INDEX CLUB

Index 411

Getting There: Index is off Stevens Pass Highway (Highway 2), 55 miles northeast of Seattle.

Camping: Find free, unregulated sites along the Skykomish riverbanks. The nearest bathrooms are across from the Index General Store, one mile from the climber’s parking lot — use them.

Amenities: There’s cell reception at the crag, and Internet access at the Sultan town library (14 miles east). Purchase bare necessities and guidebooks at the Index General Store ([360] 793-0693). The nearest full-fledged grocery store is in Gold Bar, nine miles west on Route 2.

Guidebooks: Sky Valley Rock, by Darryl Cramer (rei.com or secondascent.com). Find up-to-date route-scrubbing info at rcnw.net.

Ratings: Index ratings are widely considered stiff, with significant compression in the 5.11 range.

Weather: The temperate climate allows for climbing year-round; annual average rainfall is 108 inches, three times that of Seattle. The driest months are mid-July through September. When it’s raining at Index, many people continue east on Stevens Pass Highway to the drier Leavenworth areas (trad, sport, bouldering). The most popular option for sport climbing is nearby Little Si (exit 32 off I-90).

Access Update: The Washington Climbers Coalition (WCC), with an Access Fund loan, has secured an option to the Lower Wall area, with a December 2010 deadline. WCC is raising $300,000 for the purchase and improvements. See washingtonclimbers.org for the latest and to contribute.