Lower Sehome Hill

The lower cliffs are a good place to start and get your warm-up. This band of cliffs and a few stray boulders can be seen on the left while heading up the arboretum road. The easiest way to approach them is to park at the lower lot on the right hand side of the road, and walk up the road until you come to a trail on your left with a no bikes and no horses sign. Turn left onto this trail and you will be directly below the cliffs. There is a minor trail that goes directly up the hill right after you get onto the main trail. If you follow the trail that goes straight up the hill, around the right side of a large boulder (#3), and then continues parallel to the hill you will come to the Upper Right Cluster. The boulder (#6) known as"The Turtle" is at the end of the trail.

Go to Upper Sehome

(Click on the boulder for route info)

Quality Ratings (based on quality of rock)

No stars = Very sandy, dirty or loose

* = Some sandy spots but holds are somewhat clean

** = Most all holds are clean

*** = All holds are clean and rock is quite solid.

Other Notations

HB = Highball or scary landing

SDS = Sit Down Start

 

Lower Trail Boulder #1

This boulder is found along the main trail on the left. Nice and short good for warm-ups. Looks like possibility for a hard route starting on the Southeast corner, but other than that everything else is very easy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower trail boulder West side

Not Pictured V9?

Double Vision

FA Unknown: Start on the Southeast corner with an undercling. Work your way to the left and up. Looks tough!

 

 

 

Lower Walls Left

Starting at the farthest left side of the lower cliffs there are a few routes that can be done as topropes, or extreme highball routes if you are daring. To toprope these problems bring some long slings to anchor to trees at the top of the cliff. If there is just a toprope rating, then the problem is too highball to be a safe boulder problem. If both a bouldering rating and a toprope rating are shown, you could probably boulder the route, but a fall could be very bad.

 

These routes not pictured

V0- / 5.8* The Text Book F.A. Unknown The obvious corner crack to the far left side of the crags. Bad fall potential! Starts as thin hands down low and turns to fingers up higher. It just needs a little bit of traffic to get in to better shape.
VB / 5.5* Sehome Chimmney F.A. Unknown A wide chimmney with two offwidth cracks inside.
5.6 The Classic F.A. J. Kenoyer and G. Mustoe 1966 Around the corner from Sehome Chimmney. Start on the right side of the cliff, next to the tree. Climb up and left, through some pockets.
5.11 The Classic Direct F.A. Unknown Start to the left of The Classic and climb straight up the face.
V1+/2 Boulder Lip Traverse F.A. Unknown Up the hill from The Classic. Start on the right side of the cliff and traverse left and up to the lip. Top out past the tree.
V1+/2 Boulder Up F.A. Unknown Start the same as Boulder Lip Traverse, but instead go straight up toward the fang. Be careful of the shelf on the overhang, it is loose and can pull off at any time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the lower walls I have noticed that there are several places that have chipped holds. In the ratings for these climbs it is assumed that you are NOT using the chipped holds. Everything can be done without them and as all climbers know it is very bad etiquette to chip or drill holes. DON'T DO IT!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 V3** Unnamed F.A. Unknown Traverse thin holds to the corner. Avoid the cheater stone. Finishes on the second hueco.
2 V2** Unnamed F.A. Unknown Shorter variation of #1 Start on corner.
3 V3 Rama Tofu F.A. Unknown Start low on corner, move right into the pod, squirm your way out of the pod to the top of the small roof. (Large left facing flake hold to the right out.)
Dyno Dyno Unnamed F.A. Unknown Start with left hand on good crimp and right hand on shallow, but positive pocket, throw to first hueco. (I avoid using the chipped pocket for my feet.)

 


 

 

 

Lower Wall Right

These routes not pictured

VB Lingley's Slab F.A. Unknown Across the gulley from "Boulder Up". Easy Friction slab that is very dirty and covered in moss. With some cleaning and traffic it could be good for practice.
5.9 The Diagonal (a.k.a. The Catwalk) F.A. Unknown Start on the left side of the the right wall and climb up and to the right over a bulge. There are two bolts located at the top.
5.10b Unnamed F.A. Tim Schultz This route starts under the huecos on the right side of the large scoop at the base of the right wall. Climb up and to the left of the scoop through the huecos and straight up the face. Same anchors as The Diagonal.
5.10d Bolt Ladder #2 F.A. Bill Lingley 1970 Start on the right side of the large scoop and traverse into it and continue up and over the bulge, and straight up the face to the top. Two bolts on top.
5.9 Bolt Ladder #2 Variation F.A. Unknown Start just to the right of the large scoop and climb straight up throught the pockets toward the large hueco near the top. Same anchors as "Bolt Ladder #2".
5.2 The Stairway F.A. Unknown Very dirty slab that runs diagonal from left to right. Need cleaning and there are no anchors on top.
5.10b Sidewalk Direct F.A. Unknown This is the chisled route that goes straight up the face on right side of the right wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. V4 Sehome Traverse This traverse can start anywhere along this cliff. It is most commonly started just to the right of the center of the cliff. Everything up to the final two or three moves is V0 the finish is the tough part, and if you fall you are gonna be crash pad surfing down the hill!

 

 

 

 

Lower Boulder #3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. V2+** Unnamed This route is on the south side of the boulder and starts with two slots for your hands. From here move to a sloping ledge (Left arete out) and then finish by throwing high and right to a hidden jug.
2. V0 Unnamed This route starts as the same as #1 except the left arete is in.

 

 

 

 

Lower Boulder #6

(Turtle Boulder)Frontside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 V0* Unnamed Start on the lower right corner and climb the arete.
2 V Hard Unnamed SDS: Start on the lower right corner and move left and up to small crimps, make tricky crappy foot moves to the top.
3 V1 Carhartt Twins Start on the left corner and traverse the lip to the highest point.
4 V Hard Unnamed SDS: Crawl into the cave and find the hidden start hold. Very akward, tight and reachy. May be unclimbed...

 

 

 

 

Boulder #6 - Backside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 V3 Turtle

This is a rather fun problem on the backside of the boulder. Low traverse along the lip very fun and kinda tough finish.

*For a V4 variation finish the route at the lips low point, about 3 feet to the left of the V3 finish.