[Hide Comment] There seems to be some confusion about the rock type here. It is not sandstone, but an Igneous Breccia. Most of the clasts are Scoria. Sep 28, 2010

[Hide Comment] Took a group of 12 out here today with Jacob Holmstead. Met a pair of dudes who had climbed with Bill and put up a new route. Climbed their route - Bewitched direct, .10a (I would guess). We did some aggressive cleaning on a few of the more moderate routes (Coecoenut Bridge, Better Than Sex, the .9 to the right of BTS, Dragon Spine 1st pitch, and Ujahn's)... which included moss-tearing, boulder-trundling, dirt-sweeping, and nubbin-popping. Can't say we were quite as productive in building up the belay area or the trail, which could use some work. Really excited about the potential of the area. REALLY want to top out next time I'm here!

PS - To clarify directions: take a RIGHT on OR-224 past mile marker 45, NOT over the green bridge. You will immediately pass Indian Henry campground on the left. Continue up the road, staying right at all junctions, for about 10 miles, until you come to the road closed sign. From here the previously posted directions are good. Oct 18, 2010

[Hide Comment] Psyched that you folks all loved it Nate. It's an incredible spot with some fun but sick knobaliciousness happening. As it's located high at the 3300 foot level, it really comes into its own in the heat of the summer when Smith Rock is cooking and too hot to do anything but sip umbrella drinks in the shade by the Eagle Crest Resort golf courses or swimming pools.

For everyone else, as said above although there is currently over 3000 vertical feet of enjoyable bolted climbing on the main weathered knobby silicified tuff-breccia formation: there's lots more to be had, and IF anyone wants to show up and an lay some more pipe and do the hard work have at it. If you don't like bolts don't head out here as every thing but the Salethe Highway route is 100% bolts. There are hundreds of new routes waiting out here to be done in the vicinity. HUNDREDS! . Currently, ALL of the routes can be rappelled with a single 60M rope. No need to haul an extra rope no matter how high off the deck you get. This is a standard it would be nice to keep.

There are some lonely Fixe stainless sport anchor rap stations that don't have bolts to them off to the right (see photo, anchors marked with XX). These are "want ta be routes". If you find an anchor set and get in the mood, please jump in, bolt and finish the line. I uploaded a picture showing those anchors I put in. I was planning on doing them but ripped up rotator cuffs on both shoulders led to running out of mental juice. (Also, I like climbing cracks and there are none within miles of this spot:-) They need to get done, so Git her dun!!! We were using 1/2" x 6-1/2 or 7" long stainless steel wedge anchors, I have some left over if you need some to do a new route feel free to contact me and I'll make you a deal.

When Ben Priestly (who found the place and turned me onto it -thanks again Ben!) and I first saw it we thought that the main formation looked like a classic Gothic European Cathedral so that was our name for it. There are 2 large spires in the front (Dragon's Spine and The Old Witch) which give the place a total classic gothic cathedral look. As there are "Cathedrals" in about every state, 3 or 4 in Yosemite, my local brobhams soon morphed the name into Coethredral due to the fixation I had on the place. LOL.

The general rule of thumb that Ben wanted and is now tradition is that if anyone thinks an existing route needs bolts, discuss it with the others currently climbing out there and put them in. BAMM:-)! Just do it. Although in other places the tradition is that the FA party gets consulted, Ben had wisely suggested that the more appropriate group to consult for this location is whomever the active/current folks hanging and climbing out here are. I agree and think it's a better tradition than trying to find the FA and asking permission. Given the more remote nature of the area more bolts are better than less, and some of the early routes we did just need more bolts anyway. Given that perfect clipping stances of last year can become tomorrows no place to rest stance in 2 seconds or less, it is even more critical to pull the trigger on a new bolt (so to speak LOL) fast. Just make sure that whomever the current locals or fanatic fans are, they get asked before you drill. Don't make it a big deal if someone else pulls the trigger without asking you your opinion and if they put in an extra bolt you don't like, simply don't clip it.

We didn't want there to be arguments over stupid crap like that out here, and our most fervent wish and hope is that tradition can continue. If we would all treat others the way we all want to be treated life will be sweet for everyone.

New route potential is everywhere. On the main cliff and all these other cliffs and pinnacles you'll see all over just by stepping out of your car and spinning your head around 360 degrees.

