Medicine Man

Dance of the Shaman

Arterial Bypass

Me Too

Swashbuckling 101

Photo Opportunity

Waiting for the Sun

So Funny I Forgot To Laugh

Breakfast Beer

Chicken Fingers

The Birds and the Knees

The Feathers Reverse Traverse

Don't Fear the Whipper

Breakfast Crack

Hardening of the Arteries

Fraggled Pickle

Don Coyote

The Mirror

Ring Pin Crack

Old Crack

Nightbird

Updrafts to Heaven

One More

Windwalker

Wish I Were Skiing at 49 Degrees North

The Feathers Traverse

Awkward moves on incut holds lead to awkward moves on slopers above to chains.

Technical on small holds compared to the rest of the feathers.

Sloping holds with a slight overhang in the beginning lead to some stemming and more positive hands farther up. Some decent movement on this route.

Typical feathers face climb over a bulge.

Climb the wide crack which widens to a chimney at the top.

Pumpy, crux is getting to first bolt beyond that its overhung and has a bit of loose rock.

You can also get to chains on top by climbing a newish ~5.4 route on the north side of the feathers that is between 'Forty Bucks in the Dark' and 'Ruffled Feathers'. When at chains of 5.4 if you climb over them you'll see the anchor for 'Photo Opportunity' on the top flat part of the pillar which would let you set up a top rope.

Good - Photo Opportunity on top of the rock.

Bad - Not that heavily climbed, and has some loose holds.

Slightly steep start. Hardest moves probably between 1st and 2nd bolt with small feet. From the 2019 Frenchmen Coulee guide book: “A set of “drive by” moves passing the first bolt leads to a mantle finish.”

Mediocre sport route only slightly better than it's neighbor Breakfast Crack. Wanders along the face, occasionally using the right arete as well. Shares anchor with Breakfast Crack.

Short, steep, pumpy and chossy route. Crux is at the third bolt.

Find the crux at the bottom in the first few moves necessary to pull over the bulge on fists and into a better position above. Some nice knees and fists bring you up to a broad ledge about half way up. From here, knees, chicken wings, and wiggles get you up to the top of the offwidth (squeeze chimney for smaller bodies) where you can stem out to the left to clip the anchors on Nightbird.

You can also climb this as a stemmy face climb and plug gear into the crack as pro for an easier time or as a bail option if you’re new to the wide.

This crack has similar movement to the offwidth just next door - Swashbuckling 101 - but less sustained. The crux down low is what defines the grade. Above the bulge is cruiser and a good intro to wide climbing with lots of rests to take stock of you technique and make adjustments for the next bit of squirming. This one may be the best soft intro to offwidth that I’ve come across so far!

If you’re going to TR this, then I suggest a #7 or #8 at the top of the crack as a redirect from the anchors...or at least until we put in new anchors in a better location directly above the line.

First off, this is not a route to do on the weekend. Plenty of death javalins up top to knock onto to the crowds below, and the route utilizes the anchors of 7 separate climbs. It's a lot of space to take up at Washingtons most used crag, so don't be THAT group.

The route begins on top of the plateau, where the regular traverse ends. There is a massive horn to sling and rap from here, or you can down-climb the gully skiers left of the horn. Plenty of solid stuff in the gully to feel secure, but check your holds.

From the base of the gully you can make your way over the many smaller basalt bits to Satan's Pillar for the "Out and Back" pitch. It's a pretty obvious formation in the group because it is completely detached from the series of columns, and on the north side. Here there is a set of bolts and chains on top of the ridge line that give great protection to start the pitch.

P1: Down-climb into the gap, clipping hangers on two anchors (one each side of the gap) and sling the long developers bolt with washers on it. The very top of Satan's pillar has no established gear, so you'll need to down/ up climb both ways, and do the massive stem across the gap each time. Jugs are a plenty here, but it's some "tall people movement', so be warned.

P2: Off the same anchor, you can start to make your way along the proper column line. Keep an eye out for chains, as you'll be clipping as many as you can to keep this section rated R. When you get to the columns that create the gap, there are two developer bolts here (no chains) that will be your belay anchor.

Gap Transition: From the belay anchor, you can turn around and sling the entire top of the column for a short rappel. It takes about 30ft of material, and I have left webbing and a (hardware store) quick link up there for others (placed 3/3/21). Rig the rappel from the platform where your belay anchor is and when ready, swing around the the webbing into the gap and begin your rappel. In just a couple of feet, you can lean backwards, clip the anchors on the opposing side, and lower yourself into a hanging belay at the top of "Fraggled Pickles".

P3: The crux. Move left off of the hanging belay on small holds, and clip a bolt and anchor for the route “Medicine Man” before making your way to the top. Free, I believe these moves go at 5.9 (Would love another opinion). I completed it at 5.6 A0. On top you can plug your #1 cam, and make your way to a set of anchors right below the summit of the formation. I find it is best to unrope from these anchors, and solo over the top before down-climbing to the last remaining pillars.

P4/5: At the end of the formation there are two pillars to nab. One is an easy 5.4 jug romp. The other takes a few weird moves around a corner to a face with an anchor ledge, and a few moves above the anchors to the top. From this ledge you can either rappel to the ground, or for completionists, there is a final little lump nearest to the road that you could swing to on your way down (using the right side chains). I chose to solo up the gap between these last two columns and it went at a dirty 5.5.

Shout out to Butterfly and Defecto who sent and uploaded the regular traverse. This route lit a little fire under me, and I had a blast working on the reverse. Thanks for having the vision, and for sharing it with the community.

New guidebook calls this a 5.10b. Start right of the first bolt, and after that continue up to the right of the bolts or get sucked into the trad crack on the left for easier climbing (not sure if this is considered out of bounds, but you can still use right hand and foot holds on the face and get a good arm bar in the crack for a rest). Clipping the anchor is most ideal from the left.

A low quality crack sport route that's forgettable. Anchor shared with Breakfast Beer.

Short, but fun & challenging. Pumpy. Climb up the slightly overhanging face following the bolts from chalked edge to edge, stemming and using holds from the right pillar and crack as well.

Pumpy, small holds, not much chalked up because seldom climbed, be careful if climbing this route of those walking through the notch.

Fun route for a warm-up or final route.  Vertical with big holds all the way up.

Climb between the first two pillars, only found one good cam down low.  More difficult to protect higher with poor rock quality.

The fourth crack east of the gap, and one of the earliest routes done at Frenchman Coulee.

An old gear route from the 1950's. Climb the crack to Don Coyote's chains, or to the top of the right pillar.

Solid 5.10a if one stays on left from the bolts after first clip.

A bolted chimney climb!  This is such a cool and odd bird.  You can choose to climb just the face, or chimney with your back to the wall and your feet facing the bolts.  Up you go!

Short, obscure route away from all the crowds at The Feathers. This route starts overhung, which feels a bit burly for a 5.8. Then the rock turns into slab with scale-like features and the climbing eases. Be prepared for mosquitoes in the spring. They like to hang out in the grass and low bushes bordering the belay area.

Fun moves - typical Vantage sport route. On the column just right of Ring Pin Crack.

Climb past three bolts to bulge, crux is pulling out above bulge to finish on pumpy, positive holds.

Start at the road then head up the hill and summit every large boulder on the way to the main rock formation.  Summit ALL peaks along the ridge all the way to the cliff top at the far east end.  Mind the gap, you do not want to blow it here (note to the belayer: pay close to attention to your rope handling.  Short roping the jumper would be tragic).  The Feathers have never been cooler.

Description

Protection

Routes in The South Side