Trip Report
Seattle Basic Alpine SIG Field Trip - Rock Climbing - Vantage (Frenchman Coulee)
This was a successful crag trip to the Feathers at Vantage. For many students, it was their first outing climbing in the great outdoors.
Joshua Walther
- Sat, Mar 22, 2025
- Seattle Basic Alpine SIG Field Trip - Rock Climbing - Vantage (Frenchman Coulee)
- Vantage (Frenchman Coulee)
- Climbing
- Successful
- Road suitable for all vehicles
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Weather predictions weren't promising, but we ended up lucking out with sunshine most of the day. We had moderate low temps and were able to get lots of routes in and set up. The rock was dry and the trails were easy to navigate. There was no snow, but still some small ponds that haven't evaporated away yet from the winter snow melt.
We saw many students succeed on their first rock climbing in the outdoors this weekend. We had routes set up in the Feathers ranging from 5.5-5.10a. Students had the opportunity to top rope any of these. Additionally this field trip turned into an excellent learning opportunity for the students thanks to the experience of Tess, Kelsey, and Jeff. The more experienced leaders knew of a great place to set up a low anchor rapp station in the Gallery. This was reported as a great experience from students, who felt very confident afterwards heading into their Rock Evaluations the next day.
For leaders, it was a great opportunity to shake off the winter rust and send some routes! We were able to sport climb, lead some trad (with a quick intro to gear placement), and get reacquainted with cleaning all the anchors. The weather turned cold, and students toughed it out during the rapp practice. The winds at Vantage were unforgiving the night before for anyone who opted to camp out before the trip officially started the next morning. It was an impressive show of spirit and dedication from all participants through a full day of climbing and rapp practice.