Here's a pic below of the end of "The Nave", the area above the main cliff. It stretches around the corner out of sight. Currently as I type this there are NO routes at all and there could easily be 40-60 totally fu*ing rad bolted routes about 40-60' tall in the range from 5.6 - 5.13+.:
cascadeclimbers.com/plab/da…>


All these Oregon climbers are just sleeping on this unbelievable spot and it's only 60 miles from town! If any Colorado climbers saw this place....Sh*t, if someone like Bobby D (Bob D'Antonio) even caught a glimpse of this area in his rear view mirror he would shit on his car seat while reaching for his rotohammer in total shock at the new route potential. If he had the rotohammer and the bolts he'd have 200 routes in here before he went back to town at the end of the day. There's new route potential everywhere and although the lower ends of the grades would start at less than 5.4 which any old guy could haul his fat ass and man-boobs up, there's some crazy 5.15 overhangs that would even give Sharma a woodie if he saw them. With everything in between too. Waiting.

The Steeple, for instance, has only 1 (easy) route up the back side and the potential to have many many more, much longer @ 250'-400' to the summit (and better) routes than Frenches Dome.

Check out the a glimpse of the top of the Steeple (@ 200' of the lower part is not visible), viewed from the front in this pic below. Remember: what you are looking at is only the very top of a 400' high line and is still VIRGIN.
cascadeclimbers.com/plab/da…>
Is that not sick? (good way sick, not vomiting pea soup sick)

Thanks for getting the info up for folks to go hit it Adam, did I tell you that YOU RULE!!!!? If the mods could fix it back the way you had it before they screwed it up so people can add info under the individual routes it would be appreciated. It's probably an ice climbers dream in winter. Even in winter when the road is snowed in the hike/ski in directly up Sandstone creek from the 1500 foot level near Indian Henry to the base is only @ 1 mile (via topo-I haven't done it), and as the Clackamas River Highway elevation is only @ 1500' the road is generally open. It would be a short ski, snowshoe or snowmobile ride up the 4620 road to get some ice climbing laps in.

Tim Olsen will be getting this location into his next Portland Rock Climbs books which will be out shortly, and he should have a bunch of other interesting new places to climb as well that few of us have heard about. Tim will have this place all laid out in his book so go buy "Portland Rock Climbs" 1 (and later book 2) when they get out and support the local boyz. My wife use to shake her head and laugh at my fixation on this place. I'm over it now and the place is yours to climb and add some routes. Maybe when I get old I'll be back for some more fun bolt clippin' in an amazingly beautiful spot with some grandkids in tow.

LINK to Tim's web site for the guidebook. portlandrockclimbs.com/port…

(insert Jesse Jackson voice here: KEEP STOKE ALIVE!)

Take care all! Dec 7, 2010

[Hide Comment] Just went out there this weekend. This place has some of the most surreal and adventurous sport climbing I've ever seen. Absolutely incredible.

Watch out for loose rock though. It's everywhere up there, and easily the most dangerous part of climbing here.

Mad props to Bill Coe. Jul 24, 2011

[Hide Comment] Good times at Coethedral last weekend. New routes are being worked on. Climbing is being done. Mike my partner and I got on "Better Than Sex", "Rad,Plaid,and Glad", and "Coecoenut Bridge". Knobs have been tested and found to be in good shape.

The snow has melted all the way to the parking lot to Coethedral and their is no snow on the cliff bands above the climbs. The rock was dry and it is ready for another fun summer season.

I camped right in the parking lot and had the place all to myself from Friday night until Sunday afternoon. The solitude was nice. Glad Mike showed up to do some climbing though.

We will be out next Sunday playing and their are a few others that are planning on getting on some of the harder routes. It mostly bolted knobular fun climbing. So many more routes can go up there. May 31, 2012

[Hide Comment] Hey,
I went out here on Saturday, May 4th. The forest service road 4620/4622 is covered in several feet of snow so we had to walk the rest of the way (snow starts about 2 miles from the "parking lot"). Needless to say the route finding in the snow is more difficult than the descritpion would make it sound. However, after a few snowy ordeals we did make it to the crag. It's pretty nice sport climbing for being in the middle of nowhere. But, it is extremely dirty, my partner and I both were hit by rocks we kicked off routes, (bring a helmet!). And while belaying you will be covered in dirt and moss. I think as these routes see more traffic this will turn into a great climbing area. Right now it's a decent climbing area with a great adventure to get there.

We summitted the witch, via excalibur and the Salathe highway, the exposure is incredible. You have nothing around you on all sides and all you can see is trees and hills for miles and miles, its strikingly beautiful and frightening all at the same time.

