Name of area: High Valley
Where: East of LaGrande, OR, near the small town of Cove.
How do I get there from Walla Walla?:Take route 11 through Milton-Freewater and continue south toward Pendleton. Several miles north of Pendleton take the left turn toward Mission and I-84 east. Go through the stop sign at Mission and continue on to the intersection with I-84 just past Wild Horse Casino. Head east toward LaGrande on I-84. From LaGrande take Hwy. 203 east to Union. Take the first left toward the town of Cove. Follow this for 0.25 mile heading straight on High Valley Rd. Follow this road until you reach the end of the pavement. Cliffs with routes begin 0.12 mile on the right. Main parking area is 100 yds. farther down the road.
How long of a drive is it? 2 hours
What's there?: Fairly compact basalt cliffs up to 80 ft. high. There are presently 30 or so routes both (trad and sport) rated 5.6 to 5.12.
Land Ownership: unknown
Pros: The rock is reasonably solid. It's warmer and lower than Spring Mountain. It's closer and less crowded than Frenchman Coulee.
Cons:There aren't that many really good routes. The quality of the bolts and hangers are suspect, most hangers are homemade. Rattlesnakes in summer. Spring Mountain is better and closer.
Comments: Check it out for something new after you've climbed everything at Spring Mountain and Frenchman Coulee.