Riverfront Rock Gym is an excellent climbing facility that offers a wide variety of routes and…read morechallenges for all skill levels. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and always willing to offer advice and assistance. The gym is well-maintained, clean, and has a great community vibe. I highly recommend Riverfront Rock Gym to anyone looking to get into climbing or take their skills to the next level. Pro tip: I booked my session using GetOutPass, where I get access to multiple local venues similar to GoCity. Use coupon code: sale1 for an extra $5 discount on top of existing promotions

We checked out Riverfront Rock Gym during the summer of 2022 while we were camping in Wenatchee…read more It was one of those really hot summers with temperatures in the north of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. After checking out in the morning, we still wanted to do more in Wenatchee before heading back to Seattle. We quickly polled the kids while yelping to see what was available in the area for a good, kid-friendly fun. Unanimously, rock climbing was the top (well, the only) choice and off we went! The front desk staff were very friendly, inviting, and professional handling a large group of four families. Digitally signing the liability forms on their iPads was pretty simple and we were able to get the kids checked in with proper shoes and climbing harness apparatus. Once the kids were fully equipped, the staff guided all of us to the rock gym area, which was very spacious with numerous options, obstacles, and challenges. Their staff went over the specifics of each rock wall, how to secure the harness, safety features, what to do, and how to have fun. We were in great hands and I appreciate how inviting they were to the kids to try out any wall with their help. We loved every moment and our kids made many memories.

Took the Aiare 1 class with this group. Great class, instructors and guides. Very informative…read more Great subgroupings. Highly recommend.

Went out yesterday with my fiance to learn trad leading. I was searching for a company that was…read moreable to tailor a course to our needs. Our guide was Matt and he covered everything we were looking to learn with many extra little gear tips and climbing techniques. We started the day off learning how to place gear on the ground, then did a few mock leads on top rope where each piece was evaluated and went over. We plan plan on going out again soon for some multi-pitch climbing. I highly recommend this guide service, all contact was done with Olivia, the owner, and was fast and easy.

The sandy trails and beach area south of Frenchman coulee have historically supported nude…read morerecreation since the early 2000s to May of 2025 when a nudity ban was implemented by Grant County PUD. Because it has had such a loyal consistent following over the years and holds many advantages over crowded shaded Portland area nude beaches, it's a popular spring and early summer destination for sun bathers looking to get away from the clouds and rain of Seattle/Portland etc. It's breath taking desert backdrop and unparalled scenic beauty rival any other beach along the Columbia River. It's also close to rock climbing, the Sage Cliff Restaurant at Quincy and ample free camping and hiking available in the nearby bluffs on the way down to the beach from I 90. There are well maintained vault toilets and endless swimming along the Columbia River which is clean and toxin free here, as it is upstream away from the Hanford Nuclear Site closer to Richland to the south. Personally, despite occasional patrol, I think people are still going to discreetly get naked here. I would recommend a bathing suit or at least a G string or thong for people feeling adventurous. No need to get cited or trespassed. It's such a magical place and you could practically live there outside in a Van or tent from April to late October. Highly recommend. I car camp in my SUV and it's superb. Wonderful atmosphere. Take lots of food and water if you stay a few days. It gets well over 100 degrees in June July and August.

Rainy in Seattle, so heading to this sunny and warm destination. Not only the rocks but also the…read more'desert'. You can also touch the Columbia River at the end of the road. Lot's of fun except the trails. Such a impressive one-day road trip.

Gorgeous views of unique rock formations, the Enchantment Mountains and town of Cashmere. Make sure…read moreto go counterclockwise and it is easier easiest to return the same route for an out and back. We did the complete loop however coming down was extremely steep and unsafe at some areas due to slides. Not ideal for kids due to very steep trail trails and unsecure ground. We also noticed several ticks along the way. Keep your eyes out for marmots too. Enter through the cute garden gate just past the restrooms. Be sure you already have a WA State Discovery Pass since there's no pay machine.

What Peshastin Pinnacles State Park lacks in total hiking trail length it makes up in vertical gain…read moreardor. Views from the top of the pinnacles on a clear sunny day are absolutely stunning and the climb adds a bit of physical satisfaction in working up a slight sweat to reach the vista points. A helicopter pad is located closer to the parking lot/entrance, guessing in part in case of an emergency be it a snake bite, rock climber fall, or hiker tumble. It is a great place for a short, difficult hike. However, ropes and other rock climbing supplies strewn across the trail can detract from the overall experience. During the summer of 2021 the park was closed due to extreme fire risk. Fortunately this was communicated both on the website and at the driving entrance.