Excalibur which is an extremely long sport route is very well protected and pretty fun. The 5.10a grade is accurate, I think if the route were shorter it might only be 5.9 but the stamina required to do this thing clean certainly adds to the difficulty. The Salathe highway, is no more than 5.7 and I think the X given to it by the guidebook is unwarranted. You do have to be comfortbale slinging chickenheads however.

Thank you to BillCoe who helped me find the area and his development of the area is a truly heroic effort. The bolts and anchors are all solid and thoughtfully placed. Additionally, having a seat in those green chairs in the cave next to the crag was a welcome rest after the hike in.

I have no doubt I will visit the place again at some point during the summer. I recommend it to anyone who wants a good day of backcountry climbing fun, which should be everyone.

Thanks Bill! May 3, 2013

[Hide Comment] Climbed here yesterday. What a cool spot.

Minor update to the directions. There are no longer any "road closed" signs or gates at the parking spot for this area. There are 2 pull outs that are in the 10 mile range after leaving hwy 224. You want the second one.

We climbed better than sex and ujahns delight. Both were solid as far as stability of the holds etc, but they were both dirty due to lack of use. They were nice and fun easy routes.

The anchor at the top of better than sex needs work. The right bolt moves side to side, and the left hanger spins on the bolt, but the bolt seems solid. There is a single 1/2" bolt/hanger above the anchor that can be used to back it up.

I hope to make it back a time or two to try the rest of the routes before the summer is over. Aug 22, 2016

[Hide Comment] Wow. Epic climbing spot. Read all the beta before heading out though. Directions in guide book are spot on. the pull off is almost exactly 5 miles past where the gravel road starts. the road was in pretty good shape but we had to stop and move small to medium size rocks to keep moving. At the pulloff look for the berm. a farily well worn trail is the most obvious sign since the gate and road clsed sign are no longer there. The hike in is a very steep slog and and def could use some work. There is bright orange marking tape on several of the trees to keep you on trail (thanks to whoever did that, big help) Once there, routes where easy to find and the bolting was great. the fact that there are lots of them really help you feel secure in such a remote area.
The right anchor bolt for Excalibur (P2 belay at base of Salathe highway) was spinning and there was a significant amount of play in the bolt. Seemed like all the loading during the rap was on this bolt which could explain it. Someone should take a wrench out with them and tighten it at least. there was a good back up bolt so i wasn't too concerned. The pitch one belay had loose right anchor as well but the bolt still felt solid.

I am in awe of the people that spent the time getting this place developed. Thank you so much! Someone needs to put a route to the top of this place!

Beware loose rock was coming down basically the whole time we climbed. nothing major but wear a helmet if you are at the bottom and seriously consider leaving dogs at home (unless you can get them to wear a helmet) because they could easily get taken out by some rock fall from 300'. Also even though the climbs are fairly low grade this is not a place for beginners, do some multi-pitches and raps elsewhere to get skill set up before heading out to this remote location. I recommend camping. this spot is too far away and too awesome to only spend a few hours there.

probably wont make it out again this season but looking forward to next summer! Sep 26, 2016

[Hide Comment] Thanks to everyone else sharing beta about this place and for those who spent the time developing and putting in those bomber bolts.

A quick trip report from Aug 16th:

The drive from Portland was a stress-free 1.5 hrs. The last 5 miles of gravel road was in fairly good condition with only one spot where a small landslide created an abrupt bump but even a car should be able to pass. The directions posted here are bang-on but we never saw the "road closed" sign. The pullout/trailhead were on the right and there were a couple fire pits in the parking area. The trail was small but in good condition and marked in orange tape. The only difficult place to find trail was at the slash pile. Walk to the end of the slash pile and look for a small faint trail to the right.

We arrived at about 9 a.m. and were in the shade until about 1 p.m. Since it was a weekday, we had the place to ourselves. We climbed Better Than Sex, Rad, Plaid and Glad and Excalibur. Take MORE draws than the guide says because I ran out of draws every time! (With a 70 m. rope you can make it to the anchors and down to the ground on Excalibur but just barely so tie a knot in the end.) All the routes were clean and the the bolts were all new 3/8" placed every 3' or so. One could argue that it is overbolted but considering there is a chance a hold could pop off and a fall on less than overhanging rock would be quite painful, I appreciated the decision to overbolt vs. underbolt. My partner pulled off two small rocks and while belaying, small stuff does fall, so a helmet is a really good idea.

