Name of area:Frenchman Coulee
photo of Elisa Weinman Pogue on Vantage Point (5.8)
photo of the south side of The Feathers
photo of Doug Juers on Hakuna Matata
Where: midway between Vantage and George, WA
How do I get there from Walla Walla?:Take Hwy. 12 to Tri-Cities where it turns into I-182. Take the Vantage, West Richland exit. Follow the signs to Vantage as you turn northwest onto Hwy. 240. Stay on this road as it crosses the Columbia at Vernita Bridge and then heads upstream past Desert Air and Mattawa. At the stop sign, turn left on Hwy. 26. After one mile, get on I-90 headed east-bound. Drive 7 miles or so and take the Silica Rd. exit. Head north under the interstate for one mile and take your first paved left down into Frenchman Coulee. After two miles you will come to free-standing short columns known as the Feathers. A little farther is the parking area for the Sunshine and Middle East Walls.
How long of a drive is it? 2.5 hours
What's there?:Steep basalt columns with good cracks and many bolted face routes. The rock is loose so a helmet is a good idea.
Land Ownership: Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Pros:Lots of fun routes, good in the spring and fall and sometimes in the winter
Cons:Somewhat long and certainly boring drive. Can be very crowded, especially on weekends. Crowds camping out for the gorge ampitheater concerts (May-September) can be obnoxious. Loose rock can be scary until you get used to it.
Comments:Best area for cool weather climbing near Walla Walla. I've climbed at the Sunshine Wall in a t-shirt in January several times! It is possible to comfortably climb in the shade during the summer months.