Climbing in Leavenworth VS. The Gym

 

Figure 1 Leavenworth view

Climbing in Leavenworth Vs. The Bouldering Gym?

            By Kat Stanley

Leavenworth Climbing is the biggest bouldering destination in all of Washington state. Nestled near a beautiful Bavarian style town with the same name, the granite climbing areas are majestic. Stunning hills, lush with tall green trees, and mountain views surround it. This trip is my fifth time climbing here, and every time it takes my breath away as we drive closer. The boulders snake alongside the rushing Wenatchee River and Icicle creek. They are accessed right off Highway 2.

Part of the appeal of climbing here is really the lack of long approaches. Most of the boulders are within short distance. Yes your local gym is closer, and air conditioned. But you have to pay 20 – 30$ for a day pass. There are probably 30 to 50 routes you can boulder at your gym, but Leavenworth has hundreds of climbs.

 Normally, if you want to climb outside, you have a long hike before you even reach the rocks. Then you have a long hike out at the end of the day, but Leavenworth is different. Not only are the approaches short, but the quantity of boulders is unusually high, it is the best in Washington. I’ve explored Washington climbing spots in Spring Mountain, The Cascades, Banks Lake, and Multiple Gyms for bouldering, Leavenworth is the best. Each quarter mile is marked on the guidebook to help you find the climb you want. Boulders dot the road, some are a two-minute walk, others are hidden clusters. Most are within a 15 minute hiking distance. The number of cars parked on the road can be a clue for how busy a climbing area is. These parking spots and turnoffs along Highway 2 make access super easy as well.

I wanted to go there to have fun and challenge myself on some boulders, I went with my dog, Juniper, and my boyfriend, Mackenzie. We have climbed together a lot over the years, both in the gym and outdoors. For outside, I do recommend climbing with a partner for safety.

I had a few specific climbs in mind that I wanted to try for my trip. We mostly wanted to get out in nature and enjoy some bouldering. We didn’t mind hiking a bit further to have less busy areas. If you want to try some popular climbs, people are courteous and share the rock. Leavenworth has a wide variety of locals and out-of-state climbers. People are good at climbing etiquette outside. Most are welcoming and happy to offer Beta (only if asked). Beta is a climbing word that refers to tips, tricks, and just general advice on how to get up a climbing route more efficiently. It is considered poor etiquette to “Spray Beta” or tell someone unsolicited advice, part of the fun of climbing is trying to solve the problem on your own. Most climbers would like time to figure the problem before sharing ideas with others. I’ve only run into “Beta Sprayers” at the gym.

Day one, Camping:

Figure 2 Our little campsite & Juniper

I left after work, and it was a beautiful day to drive out. We decided to camp the night before climbing to get an early start on the first day. Camping is super easy, as there are many campsites around Leavenworth. Mackenzie and I car camp as that is the easiest when you want a good night’s sleep to climb well.

Juniper is always excited to go on hikes and run around the outdoors. I will say that many climbers are in precarious positions on a rock and falling is dangerous, so keeping your dogs on leash on the trail is good. I also make sure she is secure and tied up while around the bouldering area. It is an important courtesy of others and helps keep climbing safe. You should check which camping areas allow dogs, as some do and some don’t. Icicle creek has about 5 or so different campgrounds and there are many more in the area. But we had no issues at our site. If you choose to bring your dog you should prepare a little for hiking or climbing locations.

I like the camping aspect to an outdoor climbing trip. It is part of the adventure! If you want to go climb in a gym you can just drive there and climb and head back home to your cozy bed. Perhaps if you don’t like mosquitos an indoor climbing option is nice to have. However gyms indoors are all made with similar plastic holds. They can’t truly replicate the unique features to explore on granite rocks.

Figure 3 Mackenzie regretting offering
to hike carrying  both of our crash pads.

