route I recommend following the guidebook three pitch description. The other good reason to climb this route, is that it provides a quick way to get back to the parking lot. A lot of people will leave their gear at the base and then rap or walk off in order to get their bags to just walk all the way back around the park. It is way easier to climb with your bag and then walk across the formation top to find the anchors in the Cinnamon Slab area. There are multiple options for rappel anchors and the variety accommodates both 60 and 70 meter ropes.