Book Title: Windy Slab

Author: East Wind

Copyright: May 2024

Other book titles available on the market:

Portland Rock Climbs

Northwest Oregon Rock

Product line website: portlandrockclimbs.com

This eBook is a small slice of information from a chapter within the Northwest Oregon Rock (or the Portland Rock Climbs) book. If you have found this eBook useful, purchase a printed version of the complete book, which is an indepth analysis to many fine rock climbing sites throughout NW Oregon. The book is available at local outdoor recreation based retail stores, and at our website.

WARNING: Rock climbing contains certain inherent risks that may be dangerous to your health. This guidebook is not a substitute for personal insight, time-learned skills, or lessons taught by climbing instructors. There are no warranties, neither express nor implied, that this eBook contains accurate or reliable information. As the user of this guidebook, you assume full responsibility for your own safety. The publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy of any of the information in this book, including the location of bolts (or other hardware), route names, ratings, descriptions, approach trails, nor any assurance against hazards such as loose or poor quality rock, or the risk of equipment failure.

License statement:

This eBook version, released under a copyright license, is the property of the publisher and may not be sold for commercial or non-commercial purposes. The original source text, designs, and images for this eBook are copyright material from the publisher’s NWOR and PRC books. You may copy and share this eBook in any medium or format, but you cannot make derivatives (remix, transform, or build upon, nor distribute any modified material) or make adaptations (see license). Attain a free secure download of this eBook from the source: portlandrockclimbs.com. Support our eBooks and print publications by making a donation, or purchase one of our printed books.

Introduction

Windy Slab

Roadside Climbing in the Sun and Wind

The Windy Slab Crag is located along the roadside shoulder of Washington State Route 14 at the base of the south side slope of Wind Mountain. Windy Slab is a very small, convenient, south-facing low angle 40’ tall slab that receives an abundance of sunshine and a steady dose of wind throughout the year. The short rock scarp is somewhat reminiscent to granite friction climbing and is a quality little site for visiting in the late Spring, Summer and Fall, especially if you are traveling east to other objectives and opt to make this a brief stopover point on your tour. The rock climbing routes range in difficulty from 5.4 to 5.10+, and most can be ascended with a set of quick-draws. Though infrequently visited, the site provides reasonable climbing opportunities with low to moderate technicalities, involving much basic smearing, edges, and crimps. The harder climbs tend to be techy little problems, involving sequential movement to exact crimp holds, delicate smears, and a high degree of smearing and balance abilities.

Windy Slab: GPS 45.702° N, -121.755° W (137’ elevation)

The crag was originally developed in the 1980s by the late Jeff Walker of Willard, Washington with his outdoor associates who climbed many of the original routes (via TR and lead). Within the last 20 years, most of the rock climbs have been upgraded with fixed gear, thus minimalizing the need for any natural gear, while offering a convenient string of sport climbing leads.

Season:

The best time to visit is from April till late October, and occasionally in early November. This site is potentially accessible for 12 months of the year, if you can deal with the considerable chill and extreme winds that frequently scour this portion of the Gorge during the winter months. When the weather has been rainy and cool in the winter months, the small roadside bluff tends to have a fair amount of moisture on the slab which seaps from the cracks near the upper lip, limiting usability during the off-season.

Windy Slab is a unique little site that attracts a small select core of rock climbers who are interested in low angle slab climbing. Stop by and enjoy the unique nature of this delightful small rock slab. Be considerate of others and use the site wisely.

How to get there:

Drive east from Vancouver, Washington on State Route 14, passing through Stevenson, WA. Continue east from Stevenson another 5 miles to Home Valley, a tiny lumber mill community. You will see Wind Mountain to the immediate east. About one mile east of Home Valley as the highway rounds the southern end of Wind Mtn., you will pull off the highway at a wide gravel pullout on the north side of the road, and just west of the Borrow Pit at milepost 51¼. The site is located at the south slope of Wind Mtn. Scramble up the short steep talus slope for 100’ to a wide, flat sunny landing at the base of the crag.

Chapter 1

The Beta Tour from Left to Right:

1. The Steppes 5.3

Pro: Minor gear to 2”

Quality Stars: 0

Starts on the far left up a broken corner system for a few moves then along a low angle slab with big steps. Wander up to the right to merge with Night Music just below the belay anchor.

