Render the Adventure: Frenchman Coulee: Climb by Washington's Columbia Gorge

We left the rain behind in Seattle and spent a Sunday in the sunshine at Frenchman Coulee, referred to by local climbers as Vantage, the closest town nearby. Located just 15 minutes from the famous Gorge Amphitheater, Frenchman Coulee is what remains of a massive glacial melt that took place at the end of the last ice age. It's cool to think that such an immense phenomenon created features in the rock that easily compare to those in the gym. Some of the jugs (a type of hold) felt like they were specifically designed for sport climbing.

We spent the day on the Sunshine Wall, an appropriate name considering the generous amount of constant sunlight it received. The sport routes on the wall are well protected, and there is also a collection of trad routes that make for some fun crack climbing.

While the routes are enjoyable and diverse in difficulty, the Sunshine Wall's greatest feature is its high exposure overlooking the Echo Basin. I couldn't stop looking back over my shoulder as I climbed. The view was unreal. It was easy to envision an enormous glacier that once filled the space and pressed against the textured basalt walls it created. As the day went on, the descending sun cast a glorious light on the basin. We got to watch the sun set behind the hills of the gorge, a moment I will never forget.

A less dreamy element of my experience at Vantage was the crowds. When we arrived, the walls were covered with climbers and the bases of the rocks were lined with people waiting to climb. This is inevitably the outcome of a sunny weekend at a crag that is relatively close to a giant city that's home to lots of climbers. Frenchman's Coulee is a default destination for Seattle's climbing community, so crowded climbs and waiting time is unavoidable. When talking with a veteran climber, he described to me what it was like climbing outdoors in the 80's. He told me Smith Rock, an overcrowded crag these days, was sparsely populated on a given day and that there was never more than a handful of climbers whenever he'd frequent Vantage. Now, he no longer climbs at Smith because of its congestion.

At the end of the day, rock climbing is a trending activity with limited spaces to climb. It seems the takeaway of this situation is to be good stewards of what we have. Treat all crags like a precious, non-renewable resource. For a community who values the great outdoors, that is what they are!

Access: From Seattle, drive East on I-90. This will take you over the Columbia River past Vantage, WA. Go up the hill and take exit 143. At the bottom of the exit ramp take a left. Follow this road under the highway and take the first left. Go down the canyon 1.4 miles. You will see parking on the left. A Discovery Pass is required.

The approach trail to Sunshine Wall will have small wooden signs directing you up and over the first wall, then lead you through a "hallway" (something like a slot canyon), and from there the trail will follow the side of the basin until you reach the Sunshine Wall.

Camping: The parking area is usually studded with tents. Set up camp wherever it feels convenient and, ideally, private.

Gear: As many as 16 quickdraws. The routes are well protected, but some are over-protected. Many have 14 bolts, in addition to anchors.