& The ground rules for climbing location "yeahs" and "neahs"
Summary
Located on the dry, east side of the Cascades outside of Terrebonne, OR (near Bend), Smith Rock is truly a world-class destination climbing area. The rock is primarily welded Tuff (which is what Smith is best known for), but there are also areas of high quality basalt. Yes, it is incredibly beautiful here!
Grades and Bolting
Grades tend to be typical outside hard (i.e. definitely harder than most gyms), but not really old-school or overly sandbagged (perhaps somewhat sandbagged). Bolted climbs are often well bolted (not run-out), but the first bolts are placed quite high. Smith is known for difficult starts. Because of that, combined with the high first bolts, a stick clip is highly recommended.
Camping and Amenities
There is the Bivouac (aka the "Bivy") campground at Smith Rock State Park (which has quite a few restrictions, such as quiet time and no cooking at the tent). The "Bivy" has showers and bathrooms with running water and is first-come first-served (no reservations).
Skull Hollow campground has fewer restrictions but is farther away. Skull hollow has pit toilets, no running water or showers (so bring your own water!). There used to be free primitive sites just outside of the Skull Hollow campground where you could camp if Skull Hollow was full or closed for the season, but the Forest Service just put in camping restrictions (see link below). Check those restrictions before pitching a tent outside of the campground.
New dispersed camping restrictions at Skull Hollow - http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd507382.pdf
Rock Type and Climbing Style
The rock can be sharp with crimpy holds and cool knobs and chicken heads. It usually has great friction, but popular climbs can be slick. The climbing is mostly featured face, but there are some cracks and slab.
Guidebooks and Resources
Yeahs
Neahs
Opinion Rating
It Rocks!
Photos and beta
- Each location will receive an opinion rating - "It Rocks!", "Worth It," "Meh," or "Trash."
- Each crag has its own personality with unique advantages and challenges, which are highlighted.
- It is tempting to list “beautiful” as a “yeah,” but that is true for a lot of crags. I allude to beauty and scenery in the summary. You can also (sometimes) tell by the photo. If the place is a dump, then that will be listed in the “neahs” and rated as "Meh" or "Trash.
Summary
Located on the dry, east side of the Cascades outside of Terrebonne, OR (near Bend), Smith Rock is truly a world-class destination climbing area. The rock is primarily welded Tuff (which is what Smith is best known for), but there are also areas of high quality basalt. Yes, it is incredibly beautiful here!
Grades and Bolting
Grades tend to be typical outside hard (i.e. definitely harder than most gyms), but not really old-school or overly sandbagged (perhaps somewhat sandbagged). Bolted climbs are often well bolted (not run-out), but the first bolts are placed quite high. Smith is known for difficult starts. Because of that, combined with the high first bolts, a stick clip is highly recommended.
Camping and Amenities
There is the Bivouac (aka the "Bivy") campground at Smith Rock State Park (which has quite a few restrictions, such as quiet time and no cooking at the tent). The "Bivy" has showers and bathrooms with running water and is first-come first-served (no reservations).
Skull Hollow campground has fewer restrictions but is farther away. Skull hollow has pit toilets, no running water or showers (so bring your own water!). There used to be free primitive sites just outside of the Skull Hollow campground where you could camp if Skull Hollow was full or closed for the season, but the Forest Service just put in camping restrictions (see link below). Check those restrictions before pitching a tent outside of the campground.
New dispersed camping restrictions at Skull Hollow - http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd507382.pdf
Rock Type and Climbing Style
The rock can be sharp with crimpy holds and cool knobs and chicken heads. It usually has great friction, but popular climbs can be slick. The climbing is mostly featured face, but there are some cracks and slab.
Guidebooks and Resources
- A Climber's Map for Smith Rock State Park: Crag Summaries, Approaches, and Walkoffs (2017) by Climb-On Maps
- Rock Climbing Smith Rock State Park: A Comprehensive Guide to More Than 1,800 Routes, by Alan Watts (2010) (Amazon.com)
- SmithRock.com
- Smith Rock Select, by Jonathan Thesenga
- electronic Rakkup guidebook (https://rakkup.com/guidebooks/smith-rock-climbing/ )
- Print guide (2009) (Amazon.com)
Yeahs
- There are thousands of routes, sport and trad, single and muti-pitch.
- Smith is a very large area where you can go further and escape the crowds.
- There are multiple hiking trails for rest days and exploraton.
- Camping is nearby.
- It’s just a few miles from a store, restaurants, gasoline, and a climbing store in Terrebonne.
- Weather can be variable in the winter, but you can hit great days of winter climbing.
Neahs
- Unless you are climbing at the far north end basalt columns where you can top-out and walk to your car, Smith Rock has a long uphill slog back to the car at the end of the day.
- High first bolts – bring a stick clip.
- Holds are getting greasy on the easier climbs in some of the most popular areas, such as the Dihedrals and the Peanut.
- There are usually lines for popular climbs on busy weekends (in the Morning Glory Wall area). Plan alternatives or be prepared to wait.
- On busy weekends the no-camping restrictions outside of Skullhollow campground can really put a damper on things (since both the Bivy and Skullhollow campgrounds can be full.) There are some more expensive RV-park camping options in the vicinity.
Opinion Rating
It Rocks!
Photos and beta