2. Dare 5.5

Pro: Minor gear to 2”

Quality Stars: 0

Starts as a right-facing layback jam crack on a short vertical section. Then several easy moves up to a steep corner. Exit this corner by stepping up left onto a big edge. Then waltz up along easy ramps rightward to merge with Night Music just below the belay anchor.

3. Night Music 5.6

Pro: 5 QD's

The most popular climbing route here, and it is usually the first route everyone leads. Begin on a slab at a left-facing corner, make a few smear moves and crimps onto a sloped stance. At a near vertical crux step, climb a seam using crimps on the right side of the seam (crux). As the terrain eases onto bigger holds and edges, continue up left to a big right-facing crack corner at a roof just below the bolt anchor. One more move gets you to the anchor.

Below: at the crux section on Night Music route.

4. Icon 5.7

Pro: 5 QD's

This great route has several variations at the small roof. Begin in a subtle cornerless groove using face holds and smears. Continue up the face on better holds (plenty to choose from) till you reach the obvious overhung small lip. Clip a bolt, then choose any one of several directions (the diagram shows the common move). You can also cut low below the lip leftward and then up. Or, you can climb directly up above the bolt over the upper smaller lip directly. Once you are above the lip crux of your choice, continue up easier terrain to the fixed belay anchor.

5. East Wind 5.10a

Pro: 5 QD's

A stellar line with great smears and balance, but not in an extreme sense. Begin by making a few tenuous opening cruxy moves on a steep slab using underclings and sidepulls to balance up high enough till you can reach for several small crimps and palm holds. Power past this crux and go up a balancy mid-section using a closed seam to a small lip. Move right around the lip, then make a reach to a monster jug up high, mantle onto the jug. and continue up easier terrain of edges exiting slightly left to the fixed bolt anchor. Quite possibly the best rock climb at Windy Slab. Go for it!

6. Dark Apron 5.10a

Pro: 1/4” to 1” nuts and cams

This route kisses the left corner of the dark apron. Begin on an obvious 1” flake, mantle or smear onto it. Once you are standing on the flake (note: the bolt line called Apron goes up right), move LEFT into the subtle steep dark groove using tiny crimps, technical balance smears and odd counter undercling pulls to hold the friction move. Power through this series of tricky moves till you reach a vertical flake corner-ish thing at a brief stance, then continue up into the obvious corner crack system, doing a few jams up the crack to a belay station (this corner crack is also used by the next route #7).

Alternate Direct Variant: Start on East Wind by using the initial underclings, and keep moving up right to join into Dark Apron at about 15’ up the face. OK, maybe its not .10a exactly, but it’s a unique direct start.

7. Apron 5.10a

Pro: 4 QD's and minor 1” gear for the crack

A great line that rides on thin smears up the dark apron to the large roof, then follows the splitter finger crack to the anchor. Begin on an obvious 1” flake, mantle or smear up onto it. Once you are standing on the flake (Dark Apron goes LEFT) you will follow the bolt line up to the RIGHT. Using specific very thin crimps and odd smears power delicately through the crux section. As you near the lower angled scoop at the better holds, move up under the large roof. Move left, then surmount the roof via a prominent crack corner jam crack system to the belay anchor. Rappel.

8. Heatwave 5.10d

Pro: use nearby bolts

The toughest line here and a lead climb (using the existing bolts on the nearby route). Tightly squeezed between two routes (#7 and #9). Start on a high grassy knoll, facing an overhung tiny nook. Undercling, foot smear, and reach high up left to catch a crimp, then muscle over onto the delicate smear stance. Then move up right (crux) using a combination of powerful technical crimp moves and dicey smears. Better edges greet you as you near the midway scoop. Step up right a few moves to the fixed bolt anchor under a large overhanging roof. Rappel.

9. Braille 5.10a

Pro: 3 QD's

A quality climb that ascends the right most part of the dark apron. Start at a small outcropping rounded rib of rock (using either the smear slab on left or face on right). Crimp a few moves throught the crux (between the second and third bolt), by moving up right. Continue to easier terrain and steps to a fixed bolt anchor under a large overhanging roof. Rappel.

10. West Wind 5.9

Pro: Nuts and cams to 2” (plus bring pitons for an anchor)

A seldom climbed natural gear climb that pumps through a series of small overhanging roofs, then finishes up a steeply angled crack to a high perch stance with a high belay station.

Below: at the crux lip moves on the Icon route.

Chapter 2

Photo Topo Maps

Maps of Windy Slab (view the third photo in landscape mode for best performance):

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