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Index Town Walls

Submitted By: Lizzy Trower on Jan 26, 2006
Administrator: Peter Franzen
Latitude: 47.8202  Longitude: -121.556 
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Godzilla.
Photo by Blitzo.


Description 

Index contains possibly Washington's best granite climbing. The routes range from shorter single-pitch routes to long 500'-high walls. Although the main attraction of the area for most is the spectacular crack climbing (fine-grained granite that makes gorgeous cracks that are much less abrasive than J-Tree or Leavenworth), there is also some sport climbing and many aid routes. Although rain can be an issue (it is western Washington), summer conditions are often ideal and some routes can still be done in a light drizzle.


Getting There 

Drive east on Highway 2 and turn left onto the road that leads to Index Town. After the bridge, turn left at the stop sign and continue along the small road (past the shooting range). There will be a parking lot on the right. Out of the parking lot, you cross the train tracks. A couple more steps and the Lower Town Wall is right there. Other areas might require longer approaches.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Index Town Walls:
Aires   5.8+     Trad, 5 pitches, 250 feet, Grade II   Lower Wall : Great Northern Slab
Toxic Shock   5.9     Trad, 1 pitch   Inner Walls
Godzilla   5.9     Trad, 1 pitch   Lower Wall : Main Wall
GM Route   5.9     Trad, 3 pitches, Grade II   Lower Wall : The Country
Princely Ambitions   5.9     Trad, 2 pitches, Grade II   Lower Wall : Main Wall
Breakfast of Champions   5.10a     Trad, 1 pitch, 40 feet   Lower Wall : Great Northern Slab
Sagittarius   5.10a/b     Trad, 1 pitch, 90 feet   Lower Wall : Main Wall
Davis-Holland Route   5.10c     Trad, 3 pitches, 400 feet, Grade III   Upper Town Wall
Lovin' Arms   5.10c A0     Trad, Aid, 3 pitches   Upper Town Wall
Dr. Sniff and the Tuna Boaters   5.10d     Trad   Lower Wall : Main Wall
Sloe Children   5.10d     Trad, 1 pitch, 100 feet   Lower Wall : Main Wall
Cunning Stunt   5.10d     Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Lower Wall : The Country
Thin Fingers   5.11a     Trad, 1 pitch, 120 feet   Lower Wall : Main Wall
Heaven's Gate   5.11a     Trad, 4 pitches   Upper Town Wall
Even Steven   5.11b     Trad, 1 pitch   Inner Walls
Model Worker   5.11c     Trad, 1 pitch, 120 feet   Lower Wall : Main Wall
Kite Flying Blind   5.11c     Sport, 2 pitches, 200 feet   Lower Wall : The Country
Japanese Gardens   5.11+     Trad, 1 pitch, 200 feet   Lower Wall : Main Wall
Iron Horse   5.11d     Trad, 1 pitch, 120 feet   Lower Wall : Main Wall
Numbah Ten   5.12     Sport, 1 pitch, 90 feet   Lower Wall : Main Wall
Browse More Classics in Index Town Walls

Featured Route For Index Town Walls
Japanese gradens pitch 1

Japanese Gardens 5.11+  WA : Index Town Walls : ... : Main Wall
To the left of Godzilla, City Park, etc. Starts with a fun 10a section in a short left-facing dihedral. Trends right then back left and up a wide crack (protects great with a #3 Camalot). This "pitch" ends at chains, but the fun continues if you keep going to the next anchor. The wide section continues, with high steps and laybacking. A #3.5 and a #4 Camalot sews this up. Two cruxes remain where the crack peters down to fi...[more]   Browse More Classics in WA


Photos of Index Town Walls Slideshow Add Photo
Mt. Index.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Mt. Index.
Photo by Blitzo.

This is Index!

This is Index!


Comments on Index Town Walls Add Comment
Show which comments —
By Drewsky
Apr 13, 2009
CONDITION REPORT 

Climbing Access at the Lower Town Wall and some adjacent areas is currently imperiled by potential mining/development operations. Negotiations are currently underway between the owner(s) and the appropriate entities (Access Fund, Washington Climbers Coalition). If you enjoy climbing at the Town Walls, please watch for more info. When the chance presents itself, consider DONATING to this worthy cause. In the meantime, please respect any potential closures or restrictions that may or may not affect climbing at the Town Walls.

By jonah
Feb 9, 2006

Everybody should get Darryl Cramer's excellent guide to the area, Sky Valley Rock. But for a temporary guide if you can't find his, try: http://www.stanford.edu/~clint/index/
Not as user friendly, but gives you an idea of the area.

By Spanish John
Mar 21, 2006

This is probably one of the most underrated climbing areas around; I hope it stays that way. I learned to climb there; I hope the climbing and the town never change.

By Eric8
From: boston
Apr 15, 2008

Most locals think the town walls are better than the cookie.

By dscramer
Dec 30, 2008

The FA dates for routes in the 1980s in both the Smoot and Cummins guides are for the most part very inaccurate. For example, the FFA of Clay was after 1984 and Sonic Reducer was climbed well before 1984.

By Drewsky
Dec 31, 2008

Edit: I took the FA dates out of most of the routes I've added because I have no independent knowledge of when they were climbed. I'll stick to giving first hand info about routes I've done or have had experience with.

By Paul Shultz
From: Caldwell, NJ
Mar 15, 2009

I climbed here on the way back to Bellingham from the Bugaboos. I didn't do to many routes but its a gorgeous setting and I'd love to go back!