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Best columnar basalt (and other columnar volcanic rock) crags?
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Can't help much with the best... but another vote for North Table being the worst. Hands down the worst (and ugliest) crag I have ever seen. I've sincerely tried to like it, but I just can't. I'm glad for those who can. |
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Okay: columns of the giants (mega steep) Good: Jailhouse Both in CA |
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I would rate the column crags I've been to by style as... Best sustained - Trout Creek Best easy climbing - Tieton Best moderate movement - Lower Gorge Best hard movement - Upper Gorge Best Multi-pitch - Beacon Rock (but I haven't climbed here or at Bear's Lodge/Devil's Tower) Clearly I'm limited to the NW in my experience! |
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I dont know if anyone mentioned but the actual height of the basalt is what makes it more classic to me, other than that its all super similar. At least from AZ to WA it is. |
M M wrote: I would disagree... anyone who has climbed Trout, Lower Gorge, and Vantage will be able to note significant differences. There is at least as much variety in movement, texture, etc. as there is in granite. |
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Basalt is either chossy dangerous crap or super solid, I speak of the solid stuff. Once it becomes solid columnar its the exact same whether you are in NM, UT or OR, 25' or 190'. I'll take 190' over 25'. Inside corner, face, arete, face, inside corner, face, arete..... |
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The best thing about the local basalt is literally everywhere else was easier climbing for me, once I started getting out of town. It also doesn't much matter what rubber is on your shoes, since that black stuff is irrelevant on greased glass. Best, H. |
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I've climbed a few days at various crags in the taos area above the rio grande and although I wouldn't rank them on a "world class" level like devil's tower etc, I always had a great time and was left impressed. |
M M wrote: Yes, it consistently alternates between aretes and inside corners, but compare the following crags... Trout where the aretes are pretty much featureless and unclimbable while the cracks are mostly consistent in size, the rock is large grained and rough with very good friction. Lower Gorge where there are many swoops and angle changes, making arete climbig possible even without "holds". The cracks are not consistent and often pinch down or go to an awkward size requiring creative stemming or other body english to keep the grade down. The rock is dark and fine grained, with very low friction in warm/humid conditions... totally different from Trout. Vantage has rock similar to the lower gorge but it fractures at angles all over the place. You can get away with way less jamming and there are angled holds and edges all over the place to grab or stem off. In short, 3 of the most popular basalt column crags in the NW, which are all very solid in the popular areas, and all about the same height, and they all have completely different friction, holds, movements styles and character of climbs. |
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I digress from my point, western basalt is all similar as hell from Mexico to OR, I have only spent a few days in the lower gorge and no days at vantage or trout. I could take a picture of a line in the lower gorge and wouldn't be able to tell if I took it in NM, AZ, UT or ID unless it was labeled (Pure Palms not included). |
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I would say only 10% of the rock in vantage is actual columns and only like 40% of the climbs are really columns. Most the actual rock in the coulee is chossy unclimbed caves that transition into fractured rock. |
Princess Puppy Lovr wrote: Shhhh, you want people to spread out and climb the other wonderful crags there? Nonsense, I heard there's only 200 feet of decent climbing and it's all in the kingpins. But for real, even sunshine wall and middle east feel different, let alone going to vastly different basalt areas. However if we're counting non basalt columnar areas, tieton gets my vote. Devil's tower sounds spectacular though. |
Ben F wrote: Hells Gate deserves to be categorized as great for the setting alone! Where else can you climb among zebras and giraffes and baboons? |
M M wrote: You sound like a true expert who should definitely be chiming in on this topic. |
christoph benells wrote: Oomph, sounds like someone s feeling the passive aggressive blues today! Raining again? |
M M wrote: Chris, don't feed the troll... |
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https://www.mountainproject.com/area/109964811/cerro-colorado-aka-cerro-apidame Best basalt climbing I have ever done. It was incredible being able to look over Chile Chico from the top and feeling so far away yet so close to civilization. The wildlife in the mountains, whew condors, guanacos, pumas, and wild horses are all ready to be seen from the towers above. I remember a few gauchos who came through the pass ended up camping with us. They slaughtered a baby horse and put it on the spit to cook. My spanish is ok, but these guys spoke what could be described as a redneck chilean dialect. We sat around the fire and drank some vino and chowed down. Definitely beats a weekend at vantage, waking up to 20 people in line waiting to take a shit. |
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Good: Ettringen, Germany; Tenerife (lots of vulcanic rock, not a lot of columnar basalt), Spain. Dunno: Iceland? I've never been, but it looks world class. |
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Ben Lomond on Tasmania climbs like The Lower Gorge but is 2-5 pitches tall. No idea what the rock is but it's columnar. Wallabies scurrying around during the approach add to the ambiance. |
