Zig Zag, 5.7** / On Eagles Wings, 5.10a

    Gear Used:
  • 60 meter rope
  • gear to 3 inches
  • slings
November 19, 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, 3 pitches

Pitch 1, 5.6

Start with the obvious right-facing corner near the left side of formation. Fun climbing with good pro lead up to a bush/tree that I avoided by climbing on the face/arrete. Once out of the corner system you reach a large ledge, I climbed straight up a short face from the ledge to a chain anchor on the slab.

Mt. Erie
Abe climbing the first pitch.

Pitch 2, 5.7

I like to combine pitch 2 and 3 together to speed up the route. Make sure to use long slings until you climb the undercling to the top. The 5.6 ramp system that leads to the snag is pretty easy but can be tricky to protect. Climb this ramp system until right before the snag and then head straight up and to the right of the undercling. You have to make a couple of committing moves on sloper holds with no gear until you reach a bomber crack. Then cruise the awesome but to short undercling to the large belay ledge.

Mt. Erie
Abe climbing the ramp system.
Mt. Erie
I never get in any of my pictures so here is a self portrait (of my foot).
Mt. Erie
Abe pulling the crux onto the belay ledge.

On Eagles Wings, 5.10a

This ended up being our 3rd pitch up this awesome rock wall! We scrambled up 10 feet from the ledge to a set of bolts. I made a quick anchor for Abe to belay from and hung my trad rack from a tree. This pitch is all sport climbing which felt great to climb without a heavy gear rack.

The climbing was great through out the whole pitch! Crimpy and technical with the bolts always there when you feel like you need them. It was great to look down and see the ground hundreds of feet below you! Wow! What a cool place!

Mt. Erie
Abe climbing On Eagles Wings.

We did a total of 3 rappels to get back to the ground. Tie knots at the end of your rope! The first rap was a full 30 meters to a station down and climbers left. The second rap was down to the first belay. The third rap went to the ground. It ended up being a beautiful sunny day!

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