We had our camping spot all to ourselves which was nice. It can be super fun to make friends at camp, but it is also peaceful to get a private spot. Sometimes the main Leavenworth campground is overflowing and there are no camping spots left. I think it is a good idea to have a plan B if your first location is full. We went on a little night hike with Juniper around the area and then made dinner. Fortunately, it is a short drive to get into town if you need to grab more food.  In the morning, we had breakfast and made coffee. The sun was shining, and it was great weather for climbing. We packed up our camping items, filled our waters, and drove to Icicle Creek! Time to climb!

What should you Pack for climbing?

What’s nice about bouldering is you only need to bring your crash pad and climbing shoes. The crash pad is what you land on if you fall. Maybe some chalk if your hands get sweaty. I also like to bring a backpack if we spend the whole day climbing. In addition to the climbing gear I pack water, electrolytes, and snacks for myself. For Juniper I bring a leash, treats, blanket, a collapsible bowl, and extra water.

For Leavenworth, I do recommend checking the weather before any climbing trip, as it changes a lot. I usually bring layers, so if I get cold, I can bundle up. I bring one waterproof layer as well. I recommend moisture wicking clothes that aren’t cotton, because if it gets wet from sweat and stays wet you will be very cold and struggle to regulate temperature. However, when climbing or hiking you will get hot and need to remove layers to cool down! So I wore hiking pants, a tee shirt, brought a rain coat, and fleece layers. Due to the shorter approach, I wore sandals so I could change to my climbing shoes easily. However, I wouldn’t recommend this unless they have a good grip, as it was a bit slippery on some uphill sections. It can be very steep around the boulders. Normally on a longer approach I’d recommend hiking boots or running shoes. Just keep in mind, that while the Leavenworth Boulders are conveniently close, there is incline and pine litter, so you may want a grippier pair of shoes for your own trip. I realize at the Gym you only need to bring shoes and chalk, so it has the big advantage here when it comes to packing! At the gym the whole floor is your crash pad and you might feel a bit safer falling. This is why many outside climbers still train at a gym, where dynamic moves feel low risk for injuries.

Day 2: Climbing day!

Hiking in & first Boulders:

We walked about ten minutes to the first group of boulders at Clamshell Cave. We started on some warmup boulders that are super easy to get into the flow of climbing. We explored the Cube Boulder first. Then, we climbed the Gandalf and the Hobbit ones. It was a pretty hike out and we had three boulder zones in an area all to ourselves! I did have a V4 level climbing Project in mind for this trip, this climb is titled “Crimp, Crimp, Slap, Throw”. Climbs are graded starting at V0, V1, V2, V3 etc. and up. It is usually a very big difference between the grades, someone who has never climbed before might find the V0 very challenging. However to reach a V1 in the outdoors, you must learn some techniques and skills. Anything above that requires months or years of training. I can typically climb up to V3 or V4 ranges but it depends on the style of climb. I’m trying to break into the more V4/V5 range, however that requires consistent training every week and I’m not able to commit to that! My goal was to just have fun on all the climbs but still choose one to challenge myself. I choose the “crimp, crimp” climb because I had heard it was hard for a V4. The bottom half of this climb has a style of small holds that I prefer. Even the guide book jokingly asks if anyone has beta on it, implying even the authors found this route hard to complete. It isn’t a highball boulder, or risky. However, the last move is very challenging. It is a big jump to a sloping horn (a hard to hold rock). Doing a big dynamic move at the top of a climb makes me anxious about falling. I usually don’t put all my energy into going for the send if I want to have a controlled, and safe fall. Every climber will make a move and gauge the risk based on skill level. Always aware that climbing is inherently very dangerous activity.

 

Figure 4 Mackenzie on a crack climb,” Crimp, Crimp” Climb is to the left of the one he is on

 

“Crimp, Crimp, Slap, Throw”

You could see the chalk from other climbers hands who had tried this climb before. I felt excited for the challenge. As we approached the rock, I could see just how big that last move really was. I was already doubting my ability to send this climb today. The name of the climb is a clue to the holds and the movement. That last move really was a “throw”. The climbing jargon for “crimp” means it has very thin and small holds. The first four hand holds are very tiny crimps and there are only little nubs of rock sticking out for your feet. I’ve circled the handholds here, to see the route I took a little better. Standing on almost nothing, you are holding onto a couple millimeters of positive granite. The remaining face of the rock is smooth. Only the tips of my fingers were in contact with the granite razor.

