Page Type:
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Route |
|---|---|
Lat/Lon:
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47.55489°N / 121.13525°W |
Route Type:
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Mountaineering |
Season:
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Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter |
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Time Required:
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A long day |
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Rock Difficulty:
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5.5 (YDS) |
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Number of Pitches:
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2 |
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Grade:
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II |
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Overview
Cathedral rock is a very nice easy climb. The southwest route, although not especially difficult, has some nice exposure that make the climb exiting. Count about 9 to 11 hours round trip at an average pace, with 3 to 3.5 hours of approach. You should reach squaw lake after an hour or so : from there, the trees should be sparse and you 'll enjoy wonderful view on Mt Stuart and Mt Daniel.From Seattle :
Take I-90 to exit 80
Drive north to Salmon la sac ( you will go through Roslyn first)
Keep Going straight till you pass the small community and take a right on Cle Elun Valey road (if you cross a bridge you missed the road, turn around, the road should be just before the bridge)
Keep driving straight on this road til it stops, you should be able to see cathedral rock from the parking lot
National forest pass needed
Route Description
Hike up to squaw lake and find a path going north : your goal is to eventually climb the ridge west of your position. From there you have a gorgeous view on Mt Daniel.You should also be able to see the south face of Cathedral Rock : Notice the three gendarmes on the West ridge : your objective is to climb to the base of the highest one.
Find an obvious scree slope and ascend it. Once on top, keep following the scree to the base of the highest gendarmes : the scree will eventually tur into a narrow gully : if there is not enough snow, you will go for an easy class 4 scrambling : there are trees to make good anchors.
once on top of teh narrow gully, you will see another gully right(east) of your position : don't climb it unless you are in for some high class 5 rock climbing (I am not even sure you can actually make it to the summit this way)
Prefer climbing all the way up the scree : the wall on your right is an 5.4 climbing with lots of exposure but easily protectable. You will find an anchor made of webbing with rings at the top.
After that you will have to traverse a go a little below the ridge on the east face to gain another gully : snow can make this passage scary.
From there follow the ridge to the summit (class 3-4 scramble) : some areas might be scary because of the exposure and or the snow : it is fairly easy to protect those.
There is no anchor on the route but the one on top of the class 5 part.
On your way down, prefer carefully downclimbing as repelling would involve a big swing in case of fall (Except for the class 5 part)
A handful of nuts and cams + alpine quick draws
a few slings/runners
Ice axe and crampons in case of snow (even if the peak is half snow covered, take your ice axe all the way up)