Name of area: Granite Point
Where: Along the Snake River south of Pullman, WA
How do I get there from Walla Walla?:Go to Pullman. Take Hwy. 194 (Wawawai-Pullman Rd.) west and south down Wawawai Canyon to the Snake River. Turn left (southeast and upstream) when you reach the river and drive a short distance until you see an obvious blob of granite on the right-hand side of the road. You can also get there by taking Hwy. 12 to Clarkston, crossing the river, and heading northwest (downstream) on the Wawawai River Rd.
How long of a drive is it? 2.5 - 3 hours
What's there?: A 50 ft. tall blob of amazingly good granite surrounded by a sea of basalt. The northeast side contains a number of steep bolt-protected climbs and at least one decent crack. The area is included in Marty Bland's new guide to climbing areas in the inland northwest. The south side of the river opposite the main crag offers excellent bouldering on granite outcrops up to 20 ft. high. However, a boat of some sort is required to reach them. Conrad Shaefer has written a guidebook for the bouldering. It is available at Hyperspud in Moscow for $10. Photos of boulderng at www.skydonut.com/bouldering.
Land Ownership: Army Corps of Engineers?
Pros: It's good granite!
Cons:Long drive for such a small rock.
Comments:Something to do if you find yourself in Moscow-Pullman, but not a real destination from Walla Walla unless you absolutely need to get your hands on some granite. The outdoor program at WSU has held climbing competitions here in the spring.