Figure 5 My project climb, the two dashes are where your feet start and the yellow circles show all the hand holds, the blue arrow is the direction you follow to go up the climb

 Just establishing the start was challenging for me. This route is slightly overhanging so you are leaning backwards as well. Mackenzie, (who is stronger and usually climbs higher grades than me) couldn’t establish the start on this one at all! The crimps were too small for him. I tried a few more times, took deep breaths to place my feet. I placed fingertips on the razor edge,  again and again. I carefully balanced feet on toothpicks of rock. I was able to hold the start and make the first four moves on it (Circled in Yellow) the path I followed to get up the climb is the blue arrow.

However, the final move for this climb is a very dynamic jump to this horn at the top of the boulder. I hesitated the first try as I was too scared to jump for it. On the second go, I really jumped up. Over and over again I wasn’t powerful enough to get as high as I needed to be to reach the hold. One thing to keep in mind is climbing grades vary a lot, and most are set in the 1990’s in this area by men who were 6’2”. As a 5’4” climber, I just have to figure out different beta sometimes. I worked on different styles until I was tired. Eventually I was too exhausted to reach the top of the climb. Without enough energy, I could never make the final move. That’s okay, climbing at your limit means a lot of falling and failing, but you get stronger the more you try. You learn something different from every send.

The Crack Climb:

My boyfriend, Mackenzie worked on a crack climb to the right of my project climb. I got to rest and hang out with Juniper, while he played with this route for a while. He has a lot of history with mountaineering and traditional climbing (where you place your climbing gear in cracks) on a wall. Some other climbers joined us while he was working on his route, we all took turns trying the boulder. I made sure to tie Juniper up so she wouldn’t distract them from their climb. Mackenzie was able to get to the top of that route after a few tries.  With crack climbing you can ONLY use the crack for both feet and hands, It is listed as a V1 level climb, but no one could complete it except Mackenzie, this is where climbing style is variable. Grades are not a straightforward guideline for how hard a boulder is.  The three climbers that joined us were happy to see our dog and say hi. They tried the “crimp” climb quite a few times, and we all chatted about Beta for that last move I couldn’t get. That’s a typical interaction at Leavenworth, it’s usually busy there. It’s rare to have access to a boulder to yourself for the whole day, people move around and are pretty happy to take turns and offer beta.

Last Boulder:  

Figure 6 our last boulder

We had a quick snack break and then went to our last boulder area. I think this route is still unnamed but is listed as a V3. It was challenging following a seam along a boulder. You had to layback, with no good spot for your feet to land. It was not deep enough to get a good grip inside the seam like you would on a crack climb. In addition, the landing area was steep with sharp rocks behind. Not a place you can afford to take a fall, even with both crash pads. Mackenzie and I spotted each other, he tried a couple times but missed the last move. He needed to place feet very high, and he didn’t want me to actually have to catch him, so he chose a controlled fall. I was able to get it on my second try and then he sent it right after me! It felt really good to get to the top of something after so many times failing on the Crimpy climb.

Why climb outside instead of at the gym?

When I’m climbing, everything goes away, it’s just me and the rock. It feels meditative, no stress, and I’m very connected with nature. When I’m on a longer route I feel like I’m in a flow state; each move is like a dance and connects to the last smoothly. Getting to the top feels satisfying and is a great payoff with a beautiful view for your hard work and sweat. However, climbing in a gym can never truly prepare you for the outdoors, a V4 in the gym is like a V0 outdoors. The grades are harder, the rock will cut up your hands more, the moves are higher risk, and you have to monitor how you fall. Yet, the thrill of outside makes it a fun experience. You interact with unique rock features, and marvel at how we can even get up something so overhung with tiny hand holds. The granite holds are all so unique outside. Sometimes moving a mm makes a hold easy to hang onto, when before it felt impossible. The gym holds are plastic and designed to be straightforward in how to hold them. You are indoors in a sweaty, chalk-dusty room waiting for your turn on a route that 5 or 6 other people want to climb. Yes, the gym can be fun and friendly but the fresh air and sunshine feels so great during a climb.

