Re-name Vantage (Exit 143)

Hi all, I recently moved to Washington from Arizona and have noticed that most Seattle climbing areas are named after the highway exit that you use to access them. While I was initially resistant to this, I have come to appreciate the concise and utilitarian take on  nomenclature.Given the massive amount of climbing around Seattle, it makes sense to name areas this way to avoid any confusion. With this longstanding tradition of naming areas in place, it seems odd that Washington's premere climbing destination continues to have an ambiguous name.

Thus I would like to submit a petition to change the name of Vantage ( Aka Frennchman Coulee) to Exit 143 to be in keeping with the ethics and traditions of other local areas.

Making this change will help prevent epics like what happened to me this weekend. 

Woah woah woah, Vantage? Vantage is the blink and you miss it, one stoplight hellhole where you stop for beer before driving to FRENCHMAN COULEE!!!

We need to respect the wishes of the original developers and keep the traditional name. 

Lol. Most Seattle climbing areas? Literally 2. 

Nathan Liechty wrote: Woah woah woah, Vantage? Vantage is the blink and you miss it, one stoplight hellhole where you stop for beer before driving to FRENCHMAN COULEE!!!

We need to respect the wishes of the original developers and keep the traditional name. 

Look man, I totally respect the original developers, but it is time to modernized our climbing areas and make them more accessible to everyone. This is one small change that will improve access for generations  to come. I completely agree that vantage is a terrible name, infact if I wasn't told to meet my partner at VANTAGE my whole epic wouldn't have happened.

If you really want to talk about preserving traditions, how bout the fact that the guys who developed this place definitely didn't have GPS to get to the crag. Was there a dot on the gazetteer for Frenchman Coulee???? DOUBT IT. But you can be dam sure everyone was still getting off at EXIT 143!!!

"Washington's premere [sic] climbing destination"?

This is dumb.  There aren't that many crags named after exits (you need to leave the I90 corridor) .  If you had an epic going to Vantage you should have done more research before you left.  It is one of the easiest crags to get to in the state.  We aren't just going to change something that has been established for years because some out-of-towner couldn't find it.  

If we have to change names, please DON'T ask Leland to help!!  

Ha, ha just kidding LW, thanks for your contributions to the area when we just called it 'the coulie"  
Steve

This is hilarious!
Not quite as premier as Exit 143, but also worth a stop are:
Mile 99, formerly known as Leavenworth, and Mile 37, formerly known as Index :)

1.  I wouldn't consider Vantage (FC) a Seattle crag, its over two hours.  
2.  Also, Index is certainly Washington's premier destination (though Vantage has its place)

Kemper Brightman wrote:Washington's premere climbing destination  

You lost us all here.. 

Kemper Brightman wrote: Hi all, I recently moved to Washington from Arizona and have noticed ...

You're a foreigner, forget it. It's Vantage. I can find that, never have any idea where "143" is...   

Totally on board with the concept but if we’re talking in the context of Seattle I think it makes more sense to talk about it in terms of cardinal direction and linear mileage from SBP. For instance, exit 38 would be ESE 41. This would simplify as most relevant climbers are coming from Seattle.

Upon further reflection, mile markers are the murder of the impossible

This sounds like another example of Liberal Seattle politics trying to control the Conservative east side of the state...

Once again, a nice piece of satyrical humor goes right over Mountain Project’s collective head...

Nick Sweeney wrote: Once again, a nice piece of satyrical humor goes right over Mountain Project’s collective head...

My thoughts exactly, you WA folks need to get a sense of humor.

Name everything after what's wrong with it.

Vantage = that windy place
Squeamish = the rainy spot
Index = hard rock
Leavenworth = long walk land
Smith Rock = Hot crowded hell hole
Exit 38 = Choss pile

Nah, it's usually the closest small town. Leavenworth, index, Darrington, vantage, Mazama, Metaline, Tieton (in this tradition should be renamed Naches), etc.

The exits are the exception

But all for it. Vantage is like 10 miles away from the coulee. :)

There is actually only one climbing area named after an Exit, its 38, and within it are about 15 different crags.  Exit 32, to people who live there, is Little Si.  

This is silly and has literally nothing to do with  "accessibility"

I THOUGHT THIS WAS FUNNY.