TR solo near North Bend

Any good options for top rope soloing near North Bend? Just moved to the area this winter and looking to start getting back into climbing shape as ski season ends. I did some searching, but couldn't find a whole lot - which probably means the options are limited. 

Here's the list of what I've found:

-Exit 38, The Gritscone. Seems like the most obvious answer, but it's short and uninspiring. 

-Exit 32, Blackstone. Any beta for how to best get to the top? It doesn't seem that obvious to me, but I haven't tried yet. 

-Exit 47, Fun Forest. Looks pretty cool, but the description makes it sound like it's often wet.

Y'all got any other options? I'm willing to lead rope solo something real easy (I'm a wimp when it comes to lead soloing, so <5.7) if it would allow me to set up a TR on harder stuff. Oh, and also I'm looking for partners to climb at the Exits on weekday afternoons since it seems like that might just be the easier solution :) 

Index is probably one of the best tr solo crags given that it isn’t steep and I see people doing it all the time. It isn’t that bad afterwork from north bend, Jon Nelson the mp admin is an expert so maybe message him if index appeals to you.

I think someone died on black stone but if you anchor to a tree up there it should be good? I haven’t been up that wall in 5 years but it would be decent for tr solo. I believe repo can also be accessed from above.

Gritscone is super straightforward and after work there are people there to give you a belay then drag them up to overhaul for better chossier climbs.

Fun forest probably needs 3 days to dry but very easy access and the approach is like a minute.

I don’t know how hard you climb but you can also access canopy crag/maybe hanging gardens but you need to bring a lot of brushes to remove the moss from the top of the climbs and they should be rebolted, which I would be happy to do if they were moss free.

The bouldering is unremarkable but Daniel, Aaron and I tend to clean them off anyway. We climbed the pistol boulders in 2 feet of snow and rain, if you have a partner have them ditch you on the side of I-90 and walk in. The other boulders dry in about a day except rhino chin seeps super bad. There are some rattlesnake boulders which are on mp but I save those for the rare dry winter nights.

The unconventional adventure options would be eastern block (which I would recommend against since hikers could access your anchor and climbs would be horrible tr solo),mirror wall (the climbs are a bit too steep for good tr solo) and world wall 2 (way too steep to tr solo).

I’ll belay you but I’m only interested in world wall, world wall 2 or the caves as I have climbed out most the other areas.

Thanks Puppy Lover. Yeah, Index looks rad but it's hard to justify driving that far after work when there is climbing much closer! I'll probably do that occasionally, but I'll also likely be spending a lot of time at the Exits. Doesn't sound like too many great options at the Exits, but thanks for the info on some additional areas to check out. Where are Canopy Crag and Hanging Gardens? I tried searching through MP but couldn't find them here. 

I've climbed at the Pistol Boulders a couple of times. There are a few pretty fun problems mixed in with all the contrived lowballs! :) Haven't checked out the other boulders at Exit 38 yet but I'll have to do that. I'll shoot you a PM about climbing sometime.

Princess Puppy Lovrwrote:

 world wall 2 (way too steep to tr solo).

I'd disagree mildly with this. I spent *a lot* of time TR solo at WW2 back ~2017.  It's a mild hassle but quite doable. 

 I'd often go work a route by myself on weekday evening while doing initial recon and sequencing, and once I was ready to make big links or redpoint attempts, would start scrounging for partners. Back then hardly anyone was going there, so this approach made sense. Used this approach on Drill, Bones, Reformation, and Plague/Sickness.   All were quite TR-soloable with a bit of shenanigans and the right setup.  

For the right side of the wall, I would come in from above to access the anchor. I'd use the giant tree 80 feet back as the main safety-point, and then attach an aider through a janky smashed bolt at the cliff edge to make turning the lip easier. Mildly sketchy but safe overall. Then rap down a few feet and attach the rope to that main Orgasmotron anchor, which provides access to that whole side of the wall. Then rap down, clipping every other draw as a directional. I'd strongly recommend against trying to TR solo Orgasmotron. Combination of steep and traversing makes it a hassle to set up. Did it once, and never again.

For the left side routes (Drill, etc.), I found it easiest to just stick clip up to reach the Drill anchor.  I came in from above once to work the Rear Admiral extension, but this was a huge hassle and I never did it again.  Side note: Drill into the Rear Admiral extension would be a rad 13+ that I don't think has been done yet.