This is the lowest and most remote volcano in Washington. I've been up this mountain three times…read moreand love it so I'm reviewing, even though the last time up was 2020. This hike is beautiful, and I suggest taking your time, and staying two nights on the way in, and one night on the way out simply to enjoy the surroundings. Plus, it's nearly a 33 mile round trip. Take the North Fork Sauk Trail to the PCT. First 5 miles are nice and easy, then a couple of miles of seemingly endless switch backs. A short bit on the PCT and a nice camping spot to the right. Second Day is a very nice hike into the mountain and to the high camp. Third morning is the summit approach. The trail is obvious. Depending on the time of the year, you may need to rope up as it can be quite crevassed in the later summer. Definitely recommend ice axe and crampons. We walked out and peered into some deep wide crevasses, anchoring our selves with rope. This is one of my favorite climbs because it's really not hard, just long on the way in. Very beautiful but weather can change very fast and on one summit it turned to a thunder storm. Still, if you like to hike and climb, this one is a must. Bear canisters recommended, though I've never seen a bear here. No permit required, just Northwest Forest Pass for parking. Go do it!

Glacier Peak is notorious mainly for how remote it is. Many people in Seattle have probably seen…read moreit on a clear day, and either not known it's name or mislabeled it something else. It has one of the longest approaches of any major peak in the NW (along with Mt Olympus). But, man, it's a gorgeous hike in! Terrain is continually changing. In the forest, in alpine meadows, over rock, on glaciers, at the summit! Lots of gorgeous places to put a tent on the way in, I'd be worth going to even if you're not going to summit.

Stuart is a big, badass block of granite…read more It's a mountain that most non-climbers will never see, which is unfortunate! It offers many routes from scree slogs, to snow & ice, to nationally-renowned multi-pitch alpine rock routes. (North Ridge is on the coveted "50 classic climbs in North America list". I climbed this mountain via ice cliff glacier, a fun moderate ice route that is hard to get good conditions on.

"Baby's first alpine rock climb"…read more This is probably the best mountain to test your skills in the wild as a beginning trad climber. It's frequently used my mountaineering clubs and guiding services for this purpose. I've climbed the 5.7 route and the 5.6 route. I definitely recommend the 5.6 route. Yes, it's more crowded, but it's a much more aesthetic climb. The 6 pitch 5.7 route is incredibly contrived. It's mainly chossy 4th class scrambling sprinkled with a handful of 5th class moves.

It would be great to be able to experience what is advertised on their website however no response…read moreto inquiries submitted via email. Maybe they won't communicate with prospective clients until a purchase has been made. Perhaps someone is needed to manage the client acquisition side of their business.

10/10 would recommend. Alex Lombardo guided our group up the Easton Glacier route on mount baker…read more He was extremely knowledgeable and helpful throughout the trip. He went above and beyond to teach us technical skills, share local mountain knowledge, and ensure we felt comfortable every step of the way.

I had my second very positive experience with RMI this past month. The biggest takeaway is that…read morethis is a service for people who are seriously prepared for an enormous mental and physical challenge - if you're looking for something wild to do without months of preparation, regardless of the trip you choose, you might feel a little put off with RMI. Rainier IS something you can do with no previous climbing experience, but that doesn't mean you can just show up the day-of and expect to be fine. "No experience needed" doesn't mean no training is required. They make it clear that you need to be in the best physical condition of your life to execute these trips. I am someone who wants to pursue mountaineering as a lifelong hobby but doesn't have a climbing community of my own to go with. As a result, finding a Rainier concessioner was a natural choice. And even though it's nerve-wracking to climb with a bunch of pro guides and strangers, I felt like I found the type of community I've been dreaming of! I'm a female climber and my first experience was less positive because I didn't feel very included as a woman, but this second trip was amazing. I think inclusivity can often depend on the attitudes of the guides. Shoutout to Dominic, Sam, Marissa, and Rylee for making sure I felt strong and capable. No notes. I had the BEST time with them! There are other Rainier vendors (or guide services for other mountains) that are known to be a bit more gentle and flexible in their approach and pacing of their trips. Consider those alternatives if you're not craving absolute grit. No judgement, it's a personal preference. All in all, putting on multi-day climbs with clients of all backgrounds and dangerous terrain is no small feat, but I believe RMI does an incredible job at this. For as long as I'm climbing and able, I will choose RMI again.

