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Elevation: 1,630 ft 497 m
GPS: 47.8829, -119.09157
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 162,607 total · 827/month
Shared By: Lacey LaDuke on Oct 4, 2008 · Updates
Admins: Jon Nelson, Micah Klesick, Zachary Winters, Mitchell McAuslan

Description Suggest change

Hot in the summer, great in the spring and fall. It can be a bit windy at times. Generally the rocks are not crowded.
The rock is granite and excellent. Watch for loose holds and bring your tape as it can be hard on the hands!

Also for those of you with bee allergies bring your Epi-Pen the bees can be pretty thick and sometimes nest in the flakes on some of the routes. We especially noticed this at Roadside Rock and a bit in the sunny parts of Northrup Canyon.

Bring your bouldering pad there are countless problems for any level of climber. The problems are only limited by your own imagination.

There are numerous trad routes and several well protected sport routes. There aren't many opportunities to set up top ropes.

Camp at Jones Bay to be right by the boulders, or Steamboat Rock state park. Other nearby camping options include Sunbanks Resort and Osborn Bay. Free camping (in an area that does NOT allow campfires) can be found by going down the road ACROSS from the road into Osborn Bay.

There are also several seedy looking hotels/motels in and around Electric City (3 Miles away) and Grand Coulee (5 Miles)

Getting There Suggest change

From Spokane - Take highway 2 to Electric City (Just past the Grand Coulee Dam) and go about 3 miles further until you see the granite all over the place.

192 Total Climbs

Route Finder - Best Climbs for YOU!

Location: Banks Lake Change
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Classic Climbing Routes at Banks Lake

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
WI5
 5
Zenith
Ice 2 pitches
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 7
Seam-iotics
Trad 2 pitches
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 39
Bono
Sport
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 10
Rashomon
Sport
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 13
Bassomatic
Trad, TR
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 20
Heart of Stone
Sport 5 pitches
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 18
Ignorance is Bliss
Sport
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 31
Dr. Ceuse
Sport
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 11
Prime Cut
Trad
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
 20
Tom Thumbs Blues
Sport
5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 20
How Homer Got His Groove
Sport
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 23
Flower Power
Sport, TR
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 6
Flight from Urushiol
Sport
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
 6
Young Lions
Sport
5.12b/c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
 6
Baptism by Whipper
Sport
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Zenith Banks Lake Ice Climbing
 5
WI5 Ice 2 pitches
Seam-iotics Post Modern Wall
 7
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad 2 pitches
Bono Rdside Rock > Rdside Rock East
 39
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Sport
Rashomon Rdside Rock > Rdside Rock West
 10
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Sport
Bassomatic Bastion
 13
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad, TR
Heart of Stone Orange Wall
 20
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Sport 5 pitches
Ignorance is Bliss Northrup Canyon > Picnic Table Rock
 18
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Sport
Dr. Ceuse Northrup Canyon > Picnic Table Rock
 31
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Sport
Prime Cut Prime Cut Area
 11
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Trad
Tom Thumbs Blues Rdside Rock > Rdside Rock East
 20
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b Sport
How Homer Got His Groove Northrup Canyon > Gibralter Rocks > E Gibralter
 20
5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Sport
Flower Power Rdside Rock > Rdside Rock East
 23
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Sport, TR
Flight from Urushiol Northrup Canyon > Gibralter Rocks > E Gibralter
 6
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Sport
Young Lions Rdside Rock > Rdside Rock East
 6
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a Sport
Baptism by Whipper Northrup Canyon > Gibralter Rocks > E Gibralter
 6
5.12b/c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b Sport
More Classic Climbs in Banks Lake »

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