Zig Zag, 5.7**/Pitch 1 variation, 5.8**

    Gear Used:
  • 60 meter rope
  • gear to 3 inches
  • slings
March 16, 2008

The Drive

Mt. Erie is one of the few crags in Washington that is easily accessible from Seattle. By easily accessible I mean less than 3 hours to reach. It usually takes us about an hour and 20 minutes to get there from my front door. After driving I-5 North for about an hour take SR 20 West for about 15 minutes. Take a left at a stop light (still SR 20) and drive towards Deception Pass. Take a right at Campbell Lake Road and another right at the Mount Erie Grocery which leaves you on Heart Lake Road. There is a small pull off shortly after the store for the Snag Buttress trail otherwise continue another mile for the state road to the top of Mt. Erie and access to the Powerline Wall and the Summit Wall.

From the parking lot you hike up the trail. You quickly find a fork with a sign that warns you that the trail is closed. Ignore it and take the right hand trail for a bit until you see another trail cut up the slope on your left. Follow it until you are at the base of Snag Buttress.

Zig Zag, 2 pitches

Pitch 1, 5.8

Travis and I started on a different first pitch than I used back in February. There are so many different options in front of you at Mt. erie you rarely have to do the same route twice. If you walk to the left and around the bulge from the original start you have a couple of cracks in front of you. I chose the first crack which had a rusty piton about 15 feet up and a shiny new bolt up higher. It was really fun climbing and you can protect it with small stoppers. I used one small alien in the tiny crack. Once the crack ends I clipped the bolt and then moved to the left and followed 3 more bolts to the belay. I'm guessing this pitch is 5.7, maybe 5.8. It's basically face climbing with real sticky feet.

Mt. Erie
Travis climbing the first pitch.
Mt. Erie
On the upper face following brand new bolts.

Pitch 2, 5.7

We combined the last two pitches into one. This worked out really well and with no rope drag. I used stoppers on the ramp and saved some cams for the awesome lie back at the top of the pitch. This sped the climb up quite a bit and made for a very enjoyable pitch.

Mt. Erie
Travis climbing the low angled ramp.
Mt. Erie
Travis pulling through the crux of the climb.

For the descent we hiked up to another set of chains and down climbed a little bit to the top of Potholes. You can make three rappels back to the ground. The first pitch ended up being a great alternative for the regular 5.6 corner.

-Useful guide books-

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