All Locations > Washington > South-W & Tacoma > Columbia Gorge > Beacon Rock > Northwest Face

Higher Ground

Name: Higher Ground
Rating: 2.0

5.8 YDS 5b French 16 Ewbanks VI- UIAA 15 ZA HVS 4c British

Routes in Northwest Face

L › R R › L A › Z

	Arabia, The T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Arete in the Sky S 5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Armada T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Batten Down The Hatches T,TR 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Bermuda Triangle T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
	Bertrand, The T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Burning Calves T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Charted Waters T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Cornercopia T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Crossing Wakes T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Dorian's Dilemma T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	False Prophets T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Fireballs T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Forbidden Slab TR 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a
	Full Steam Ahead T,TR 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Genesis T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Gitmo Love Machine T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Head Case T,S 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Higher Ground T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	It Takes a Village T 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a
	Jackie Treehorn's Jungle Gym of Joyous Delights T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b C1
	Lost at Sea T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Maiden Voyage T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Pioneer/Iron Spike Route T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
	Piracy T,TR 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Pleasure Cruise T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Red Sky at Night T,TR 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Riptide T 5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c
	Rogue Wave T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Siege Tactics T 5.12- 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Siren's Call T,TR 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Steamboat Captain's Dream, The T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Stone Soup T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a C2
	Torpedo T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Walk The Plank T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Winters Passage T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a

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Type:	Trad, 60 ft (18 m)
GPS:	45.62763, -122.02195
FA:	FFA Bryan Smith/KS 8/23/2026
Page Views:	229 total · 229/month
Shared By:	bryans on Aug 24, 2026
Admins:	Nate Ball, Jon Nelson, Zachary Winters, Mitchell McAuslan Page Updates (admin only)

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Explore this route in 3D

Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.

Access Issue: CLOSURES: South and East Faces (NW & W Faces Remain Open) Details

The South Face and access trail is closed from Feb. 1st through July 15th, depending on peregrine falcon nesting. Portland Area Climbers Coalition, Washington Climbers Coalition, and the Access Fund are coordinating on this issue. Disregarding this closure will harm their efforts to adjust it and their relationship with land managers.

The east face is closed to climbing year-round due to possible sensitive/endangered plant species.

The NW face and West face routes remain open.

See Closure section below for more details.

Description

Stiff 7, easy 8? You decide. There aren't a lot of 7s and 8s in the area to compare this route to. The route has decent protection, but probably is not a suitable onsight for someone just breaking into those grades. Good gear in a corner leads to 2 bolts on a thin sustained face (optional .2 cam slot out left above the higher bolt). At the second roof, it looks like you could make an unprotected mantle out right onto a dirty sloping ledge. Don't do that. The fall would be bad, and the better climbing is out left, so traverse left and discover a very nice crack to protect. Mantle out right onto the clean block, then stem up and right into a short steep corner with the anchor. A harder extension likely going up and then left from the anchor will be added, in time.