Inge Scheve for the Emerald
Monkey Face offers unique and exposed climbing routes for Smith Rock visitors.
Smith Rock
continued from page 7
years ago when he was hanging
out at Smith Rock for an entire
summer.
“It’s just a beautiful place,” he
said.
The main rock climbing area at
Smith Rock stretches from the
Picnic Lunch Wall on the front to
Smith Rocks on the back side of
the entrance bridge area. Most of
the climbs are shorter, steeper
routes that are already bolted and
ready to enjoy, which is why the
majority of climbers here perform
sports climbing. Although short,
there are several aspects of the
routes that make climbers from all
over the world migrate to Smith
Rock any time of the year.
One such attraction is the tough
5.14d climbing route.
Additionally, new routes were
discovered this summer. “Eye of
the Beholder” is a 5.11c route,
which rock climber Ryan Lawson,
an Oregon native who has
climbed since 1996, extended
with a second pitch that rates at
5.10b, making the existing climb
even higher. Right next to this
route, another of Lawson’s finds
rating at 5.lid is the new “Har
vester of Sorrow,” which he first
climbed on June 3, 2000.
Another Smith Rock favorite
feature is Monkey Face, a natural
sculpture that - surprise - resem
bles a monkey’s head. Not only
does the 300-foot rock column
amaze people with its appear
ance, but it also offers unique and
largely exposed climbing routes.
The route “Just do it” is one of
the hardest Severson knows on
the Monkey Face because it
leaves climbers exposed to air on
several sides high above the
ground. Monkey Face offers plen
ty such exposure because the
route forces climbers to round a
corner to enter the final stage and
conquer the column.
“Exposure is pretty freaky for
me,” Severson said. “There is
something scary about having
only air around and being up high
while balancing on something
that doesn’t provide much for
footing.”
However, the scariest part of
climbing is to watch people who
are careless, Severson said. With
this many visitors of all abilities,
scenes of recklessness are in
evitable. Most of this occurs when
people belaying the climbers
don’t pay attention to their
climber. Climbers can easily hurt
To get to Smith Rock
Highway 126from Springfield over
Santiam Pass. Follow Highway 20
through Sisters, then turn east to
Redmond. Take Highway 97 and
continue north to Terrebonne,
about 6 miles, to signs for Smith
Rock. Head east following the
signs for a 3.5- mile drive to the
park entrance.
themselves if they fall when those
tending their ropes are not paying
attention and don’t lock the rope.
Gonzales adds that most of the
climbing at Smith Rock is sports
climbing. In this activity, the
routes are already bolted and
ready for climbers to attempt.
Sports climbing differs from what
he calls “gear climbing” where
climbers carry their bolts and
equipment up the faces and also
occasionally sleep in hammock
like contraptions that can be bolt
ed to the rock face.
So what else does the area pres
ent?
First, mountain bikers can
charge up Burma Road a short
mile for a panoramic view of the
area from atop Gray Butte (3,580
feet). From the summit the road
turns into a trail that treats bikers
to a gradual downhill along the
ridge down to a steep gully just
north of the Monkey Face col
umn. This is an excellent place to
watch climbers, have a picnic or
just turn south and follow the trail
around the canyon for a speedy
return to the foot bridge and the
parking area.
For hikers, the standard hiking
path follows the river along the
bottom of the canyon for an easy
5.8 mile hike. More challenging
trail variations for those who are
not afraid of heights or concerned
about their footing include trails
leading over the passes and along
the ridges to the back side and the
Monkey Face.
All of the trail options includ
ing the canyon floor deliver great
views of the Smith Rock area,
good sightings of climbers in ac
tion and patches of beautiful
desert wild flowers.
But with a huge number of visi
tors, area users should remember
to stay on the trail and be careful
with the delicate desert vegeta
tion.
“I really hope (the park admin
istration] will take care of the
place,” Gonzales said. "There's a
ton of people there all the time,
and the area is really fragile.”
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