Physics plays a role too, where your body is positioned can make a tiny hold feel suddenly so easy. In the wrong position gravity overtakes you. Somedays when you feel “off” or not strong, we jokingly call it a “high gravity day”. Climbing outside of a gym, even on a “high gravity day”, is a good day. You get to hang out with friends, go on a sunny hike in lush trees with great views. It’s a grounding experience that reminds you of your own strength but also the beauty of nature. Sometimes you leave the gym in a bad mood after a rough climbing session. I’ve never left Leavenworth feeling crumby, even when I don’t get the sends. I’m just stoked on the overall outdoor experience on real rock.

Where to eat:

Post climb we were famished, and we went into town for a big pizza and a beer. Juniper just wanted to nap for a bit. After all the hiking and exciting smells, she was pretty tired. It seemed Like Juniper had a lot of fun meeting climbers and hiking trails with us. Lot’s of climbers bring their dogs here. We didn’t bring her in the restaurant for food, she had her own kibble (and maybe we gave her a peperoni or two later). Some places offer outside seating and are dog friendly, but others are not.  Admittedly, it can be very busy in town during tourism season. Early spring isn’t usually too overwhelming with crowds yet. We like to go to the “Leavenworth Pizza Company”. I also enjoy the food at Munchen Haus, for a great bratwurst or Gustav’s for a pretty beer garden. There’s so many food and drink options that you can’t really go wrong in town.

Final Thoughts on our Leavenworth trip

Climbing tests your limits. Both physically and mentally. Yes, you are surrounded by beautiful nature, but climbers are there to challenge strength, both physical and mental. You have to deal with fingers bleeding from sharp rocks, or sketchy falls. Bouldering is a very pure form of climbing, and if you do it outside or in a gym you can still call yourself a “climber”. I think the outside has more to offer for the experience, while the gym has it’s place for convenience and training. At the Gym you are stuck with the same routes your setters prefer, you can’t branch out into styles you like. Where as at Leavenworth you could find something in any climbing style you like. Overhang or slab or crimps, it has it all!  All you need are your shoes, chalk, and a crash pad to fall on. That is it. Bouldering is ropeless. Just you and the rock. No rope or harness to catch if you fall. No gear to help you ascend a mountain. When bouldering, you get to become mindful of each movement.  A calculated choice reaching for an uncertain hold or taking a fall.  Sometimes you know you can make a move. You are at the top of the boulder and have overcome the mental block of falling. or missing your crash pad. That feeling of strength when you complete a scary move is unmatched. You finally get to the top of a boulder after trying all day. When you get to the top of a climb at a gym, you are met with a chalky ceiling, you’ve touched the final plastic puzzle. Then you downclimb and that’s it. When you get to the top of your boulder in Leavenworth, you can stand up tall. Take a look around, breathe in mountain air, see trees and hawks soaring. The top of the climb is so much sweeter with such views, the birds singing and dappled sun on your shoulders.

Leavenworth offers this experience in abundance. Not only are there so many boulders to choose from, it’s a short approach and perfect granite rock. Around Washington you run into a lot of crumbly basalt, or other unwelcoming rock. The gym plastic might be sturdy, but it’s boring! Granite is the climber’s favorite for a reason and Leavenworth has it. Along with plentiful climbs, beautiful trees, sunshine, mountain views, and friendly locals. Mackenzie and I were happy with trying hard during our trip and topping a few boulders. Plus, the pizza was amazing. I can’t recommend Leavenworth enough. The stunning views and boulders offer something for everyone, from novice to experienced climbers. It’s nice to get outside and touch a real rock.

 

Figure 7 Smiles after climbing in Leavenworth