I've had much better guiding experiences elsewhere. I did not finish Ranier. Although I was working…read morehard aerobically, I turned around mostly due to anxiety. I did not feel safe with my guide Hannah. For example, I asked for 30 seconds to breathe and she denied it and we kept going. We were not in a dangerous area. So, I decided to turn around. After about a minute of waiting for another rope team to go down I felt ready to keep going. I was not gassed at all, but I did not safe continuing with a guide who completely stonewalled the requests of her clients. I am very frustrated because I did not give it my all. I had plenty of gas left in the tank unlike others who turned around and were stumbling down. I just felt so demoralized by the continued emphasis that it only gets harder and we cannot slow down or stop for even a second that I chose to turn back. I feel confident I could have summited with another guiding company. I have done enough mountains (10+ guided summits including 7k meters) to know that that the pace we were going did in fact have time for me to take a 30 second breath break. Another option could have been to start one hour earlier to go 10% slower on the route--other guided climbs I have done choose starting time based on client pace as well as conditions, rather than rigidly holding to pace policy. I feel like this is the cattle car company that just wants maximum throughput booking trips and rental gear, and if you're not completely on their pace there is no flexibility to even breathe for 30 seconds. I did not feel looked after as an individual, just as one more unit in their system. I have never before wanted a refund on a guided climb, even when I didn't summit before (food poisoning). This experience makes me wish for one for the first time ever. I had a much better experience with Alpine Ascents International a month ago on Mt. Baker. They set a pace appropriate for the group and had empathy and responsiveness when another two clients on a rope team near mine were struggling. I recommend looking at that company as an alternative as they have a concession on Ranier as well. Update to add: I spoke to an AAI guide at camp after coming down. They left an hour earlier than our team did and their climbers came down after ours. So presumably a more manageable rate.

Indeed very enchanting place. We did backpacking 3 nights 4…read moredays to experience the core zone as much as possible including off-trail scrambles for Little Annapurna and Enchantment Peak. We went Colchuck to Viviane and traced back since not much to see beyond Viviane. Really nice backpacking. My detailed mileage etc is below blog post. https://himebackpacker.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-enchantments-washington.html

I've done this a couple of times so I'll give you the different perspectives…read more The first time I did it as a one-day hike because I did not have a permit. The second time I did it as a three night hike because it was after October 15th and I still didn't have a permit. Since that time, the permit season has been extended to October 30th. Either way, I suggest that hiking in the fall is the prettiest time due to the larch trees colors. Both times we started at the Stuart Lake trailhead (recommended due to reduced overall elevation gain) and ended at the Snow Lake trailhead. Now at the risk of offending someone I will say that hiking through the Enchantments in one day is like watching a porn movie on fast forward. You miss most of the scenery. My suggestion is to either get a permit, or hike outside of season, preferably in the fall, but stay at least two nights. Given that the hike up Aasgard Pass has an elevation gain of 1900 feet in about a mile, I can attest that it can be quite dangerous when raining. On the East side there will be mud & rock slides and in our case we had to duck out of the way of several large, (18 or so inch diameter) Rocks that came bouncing down the boulders with unpredictable direction at a very high rate of speed. Risks early in the season are snow slides and avalanches, so be very aware of the conditions when you are there. All that said, anyone who does not give this a five and tell you that it's absolutely one of the most beautiful hikes you'll ever take on must know something I don't, and I've hiked the Himalayas. Remember that goats are dangerous. Pee on rocks, not soil because the goats will dig it up for the salt. Try not to let a goat see you peeing or it will run towards you. Try fishing in the lakes; the trout are great for dinner up there. You should also know that when coming down toward the Snow Lake trailhead there are a large number of switchbacks and when you see the cars just down the hill, it will likely be another hour before you get there, and if you did it as a day hike, your feet may not be happy when you finally arrive. If you are a hiker, you must find a way to get this one done before you hang up your boots.