Overall - WW2 is actually a reasonable option for TR solo, if you want to work moves on a hard project. Obviously not the place for 5.10 TR solo laps.

Key beta for TR solo on steep ground: Weight the bottom of the rope, and then re-clip the rope through the first draw below you as you climb past. This keep the rope against the cliffline, rather than hanging out in space pulling you backward off the climb.

Andrew Pwrote:

Just moved to the area this winter and looking to start getting back into climbing shape as ski season ends. .... Oh, and also I'm looking for partners to climb at the Exits on weekday afternoons since it seems like that might just be the easier solution :) 

The weekday evening climbing scene is pretty busy; lots of Seattle climbers out there after work during the summer. You should definitely be able to find folks to climb with if looking to go to the main/popular walls at 38 or at Little Si. Just a matter of finding who has the same schedule and route interests.

Index is the spot for tr solo.

At N Bend the substation can be tr solo’d with some shenanigans from the bridge. Although I think the lines with easy access top out around 5.10

Pretty sure you can access the top of the chainsaw wall from peanacle wall.

I also think with some shenanigans you can get to the top of Amazonia.

Exit 47 has easy access but all the climbs are short, some of them wander and be prepared to set up gear anchors for most of the climbs.

JCMwrote:

Overall - WW2 is actually a reasonable option for TR solo, if you want to work moves on a hard project. Obviously not the place for 5.10 TR solo laps.

Key beta for TR solo on steep ground: Weight the bottom of the rope, and then re-clip the rope through the first draw below you as you climb past. This keep the rope against the cliffline, rather than hanging out in space pulling you backward off the climb.

Yeah but orgasmo, renaissance (would be alright except the start would be terrible),pinching the loaf(too chossy but Daniel did rebolt it but the counter weight would need to be chosen carefully), paradise lost (too steep to even top rope unless you carabiner the bolt hangers which there are extra for the next week before I chop them), hallow hearted (if you fall, your in space) would all not be great. The sickness variations, drill Sargent, admiral, would maybe be fine? I would say it’s okay there are actually three sets on bolts at the top of the wall missing hangers that Erich placed.

Chainsaw would be fine but I recall the anchor to reach the anchors is uninspiring stacked washers (one of them is crushed or crooked), Amazonia would be good tho avoid getting your rope wet!

Canopy and hanging gardens are listed in the guidebook, I believe they are mostly 5.12 but one of them is a 45 foot boulder Boy Scouts sit on. The routes have mostly been forgotten time and I would not climb them till they are rebolted but they look like fun on weirdly bomber rock! I mostly mentioned because the 12a looks ideal, fun and not crowded at all if your trying to get a 12a. All the popular ones are way to popular to tr solo.

I’m indifferent to index, I like overhangs and it seeps so it’s not the place for me all the time but it definitely has the best average climbs of the Washington crags and most the approaches are less than 15 min. I could probably get to the country in index faster than bobs at exit 38 from my house and I’m a super fast hiker.

Princess Puppy Lovrwrote:

Yeah but orgasmo, renaissance (would be alright except the start would be terrible),pinching the loaf(too chossy but Daniel did rebolt it but the counter weight would need to be chosen carefully), paradise lost (too steep to even top rope unless you carabiner the bolt hangers which there are extra for the next week before I chop them), hallow hearted (if you fall, your in space) would all not be great. The sickness variations, drill Sargent, admiral, would maybe be fine? I would say it’s okay there are actually three sets on bolts at the top of the wall missing hangers that Erich placed.

Chainsaw would be fine but I recall the anchor to reach the anchors is uninspiring stacked washers, Amazonia would be good tho!

Agree with those general assessments of which routes are good/bad for TR solo at WW2.  Can't do everything there, but there are some options. And its definitely shenigans to work a project, rather than smooth and convenient TR solo laps.  So probably not what OP is looking for, but just noting that it is quite possible if others (such as the Princess) are interested.

Thanks all! Seems like there are a few options around that are somewhat convenient, and even more options open up if I'm willing to deal with the hassle. 

JCMwrote:

Key beta for TR solo on steep ground: Weight the bottom of the rope, and then re-clip the rope through the first draw below you as you climb past. This keep the rope against the cliffline, rather than hanging out in space pulling you backward off the climb.

This is actually great advice.. Seems really obvious, but I haven't thought of it before. Rope pulling me backwards has been a struggle for me before on steep routes.

JCM wrote: