Leavenworth has dozens of notable crags popular with climbers, but there is only one Castle Rock.

First explored by climbers in the 1940’s, Castle was the first technical climbing area in Washington and it still serves up the goods with a wealth of excellent climbing routes. Icicle TV followed Leavenworth locals Sol Wertkin and Grant Sutherland up three classic climbs this last week and everyone had a great time despite the brisk temps and grey skies.  The nearby easier climbs were populated with climbing teams happy to be back on rock after a long winter, thrusting Sol into a quandary. Our ropes, all 600 feet of them were poised to film MF Direct, a steep  5.11b route that Sol was not warmed up to climb. After several minutes of pow wow the guys decided to go for it. With cameras rolling, Sol made it look easy, linking steep exposed climbing with excellent natural protection and wild moves.

Leavenworth has dozens of notable crags popular with climbers, but there is only one Castle Rock.

First explored by climbers in the 1940’s, Castle was the first technical climbing area in Washington and it still serves up the goods with a wealth of excellent climbing routes. Icicle TV followed Leavenworth locals Sol Wertkin and Grant Sutherland up three classic climbs this last week and everyone had a great time despite the brisk temps and grey skies. The nearby easier climbs were populated with climbing teams happy to be back on rock after a long winter, thrusting Sol into a quandary. Our ropes, all 600 feet of them were poised to film MF Direct, a steep 5.11b route that Sol was not warmed up to climb. After several minutes of pow wow the guys decided to go for it. With cameras rolling, Sol made it look easy, linking steep exposed climbing with excellent natural protection and wild moves.

Grant followed the pitch to the top of Jello Tower, the top of the route where the guys recoiled ropes and got ready for Midway, an  easy but exposed classic climb to the top of Castle Rock.  Grant cruised up the pitch in windy, cold conditions. On top the summit celebration was brief as the winds were really picking up. The guys beat a hasty retreat down to the base while the rigging department (me) packed 400 feet of rope, gear and camera equipment back down to the base of the next route, No Such Thing as a Free Lunge.

All in all it was a lot of fun and a lot of work and everyone had a great time. Thanks to Sol and Grant for putting up with monkey business and the gang of Seattle climbers who shared company, ropes and gear with us. Music in the video is from Chumstick Liberation Front, our local band of choice!