There are wooden tags at the bottom of a few climbs so it is easy to tell what route you are getting on. I found the grades to be soft, (Planet Granite level grades) especially when compared to Smith, but the exposure adds to the excitement level. On the far left side of the formation, there is a cave and what appears to be a great new line up through some yellow lichen.

Had a great time and will certainly be back. Thanks again for all the hard work of those who have developed this awesome place! Aug 18, 2017

[Hide Comment] We were out there 10/15/18 and came across fresh cat tracks along the road walking in. I'm not an expert, but seemed too large to be a bobcat, so we assume it was a cougar. Just a head's up in case you are thinking of bringing a dog or small children with you.

Also, anyone heading out there in the spring, consider bringing some new small wood "plaques" to mark routes, as was done originally. I believe only 'Runaway Weasel' and 'Better Than..." are currently marked with very faded boards. Oct 18, 2018

[Hide Comment] We were able to make it in early this season! Two other groups showed up as well, which made us realize how small the crag really is. Also, was keenly aware of the backcountry nature of this area. Although it's tightly bolted and softly graded, you are out of cell phone range. The trail into the main crag is steep and narrow, with downed trees for obstacles. The snow makes things extra spicy in early season. The road is often damaged or blocked by rocks, pot holes, snow, trees, or mud. Come prepared, bring wag bags. And please... leave your animals at home. May 11, 2019

[Hide Comment] Definitely adventure climbing. We did a warm up single pitch, then sent Bewitched. Chose to call it a day, since the routes were pretty similar and the checking every hold makes for some mental tiring. Thanks to all the route developers and their hard work. Jul 15, 2019

[Hide Comment] This area was right in the middle of the 2020 Riverside fire. It's gonna look a lot different when access is eventually restored. Sep 10, 2020

[Hide Comment] Has anyone trekked up here the past couple of seasons? Curious what road access looks like, and any impact to the main wall and the steeple bases and rock itself from the 2020 fires. Recently moved so it's a bit more of a commitment for me to just go check out than makes sense, but I have had some fun days here in the summer and wouldn't mind a return trip. Jul 12, 2022

[Hide Comment] In response to Paul L, the main highway 224 that accesses Coethedral is now open but I don't think the forest service access road 4620 is yet. Forest service is still doing a lot of hazard tree mitigation to make these roads safe to the public from treefall. This area probably won't be accessible until at least Summer 2023, unfortunately Jul 15, 2022

[Hide Comment] We investigated backdoor access mid August: google maps shows a connection via NF-4620 between its junction with NF-210 and and its junction with NF-4622/Fish Creek Mountain Trailhead.

To be clear, NF-4620 is a longer road, but this is a short connection (half mile?) between two junctions. You can approach from the south legally and without gates.

There was a dirt berm blocking the continuation of NF-4620 where it meets NF-210. Someone tore it down enough (three hoodlums from the looks of it, I wouldn't know) to cross with high clearance. We drove down that, moving rocks and chainsawing logs, getting very hopeful.

Then, a much larger berm and straight up trees growing out of the road. We walked from that point to the next junction (Fish Creek Mtn TH). Along the way we found big dirt mounds and a two-tiered landslide. At the junction: signs of recent FS activity.

Long story short: no backdoor access. Wait patiently or take bikes. Aug 22, 2023

[Hide Comment] The road is seasonally open (closes December) all the way to the main Coethedral area now. The road is in ok shape, but something with moderate ground clearance like a Subaru will be needed to get there. The approach trail is in need of work where it gets steep, the switch backs seem to be completely gone, but it's pretty obvious where to go. The rock is in great shape along with all the bolts and anchors. There is still a bunch of loose rock and a little dust here and there but the routes are in amazing shape since I'm guessing that they haven't been climbed since the fires 4 years ago. Cool crag, very remote feeling, very closely bolted and very soft grades. I'm not sure if the road is clear all the way to the steeple but next time I'm up there I'll check it out and report back. Aug 7, 2024

[Hide Comment] Adding some things:

Sign says no motorized vehicles, however as of now USFS website lists the road as open seasonally (not winter).

I personally broke three holds on two routes. Belayer absolutely wear a helmet and get out of the way. Fun crag, grading is very soft, would go again.

Unfortunately if you go in August your climbing will be severely distracted by thimbleberries, black raspberries, red huckleberries, etc. Aug 7, 2024

[Hide Comment] aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand new fire! Closed again! Aug 10, 2024