ADVENTURE GUIDE
Rock Climbing
 BY IAN CAMP

Navigate:
Climbing Outside
Climbing Gyms
Gear

I was introduced to rock climbing in the early '80s. TV sports shows (which I viewed from the comfort of my parents' suburban ranch house) portrayed climbers as unbalanced rock-hermits who feasted on vertigo. As an impressionable youth, I got the message: Just say no to rock climbing.

 But I said yes, and by the mid-'90s, I was the zealous owner of an indoor rock-climbing gym. Having helped thousands of enthusiastic climbers, there's one thing I've labored to impress on each participant: Don't climb unless you're willing to accept the risks. Rock climbing involves inherent risks, risks that define the sport's character. Remove these attributes, and you're left with a staircase. If you crater (fall to the ground), you'll be fodder for the nay-sayers who thrive on heralding this sport as the pastime of lunatics. Be smart: Seek professional instruction, exercise good judgment and know when to back down--the rock will be there another day.

 Climbing is much more than risking your life; it's about reducing your life to a series of moves on a cliff or boulder. It's about sitting in a lawn chair on the high-desert floor, drinking beer around a dwindling fire, silently basking in the luminance of the Milky Way, while your climbing partner chatters endlessly in the background to a stranger about some heinous move he managed to pull off. It's about a lifelong pursuit of learning to read the rock, like a surfer reads the waves, to take advantage of what it offers. It offers an opportunity to leave your earthly problems on the ground.

Climbing Outside
If you've just moved to Portland for its rock climbing, I've got an unoccupied, cliff-side dream home to sell you on the Oregon Coast. As your climbing endeavors take you to the surrounding states of Washington, Idaho, Nevada and California, you'll realize something: Oregon got ripped off. You could almost plant flowers in the rock here if it weren't vertical. We call it choss. It's crumbly, dirty and often wet, but we love it because it's what we have. Here's a list of popular local climbing areas on public lands.

Broughton Bluff
A mere 90 minutes east of downtown, Broughton Bluff offers some of the highest-quality rock climbing in the area. Though the routes might not qualify as Climbing Magazine centerfolds, some of them are stellar.

From Portland, head east on I-84. Just east of Troutdale, take the Lewis & Clark State Park exit and head to the day-use area at the foot of the bluff.

Rocky Butte Quarry
Nestled on the side of I-205, Rocky Butte is a true urban climbing experience. If you can get beyond the patina of grit and spray-paint, you'll find some surprisingly good rock. There's also bouldering (unroped climbing) on the stone-block structure atop the butte.

From I-84, take the 82nd Avenue exit and head north. Turn east (right) on Northeast Fremont Street, which turns into 91st Avenue, and wind your way to the top.

Madrone Wall
Despite some crumbly rock and poison oak, this is probably Portland's most popular crag. Climbers of all abilities will find a variety of engaging routes.

From I-205, head east on Highway 212 for three miles. Turn onto Highway 224, proceed past the town of Carver, and continue for approximately two miles. On your left you'll see a gated pedestrian road that leads to the base of the cliff.

Beacon Rock
Bob McGown and Jeff Thomas, who developed many of the climbing routes on this outstanding monolith in the mid-'70s, were immune to poison oak. Are you? Beacon is definitely something to write your friends about; however, its long, technical walls demand bullet-proof skills and commitment.

From I-84, cross the Bridge of the Gods at Cascade Locks. Then take Highway 14 west to Beacon Rock.

Smith Rock
Twenty-five miles north of Bend, Smith Rock is a world-class climbing destination. Despite the trek, many Portland enthusiasts drive there and back for one day of climbing. Better yet, stay overnight in the state park's solar-shower-enhanced campground. Dusty, sage-lined paths lead to warm-hued volcanic rock under transparent desert skies. Although the climbing is outstanding, just being there and absorbing the surroundings is as good.

Smith Rock State Park is in central Oregon, two miles east of Highway 97 near Terrebone.

Climbing Gyms
The popularity of rock-climbing gyms has atomic-cloud mushroomed since the inception of the first commercial facility in the late '80s. To the dismay of many way-honed plastic-pullers, the clientele has grown to include Elmo-esque birthday parties and corporate "we can do it together" bonding sessions. (I no longer own a gym, by the way.)

It figures. Climbing gyms are relatively cushy crags--the floors are padded, the rope anchors are bomb-proof and your life is never threatened by inclement weather. Climbing gyms are ideal places to learn basic safety skills, build strength and endurance, improve technique and meet other climbers. It's rock climbing gone surreal. Vibrantly colored, specialized climbing holds are strategically placed on wild architecture, forming paths that beckon climbers into esoteric moves and positions. The successful climber has a large repertoire of climbing moves to pull from as she reads the route and chooses the most efficient move, conserving her energy for the potential crux. As she nears the finish hold, she is empowered by the woeful pangs of Morrissey blaring from the gym's hi-fi.

Costco Sportsnation
18120 SW Lower Boones Ferry Road, Tigard, 968-4500
Day pass with shoe rental: $20
Introductory course: $20

Portland Rock Gym
2034 SE 6th Ave., 232-8310
Day pass with shoe rental: $17
Introductory course: $45

Stoneworks Climbing Gym
6775 SW 111th Ave., Beaverton, 644-3517
Day pass with shoe rental: $13
Introductory course: $40

Gear
If you're into gear (and what athlete isn't?), you'll love rock climbing. Imagine yourself festooned with thousands of dollars of precision-machined, brightly anodized aluminum hardware, glistening in the sun as you clank and rattle your way to the base of a climb. Sadly, you need very little of it to get started. For about $350 you can outfit yourself with some pretty snazzy equipment--enough to get started in the gym, and enough to venture outside with the assistance of an experienced, gear-owning climber. (Be warned: the ownership of tons of gear hardly qualifies someone as "experienced.") Here's a basic list to get started with. Prices vary dramatically depending on your needs and tastes.

Shoes: $135
Have you wondered how climbers stand on tiny nubs and edges? The answer is tight shoes. I recommend beginners purchase a moderately soft shoe, something between a slipper and a boot. Select the shoe that best forms to the shape of your foot. This may involve trying on a dozen different shoes, but it's well worth it when you consider the $135 you're about to drop. Try the shoes on without socks, sizing them down until your toes are slightly curled under; this is how you want them to fit after they've stretched. Then, to compensate for stretch, go down a half or whole size.

Manufactured Harness: $65
Most stores will let you try on harnesses and hang in them. Buy the one that's most comfortable, and make sure it fits properly. Your climbing-store expert can work with you to assure a safe fit.

Locking Carabiner and Belay Device: $35
A locking carabiner is a link of aluminum alloy with a fastening gate. It's used with a belay device to belay (or safeguard) a roped climber. Belaying means taking someone's life into your hands, so don't attempt it without professional instruction.

Helmet: $70
Climbing helmets make a lot of sense at the crags. Imagine having a pebble dropped on your head from 60 feet. Yow! Now imagine a walnut-sized rock, followed by a fist-sized cobble. A helmet doesn't make you invincible, but it does have the potential to make some situations safer.

Chalk Bag and Chalk: $24
Sweaty hands can make you slip off a hold you'd normally be able to nail. Carrying a pouch of loose chalk (sweat-absorbing magnesium carbonate) will keep you from greasing off the holds. Get the design that speaks to you--black leather, red crushed velvet, etc. Use loose chalk for outside, chalk balls for the gym.

John Long's How to Rock Climb!: $14
Buy this book before you buy anything else. (No, I'm not getting a kickback.)