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Upper Gorge

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Upper Gorge

  
Submitted By: Bryson Slothower on Mar 1, 2006
Administrator: Peter Franzen
Elevation: 185 feet
Views: 877 page views

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Description 

Steller basalt sport climbing with a small sprinkling of trad climbs. Mostly upper grades 11's and up.


Getting There 

Up stream from the Lower Gorge. Either bushwack or take a long walk and scramble down from the top of the North side of the Gorge.



Featured Route For Upper Gorge
Starting up the beautiful double-arete column of The Urge.

The Urge 5.12d  OR : Smith Rock : Upper Gorge
This is another basalt ultra-classic that mysteriously receives a sandbag split-grade in the guidebook. As if there were any doubt this was at least 12d! Unless you're a honed basalt master, this will probably feel like 5.13. Perhaps the sandbag is due to the fact that the route is relatively easy most of the way, with a sinister double crux between the 3rd & 4th bolts....[more]


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By Peter Franzen
Administrator
From: Portland, OR
Sep 1, 2008

Condition update on the approach:

Apparently, nobody goes here any more. After dropping down the gully from the rim we were faced with some hellish bushwhacking through 8ft. tall reeds and underbrush. We were able to fight our way to E-Type Jag, but most routes out here will need some significant brush clearing in order to have a place from which to belay.

Full-length pants and sleeves should be considered essential equipment for this approach, and a machete wouldn't be a bad idea either.

E-Type is still worth the hike though.