This trip report begins in Vantage, WA, where five adventurous and eager climbers meet. We

do introductions, state our preferred pronouns, state what our goals are for the trip and an ice

breaker question of what our favorite type of leafy green is! We had a diverse leafy green

group, ranging from spinach, iceberg and arugula.

After our light intro we headed to the Sunshine’s Lower Cliffs. The footpath to the lower cliffs

was more of a traverse along the base of 30-50 foot basalt pillars with some loose scree

sections. The views were, most of Echo Basin with the natural beauty of Sagebrush,

Rabbitbrush and even grass. I think grass can be pretty.

Anyways, after about a 15 minute hike in we were at the Millennium Wall. We started off easy

with a warm-up on the 5.7 route, Jitterbug. Tricky finding holds, but just kept slapping those

hands around until it “felt right”. I also recall the route not being super intuitive and a bit

blocky.

The second route was a 5.9 called, Play and Win. I remember the route having a good flow to it

and found it had just the right amount of “challenge” for me that day.

Next to the Play and Win was the toughest climb of the day, My New Hammer. A 5.10a climb

with slope-y “SCAM” holds , as everyone who climbed it remarked. A lot of grunting while

clinging to sloped holds and giving it that little extra oomph seemed to do the trick for these

powerhouse Womxn.

We then skirted left and did my first or second favorite climb of the day, and I think some feel

it’s the best climb on the wall. It is a 5.10a route, called Heel High or Crescent. The route is

straight-forward, but also slightly challenging with solvable problems and a smooth ascent.

My last route of the day was a 5.9, called Y2K, which everyone loved. This one and Heel High or

Crescent were my favorites. Hard to choose. I remember it being a really nice line and NOT a

SCAM!

I wasn’t able to stay the whole weekend, unfortunately, but what I learned was that “Scam”

holds are holds that give the illusion of a good hold, but in fact, they’re FAKE! They are truly a

SCAM. I learned folks leafy green preferences. I learned about a new climbing wall and am

slightly better oriented for a later return date. Lastly, I met some pretty rad womxn. Super chill

and cool people. Love NSM! I can’t wait for future outings! Climb on!

Climbing on Columns