Snow Creek Wall - Outer Space

Trip Report

Outer Space was one of the first multi pitch trad routes that I did when I was learning to climb so when one of the multi pitch students I taught in the spring reached out to suggest we climb it together, I was game. Trevor and I started to make a plan and when my husband Stuart and climbing partner Jordon heard we were going up there, they wanted to join us. We knew it might be a bit crowded with a group of 4 depending on how many other parties there were that day, but we decided to risk it and head up as a group.

Knowing that it had the potential to be crowded and that it was the beginning of prime larch season, Trevor and I left the Snow Creek parking lot at 6am. Jordon and Stuart were planning to climb first and they left about 30 minutes ahead of us. We hiked up the Snow Creek trail for about 2 miles until we hit the turn off for Snow Creek Wall. There used to be a giant rock cairn at the turn off, but there is a really nice trail now with rock steps that make it hard to miss. We crossed the river on a large log with few difficulties and met Jordon and Stuart as they were racking up. About 10 minutes after we arrived another group showed up, good thing we left early!

There are several ways to start this route, but many people opt to do the "Remorse start" for the first 2 pitches then continue on Outer Space. This gives you a slightly more direct route and more interesting climbing while keeping the grade at 5.9. Trevor followed Jordon and Stuart up the first pitch (mountainproject lists this as 2 pitches - you need a 70 to link these) to a large ledge.

Pitch 1 has a few tricky slab moves on a traverse and it can be tempting to place a high piece to protect them, but this will cause massive rope drag. Its also tempting to not place a piece immediately after this section, which could cause your follower to take a big swing if they fall on that tricky move.

Pitch 2 has an offwidth option as well as a face climbing option. Obviously I took the OW option because I just can't help myself. You can either stay to the left in the wide corner or go around the triangular roof to the right. Jordon and Stuart went to the right since Stuart had a pack and it would be harder to get through the slot. Trevor and I went left through the wide crack, which was super fun.

Now we were into the meat of the climb, on Outer Space proper and first crux pitch. Trevor took the sharp end for our team and headed up the corner towards the 5.9 crux traverse. The third pitch follows a left facing stepped corner that then surmounts the overlap and traverses on some broken rails and flakes towards the belay at a small tree in an alcove. The tree is really more of a bush and should not be used as a solitary anchor. Gear is good but it can be quite delicate and is the more sustained of the crux pitches.

I was up next for P4. Pitch 4 is one of the most distinct memories I have from climbing Outer Space the first time. I gave myself so much rope drag that I could not pull the rope up once I reached the belay and had to move so that there was less drag. Knowing this, I made sure to string out all my pieces on the wandery slab section on the first part of the pitch. You get a bit of a taste of the chickenheads that are coming up on the next pitch, but they aren't quite as defined as they are up above. After a traverse to the left, you go straight up a right facing corner created by a tower and onto a large ledge. I remember getting a tenuous fist jam in this corner the last time I climbed Outer Space and pulling on it like my life depended on it. It was a little bit easier this time and there is now even a bolt at the top of the tower to make the rope drag a bit better.

2 more pitches to go and we were now on the "money pitch." We laughed at the mountainproject description of this pitch as the "giggle pitch" because some commenter said that he giggled the entire way up. Not gonna say it made me giggle, but it was very enjoyable. Handcrack for days with chickenhead features for your feet - a non crack climber's dream crack. There is a bit of an awkward move to get into the crack, but then its splitter for the entire pitch.

The belay for p5 takes some small gear, so make sure to save some. It also has the single hardest move on the entire climb right off the deck. This second crux can stump some people because there isn't much to use as footholds and you are pulling on finger locks. Make sure to get a high piece before you attempt the first move to prevent falling on the anchor. I had to pull a bit harder than I thought I was going to on this pitch, stout! Good thing the crack is splitter and you can pull through on gear if needed.

The crack continues up to a small tree/bush. You can belay here with a 60 or continue up the chickenheads and slab to the summit with a 70 meter rope. Once you complete the first several moves in the crack, the angle lessens and it is significantly easier.

Once we all reached the top, I was expecting to see some goats but the summit was empty. This might be the first time I've been to Snow Creek Wall and not seen goats. Bummer! We had some snacks, that included some melted cheese and a giant salami that Trevor packed and then grabbed our stuff to head down the walk off descent.

The descent is mostly a hike, but there are a few sections of class 3 scrambling. It is dusty and hot in the summertime and can be wet and muddy after rains and early season. There is a well cairned trail for most of the way and several paths will get you down. You want to cut left after a large treed section to traverse across the wall on a ledge system about 1 pitch off the ground. Then its an easy rap or downclimb to get to the base of Orbit, another moderate on the wall.

We were back our packs by 5pm and back to the parking lot by 7. On the way back down we ran into Trevor's partner and her friends who had just finished up the Enchantments through hike. We had been wondering all day if we were going to see them and I popped onto the main train at the same time they were passing the turn off. What a stroke of luck! We grabbed the traditional brats from Munchen Haus in Leavenworth for dinner and celebrated a good day in the mountains.

Gear Notes: Triples from .3-2, double 3, single .2, 12 single alpine slings, 2 double alpine slings, 4 QDs, 70 meter rope.

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